Launching today
Hard No
Block distracting apps. Let a stubborn cat say no.
3 followers
Block distracting apps. Let a stubborn cat say no.
3 followers
Pick your distracting apps, choose how long, and hold to lock them. Hard No has no in-app cancel, pause, or early unlock. Try anyway and a stubborn cat makes jokes while the unblock button dodges your thumb. Hardcore Mode hides the countdown, too. No accounts, streaks, or dashboards. Your data stays on your phone. For iPhone, iOS 17+.
Free Options
Launch Team
Render: Get up to $100K in startup creditsCloud infrastructure for founders who want to move fast and NOT break things
Promoted
Hey Product Hunt! 👋 I'm Yahor, the maker of Hard No.
The idea came from a habit I wanted to break: checking work Slack after work.
My working day was over, but I'd still open it. Just a quick look. Just one message. Nothing urgent had to happen - the habit was enough to pull me back into work when I wanted to switch off.
I wanted a simple blocker. Something I could tell, "I'm done with this app until tomorrow," and have it stick to that decision. No "five more minutes" button waiting for the moment my willpower gave out.
I also didn't want leaderboards, scores, or notifications giving me more reasons to look at my phone. I wanted to set a block and get on with my evening.
So I built Hard No.
You choose an app, choose how long to block it, and hold a button for one second to commit. The exact unlock time is shown before you start. Once the block begins, there’s no way inside Hard No to cancel, pause, or shorten it. Force-quitting the app or restarting your phone won't end it either.
That sounds a little stern, so I gave the job to a cat.
Try to unblock an app and you'll find an "Unblock now" button that runs away from your thumb, accompanied by observations like "Persistence detected. Access still denied." It never unlocks anything, but hopefully it makes the moment a little less frustrating.
If watching the countdown becomes its own distraction, Hardcore Mode hides it, along with the release time and the number of blocked apps. You choose it before starting, and it stays on until your blocks finish.
There are no streaks to maintain or scores to chase. No account or backend. Your blocking data stays on your phone.
One honest limitation: revoking Screen Time permission in iOS Settings disables protection. Hard No's promise is that the app itself won't offer you an early exit.
The free version blocks one app at a time and includes every feature. Pro lets you block several apps for €1.99/month or €12.99/year.
It's available now for iPhone on iOS 17+.
For me, this started with wanting to leave work at work - even when work was sitting in my pocket. I'd love to hear which app you struggle to leave alone, and whether a stubborn cat saying "no" would help.