Roots Reviews

I have a pretty bad phone addiction, and I got this app to support me by offering the time limits for apps and also blocked off time. I paid for the subscription so I could have monk mode and the most access to this app’ offerings. I had to stop using app specific time limits because I would find myself locked out of apps that I needed after only being awake for three minutes. It would tell me that I timed out of my four hours of time limit for a work necessary app at 6:03 AM when I hadn’t even opened that app. the screen would have the accurate time for my screen usage, but the time limit would be locked anyways. And here I am sitting on my lunch, hoping to have 15 minutes of downtime before heading back into my stressful workday to find that my apps are locked once again when I have no active time limit, and no active blocked out time running. I paid around $30 to find my phone bricked more often than not and while it has significantly reduced my phone time, I also want to be able to use my phone when I find it appropriate. I really hope that these issues can be fixed, and I will be seeking some sort of refund or at least some amount of cheat days added to my account because I should not have to use an entire cheat day that I earned by following my goals because I want to be on my phone for 15 minutes and I’m finding myself locked out. It does not seem fair to the user and I am very dissatisfied with that.

When Roots works, it’s great. But it has so many performance issues, and it can be very stressful to set it up. Roots frequently needs to be reloaded. It often forgets that I paid for annual premium and I have to go through a process to sync my subscription. When selecting apps to block, Roots freezes and has to reload, losing all progress made on setting up downtime or app limits. I’ve followed several of the workarounds for these known issues but some are really ridiculous workarounds. For instance, one is to copy each app name you need to block into Notes and then paste it into this app. Imagine you want to block 70 apps. That’s a wild process. Also Roots sometimes becomes completely non-responsive, so I delete Roots and when I re-install, it loses all data so I have to completely set up my systems again. Their customer support is responsive and helpful and I have hopes Roots will be awesome one day.

Love Roots , and happy to have additional safeguards against doomscrolling. The free version allows for simple all-sweeping controls. Cheat day concept I think works for some, but I specifically got Roots to reduce doomscrolling for election season. I’d earned a cheat day, with no option to opt out of it, and was greeted with the apps I’d specifically wanted to avoid during the roller coaster of this particular news cycle. In order to get my controls back, I uninstalled and reinstalled Roots and also deleted the worst offending apps for the day.
Not sure if it is an option, even in the paid tier to opt out of cheat days or bank them for later. Would love that. Otherwise, great app

I like Roots for what it does and the interface. It’s a phenomenal tool that has helped me so much with getting control of how much I use my phone. With that said, it has the potential to be the best app out there for cutting down screen time if they could fix all the bugginess that happens too frequently with the downtime blocking/unblocking, app picker, screen time tracking, etc… the free trial has been good but until they get the kinks ironed out not sure it’s worth paying the premium price yet. Hoping they can fix the issues so it’s a better experience for users!

I got a free 30 day trial and had every plan to buy Roots . It worked great at substantially reducing my screen time but some of the bugs, I can’t really move past. The white list feature is great but I found that it was blocking apps that I white listed (like Phone and Messages). It also isn’t wholly accurate. this app said I spent 15 hours on Instagram when I had Roots blocked for almost 8 hours of the day. And I fell asleep listening to a meditation and it said I used that app for 9 hours. It’s hard to gauge how you’re really doing with bugs like that.

Excited to see an app like this app now exists, to solve a plaguing problem. I'm on day 2 and so far I'm already seeing how it can help. Today I picked up my phone many times throughout the day, as I typically do, looking to check out IG or another social media outlet only to be blocked by this app and had to think...hmm what do I do now. I'm hoping over time my brain will rewire itself to not need to pick up the phone so much and immediately default to more healthy habits.

I really like the deep integration with Screen Time and the analytics that this app provides out of the box. You're able to provide app exceptions as well which is good for cases when you use a sleep app, for example, and it shouldn't count against your screen time.

There are a few bugs in Roots that I'm sure will get worked out, given this is still a new app. Hopeful and excited here!

I got Roots to reduce my screen time and it’s generally helped with that. ‘Monk Mode’ is so much better than what Apple offers natively - for my screen addiction I need the option eliminated that allows me to just enter a passcode to get more time :)

However, I’d suggest this app add an additional feature that makes it more difficult to adjust your app limit - it’s currently too easy to extend them if you have a weak moment and want to spend more time on an app than you set yourself. Maybe add a function where app limits can only be adjusted at a certain time of day?

Got this app recently based on reviews. Roots is significantly better compared to other screen time apps as other apps I’ve seen have many glitches with the screen time as well as the cost. Though, things I recommend to add is a widget that shows how much the screen time is. Although there is an iPhone widget, I think this app should have a widget. Also, I think the customizable custom screen when time is reached should have more options, such as making a customizable screen yourself and putting your own quotes.

