You already reach for your phone dozens of times a day. Cogio turns each reach into a rep that retrains the reflex — no new routine, no reminders to set.
Step 1
name the habit.
Pick the apps you open on reflex — the ones your thumb finds before you've decided to.
Step 2
let the urge happen.
Tap it like you always do. Cogio doesn't block anything — the reflex is allowed to fire.
Step 3
do the hard part first.
A real problem shows up right where the hit would land — math, logic, a pattern. A few seconds of actual thought. Go on, tap one.
Step 4
rewire the loop.
Every solve is a rep. Enough reps and the habit itself changes — your brain starts expecting a beat of thought, not just a hit.
9:41
Guarded apps
A problem before each one opens.
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
X
Messages
Camera
Maps
Music
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
X
Notes
Health
Mail
Photos
Unlocked
no account.
nothing read.
free.
Install and go.
Scores, streaks and settings stay on your phone. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to log into.
Only which app.
Cogio notices the app you opened. Never what's on the screen, never what you type.
No ads.
Free to start. Pro adds guarding more apps and tuning the gate.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is Cogio?+
Cogio is an app for iPhone and Android that puts a quick problem in front of the apps you choose to guard. Reach for a guarded app, solve a short problem, and carry on. It's designed to interrupt the reflex that drives mindless phone use and turn each interruption into a rep that retrains it.
Why "solve a problem" instead of just blocking the app?+
Blocking creates resentment and gets switched off. A problem does something better: it inserts a beat of real thought between the craving and the reward, so you decide consciously whether to continue — and your brain gets a rep either way.
Will this make me smarter?+
We're careful here. Regular practice reliably makes you better at these problems, and a deliberate pause genuinely disrupts compulsive scrolling — those are benefits we stand behind. The broader science on whether training transfers to general intelligence is mixed, so we don't make medical or cognitive-improvement claims. Treat Cogio as a good habit, not a treatment.
Cogio is a tool for mental exercise and mindful technology use. It is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or cognitive condition, including memory loss or cognitive decline. Statements on this site have not been evaluated by any medical or regulatory authority. Individual results vary. If you have concerns about your cognitive health, consult a qualified healthcare professional.
What kinds of problems are there?+
Five types: Math, Sequences, Logic, Patterns, and Visual (memory and search). You toggle which ones are active in Settings, and choose how many problems each unlock takes — up to 3 on the free plan, more with Pro.
Which apps can I guard?+
Any app on your phone. Most people start with the usual dopamine machines — Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, X — but you can guard anything you reach for without thinking.
Why does it need special permissions?+
On iPhone, Cogio uses Apple's Screen Time API to shield the apps you've chosen. On Android, the Accessibility Service is the only reliable way to detect when you've opened a guarded app. Either way it's used for nothing else — it does not read screen content, capture keystrokes, control other apps, or send anything it detects off your device. You grant the permission yourself and can revoke it anytime.
Do you collect my data?+
There's no account, and your scores, streaks, settings, and the problems and answers themselves stay on your phone — we never see them. We do use a standard analytics tool to understand how the app is used: app opens, screens visited, and a defined set of in-app events like when you add a guarded app or solve a problem (recorded by category, never the problem or answer itself). If the app crashes, an automatic crash report helps us find and fix the bug. None of this is used for ads or cross-app tracking. If you buy Cogio Pro, our payments provider also processes your purchase record so your subscription restores on a new device. Full detail in the Privacy Policy.
Is it free?+
Cogio is free to download, with no ads. Cogio Pro unlocks the full experience: guarding multiple apps and customizing how many problems each gate requires and how long the grace period lasts. It's available monthly, annually with a 7-day free trial, or as a one-time lifetime purchase.
