Need help? You're in the right place. Browse the topics below or reach out directly at [email protected]. I typically respond within 24 hours.
What is Liber? Liber is a screen time app that makes you earn access to distracting apps by reading a 60-second AI-written book summary first. Finish the summary, unlock the app. It's productive friction — not cold turkey blocking.
Do I need to create an account? No. Liber requires no sign-up, no email, and no account. Open the app and start using it immediately. All your data stays on your device.
Is my data private? Completely. ReadLock collects no personal data, sends nothing to external servers, and creates no user profile. Your streaks, reading history, and settings live only on your device.
Does Liber work on iPad? Liber is designed for iPhone. iPad support may come in a future update.
How do I block an app? Open Liber → Go to Settings → tap Blocked Apps → tap Add → grant Screen Time permission when prompted → select the apps you want to block. That's it. The reading gate is now active for those apps.
Why does Liber need Screen Time permission? Screen Time is Apple's system for managing app access on iOS. Liber uses it to intercept your blocked apps and show the reading gate. Without this permission, Liber cannot block anything.
Can I block entire categories (Social, Entertainment)? Yes. When selecting apps to block, you can choose individual apps or entire categories like Social Networking, Entertainment, and Games.
Can I block websites too? Website category blocking is on our roadmap. Currently, Liber blocks apps only.
What if I can't select an app in the Screen Time picker? Some system apps and Apple's own apps cannot be blocked via the Screen Time API — this is an Apple restriction, not a Liber limitation. Third-party apps like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X are fully supported.
How does the unlock work? When you try to open a blocked app, Liber sends a notification. On clicking the notification, it shows you a book summary. Read through it completely, and your app unlocks for your configured grace period. When the timer ends, the gate reactivates.
How long are the summaries? Each summary is designed to be read in approximately 60 seconds — around 150–200 words. They're punchy and built to be finished, not skimmed.
Who writes the summaries? Summaries are AI-crafted and Hand Written, written to capture the single most valuable insight from each section of a book. They cover productivity, finance, philosophy, science, leadership, and more. New summaries are added every week.
Can I skip a summary? No. Skipping defeats the purpose — and honestly, that's the point. The friction is the feature. It only takes 60 seconds. However we have a master switch “Shields Active” in settings which can be used to unblock all apps.