Updated Review: The owner did reach out to me and gave me a refund, which I was happy about. So at least the customer service is great!

I did the free trial version and if you select to send a reminder to cancel before being charged, it will NOT in fact send you a reminder!! Of course I got a charge this morning when I didn’t receive anything from them on my email and from Roots itself.

So appreciative of Roots and the timing of its introduction into my life!
I’ve effectively been able to shut out a lot of the noise, mitigate time lost to the chaos of the internet and the negativity that accompanies it all. I’m reevaluating and implementing restrictions for the apps that slipped through and have proved themselves to be unnecessary time drains. No app is safe!
The this app team is responsive and clearly dedicated to this valiant endeavor, for which I am hugely grateful!

It’s been an incredible help for me. I am a student and over noticed a significant boost in my productivity. Beyond that, I find myself becoming a lot more present in my social life. The detox challenges have helped a lot. However, I’d like to note that the benefits have only really manifested once I’ve used the “monk mode” option. All in all, I recommend Roots for anyone looking to become more intentional with their screentime

Roots is very easy to setup and use unlike other screen time apps. You can quickly check you screen time and dopamine hits. Roots blocks work well and the nudges Roots gives when you go over time remind you why you want to reduce your screen time. Monk mode is great to add an additional layer of challenge to use apps. I will definitely continue to use Roots and recommend it to others.

I’ve tried a few different hacks and apps to limit screen time and never really been able to stick with it. Roots is the first I’ve found that really works for me.

What I like:
- I love the design and friendly messaging
- The way Roots limits feature works is great to me, it’s just enough friction to make me think twice when I’m scrolling twitter
- I also really like being able to set daily intentions

What could be better:
- Sometimes the home tab loads in a little slow or crashes (seems they are aware of the bug and working on it… although it doesn’t really impact the experience for me)

Overall, I’m a big fan and have actually decided to upgrade to the premium version. Worth every penny, it’s beautiful and it works.

[UPDATE: they fixed the bug I was seeing. Support was great]

this app has been a game changer for me! As a stay at home mom, sometimes I struggle to prioritize my screen time especially during the morning when it’s easy to pop on a show for my toddler. Not only has this app help hold me accountable for the amount of time I spend on my phone, it in turn has helped me limit screen time with my toddler now that I am more aware. It has helped get us outside more and I’m so thankful for that! Highly recommend.

I have been using Roots for the past couple months to see if it would help me reduce my social media usage. And it has! Because it physically keeps me from doom scrolling by blocking Roots entirely, I’ve been spending a lot less time on my phone and more time with my family, friends, and my studies. It’s been such a game changer for me to get my work done and put down my phone to do other tasks I need to do.

Since I started using this app, I feel like a more patient and present parent. Before, I found myself constantly distracted and endlessly scrolling, but now, with Roots 's gentle reminders and enforced breaks, I'm more engaged in my kids' activities and conversations. We've rediscovered the joy of playing board games, going for walks, and simply talking without the interruption of screens. Roots has truly transformed our family dynamic, allowing us to connect on a deeper level.

I can’t find the words to express how this app is saving my life. I’ve been using Roots for three weeks, and my life has started to change. I have ADHD and two kids, and I’m also very addicted to social media, which has been ruining my life. I set a goal to leave social media, but I have to do it gradually because the addiction is very strong.

I read a recommendation for this app on Reddit and decided to install it. The first two weeks were difficult, but I was amazed at how I actually followed Roots ’s guidance and didn’t try to find ways to unlock my apps. Today is the day after the election, and I’m participating in the “Post-Election Detox” challenge—it’s such a relief. I’m not scrolling through news feeds, and my world is not in chaos today. Thank you so much 🙏

I read an article that introduced me to Roots. I was already using screen time tools on my iPhone. This one has a much more intuitive and use friendly interface. you answer some questions first about what you will do instead of downtime and it serves as a nice reminder that there’s things in my life that are much more important than scrolling or playing games or checking email.

I’ve personally gone through many focus apps and most were lack luster or have unappealing UI. Roots is amazing and has everything from the monk mode feature to tracking your daily phone usage. I could go on and on Roots and how much it has to offer. But to really know is to download and try. As a student, it really helps focus and get the sleep need (I tend to be up all night on my phone). Also wanted to mention that the people behind Roots truly cares. They are also ways l looking to improve Roots and you can always can count on them to fix problems if they happen to appear.

I decided to try Roots because I am tired of wasting so much time on tic Tok. I’m sad to admit I spend up to 4 hours per day before I tried this app…

I set up daily limits for tik tok and a few others… and I’ve found myself cutting down my screen time by A LOT.

I also like the balance score, it helps me. But Roots limits are the most meaningful. I like that I can only add 5 minutes and it will break my streak if I do.