Ever feel like your phone has more control over you than you have over it? Clearspace helps you break free from mindless scrolling and reclaim the hours lost to screen addiction — without ditching your smartphone entirely.^1
Clearspace works by placing an intentional pause between you and your most distracting apps. When you tap a restricted app, you're guided through a brief breathing exercise and asked to choose how long you actually want to spend there — 1, 2, 5, or 10 minutes.^2 It's a simple concept backed by behavioral science: small, recurring nudges reshape habits more effectively than willpower alone. The app also offers physical challenges — push-ups, squats, or steps — gamifying self-control in a way users genuinely enjoy. With Step to Scroll, walking integrates with Apple Health so every hundred steps earns screen time.^3
Founded by Notre Dame graduates Royce Branning and Oliver Hill, Clearspace was born out of Branning's own struggle with phone addiction during the pandemic. He left a senior engineering role at Quicken (where he helped build the NYT-acclaimed Simplifi budgeting app) to tackle the problem full-time. The team went through Y Combinator (W23) and have since helped users save over 25 million hours of unwanted screen time.^4 Branning and Hill were named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Social Media in 2025, and the company has been valued at $20 million.^6
Why Christians Love It"I feel like I am back in control of my phone usage, keeping all of the utilitarian benefits of my phone without the hazards. I was close to chucking it for a dumb phone, but with ClearSpace, I don't feel like I have to make such an extreme change."^2
"My time spent on social media apps is WAY down since I started using ClearSpace!"^2
"I had over 8 hours of screen time a day and now I average between 2 or 3. This app is truly amazing."^2
Notable- Featured on the Huberman Lab podcast (with Michael Easter) and in Forbes, The New York Times Wirecutter, and APM Marketplace^7^3
- Available on iOS, Android, and as a Chrome extension for desktop browsing with website blocking, social feed blocking, and reader mode^2^9
- Supports accountability partners and family sharing through Screen Time Friends for households tackling screen time together^2
- Partnered with Project Reboot to bring digital wellness curricula and a 9-day guided course (designed with UC Berkeley neuroscientist Dr. Sahar Yousef) to schools nationwide^10
- Developing AI-powered screen time agents via a home VPN for parental network-level control — a new product direction announced in mid-2026^11
- Free for students through college with a freemium model for all users^2
