An app blocker that shows a photo when you open an app
timre shows the photo you chose — a person, a goal, a place — full-screen the moment you cross your limit in an app. Android, free to start.
Published 21 September 2026 · by the maker of timre
Most blockers show text. A few let you customise the text. Very few show a face.
timre for Android puts a photo you chose at the top of the wall that appears when you reach your limit in an app: your child, your parents, the car you're saving for, the exam hall, the trail you want to run. Under it, in your own words, why. It works because a photo isn't an argument — it's a memory, and it lands before you've had time to rationalise.
Why a photo works where a quote doesn't
Willpower research and everyday experience agree: the moment of opening a distracting app is fast, habitual, and pre-verbal. Text has to be read; a photo of someone you love is understood in a glance. timre's wall is designed around that order — photo first, then the eyebrow ("Instagram · limit reached"), then one sentence in your voice, then the numbers.
How it's set up
- In timre, open Plan → Your why and add a photo (the system photo picker; no gallery permission is requested).
- Write a caption — "Make her proud", "Ten more marks", whatever is true for you.
- Choose whether the photo appears on every wall or only after you've snoozed once (the only on escalation setting), and whether it appears on Deep Work block screens.
The photo is stored in the app's private storage. If you sign in, it's backed up to a private bucket only your account can read. It is never sent to the AI and never public.
What else is on the wall
- The app's name and why the wall is up (limit, off-limits, routine, Deep Work).
- One line chosen from a library written for that app in your tone, or a line you wrote.
- The minutes used today and how many walls you've seen.
- Buttons: close the app, five more minutes (if your preset allows it), or "I need this".
Alternatives
Some general-purpose blockers allow a custom image on their block screen (check the current version's settings), and any launcher can put a photo on your home screen — which helps, but only before you've opened the app. If what you want is the face at the moment of the habit, that is what timre was built for. Get it on Google Play.
Questions people ask
How many photos can I add?
One on the Free plan, up to three on Pro. They rotate.
Does the photo appear every time?
By default yes. You can set it to appear only after you've snoozed once, so the first wall is words and the second is the face.
Where is the photo stored?
In the app's private storage on your phone, and — if you sign in — in a private storage bucket that only your account can read. It is deleted when you delete your account.
timre is a free Android app that limits your time in apps you choose and, when you reach the limit, shows a full-screen reminder written in your own words — your goal, your reason, and optionally a photo of who it's for.