What it does
Prayer Lock is a mobile app for Christians designed to build a consistent daily prayer habit. Its core feature is an app blocker that leverages Apple's Screen Time API. Users select distracting apps, which are then locked until they complete a short, guided prayer session within the app. The app also provides analytics to track prayer streaks, mood, and one's relationship with God over time.
Where it shines
Prayer Lock's strength lies in its deeply structured and empathetic onboarding. It doesn't just ask users what they want to achieve; it reframes their current habits into a powerful problem statement. At 00:44, it calculates a user's daily phone usage into a shocking lifetime figure, like "11 years over your lifetime," creating immediate motivation. The journey culminates in a 'Personalized Faith Snapshot' (04:40), a brilliant summary that makes the user feel seen and understood before they're ever asked to commit to a trial.
UX highlights
- The onboarding quiz is exceptionally detailed, covering everything from goals to deep personal struggles like anxiety and lustful thoughts (01:39), creating a strong sense of a tailored experience.
- Interactive emoji sliders for capturing the user's mood (02:55) and relationship with God make data entry feel engaging and playful.
- The app provides an 'emergency unlock' (06:16), a thoughtful escape hatch that allows users to bypass the lock for 15 minutes, reducing the anxiety of being completely blocked from essential apps.
- User analytics are framed positively, focusing on metrics like 'current streak' and 'avg relationship' (06:42), which encourages continued use through positive reinforcement.
- Feedback and feature requests are built directly into the app's settings (07:52), creating a clear channel for user communication and community involvement.
Monetization & growth
The app uses a free trial model with a soft paywall presented at the end of the long onboarding flow. At 05:25, after building a personalized plan and demonstrating value, it offers a 3-day free trial that converts to a yearly subscription. The paywall clearly shows the weekly cost breakdown for the annual plan to make it seem more affordable and includes a visual timeline of the trial period to build trust. The app also features a prominent 'share prayer lock' option in its settings (07:45) to encourage organic growth.
Who it’s for
The app is explicitly for Christians who feel their phone and social media habits are interfering with their spiritual life. It targets users who are motivated to build a more consistent prayer habit but struggle with the discipline to do so. The design and copy appeal to individuals seeking structure, accountability, and a way to put their faith first in a world full of digital distractions.
Notes & opportunities
The onboarding flow is very long, which could be a point of friction for less patient users, though the personalization may justify it. The 'emergency unlock' is a great feature, but its discovery path, hidden behind a 'didn't receive a notification?' link, could be more intuitive. Finally, the analytics dashboard (06:54) offers insights like 'streak power,' but these could be made more actionable with specific suggestions or content based on the user's patterns.