Dear Wander
A mindful pause for your nervous system.
Break the doomscrolling loop. Sixty seconds back to yourself.
Free on iPhone. No account needed.
Free on iPhone. No account needed.
Your phone wasn't designed
to let you go.
Five hours a day. 144 unlocks. The reach is automatic, and your thumb moves before you've decided. You don't need another lock. You need someone to gently say: "Dear Wander, let's stay here a moment."
How it works
Three moments. One gentle interruption.
-
01
The Pause
You reach for Instagram. A warm amber screen arrives first, with a breath to follow. Sixty seconds of guided presence, and then the app is yours.
-
02
The Wander
You breathed, so the app opens. Fifteen minutes are yours, or twenty, or thirty, whichever you chose when you set it up. No countdown ticking in the corner. The time is simply there, and then it is spent.
-
03
Come Home
The time runs out quietly. Your phone stays silent when it does. The next time you reach for Instagram, the amber screen is waiting again, asking for the same breath. You come back by deciding to.
Two rituals. One golden hour.
First Light
The morning pause
A moment to arrive in your own day, before the world rushes in. Warmer gradients, a slightly faster breath. The sun is rising. So are you.
Last Light
The evening return
The day is completing. A slower breath, deeper amber, the soft edges of twilight. Put the phone down gently. You've done enough.
From reflex to choice.
A moment of beauty
before you scroll.
Native iOS
Built on Apple's own FamilyControls API. No VPN. No Shortcuts hacks. No battery drain.
Completely private
Your data never leaves your device. No accounts. No tracking. Just you and your breath.
Never punitive
No shame metrics. No "you failed" messages. Only warmth, only letters, only presence.
What people are saying
"I've tried every screen time app. They all felt like punishment. Dear Wander is the first one that felt like a gift."
Early beta tester
"The breathing screen is so beautiful I sometimes open my phone just to see it. Which is... kind of the whole point?"
Early beta tester
Dear Wander started with a question: why does every app that promises to help you use your phone less feel like a punishment?
I tried the blockers and deleted every one of them. So I built the opposite. It never says no. It just asks you to breathe first.
Gabriela Martínez
Built by an indie developer. Follow along on Instagram: @dearwander.app
The Journal
Letters on attention, presence, and the phones we carry.
August 3, 2026
Make a little more than you consume
A whole day of taking in and nothing coming out leaves you hollow. Here's the research on why making something, even badly, quietly changes how you feel.
Read →July 22, 2026
20 things to study instead of doomscrolling (that actually feel good)
The scroll leaves you empty because it takes attention and gives nothing back. Here are 20 slow, fulfilling things to study instead, from slow looking to the night sky.
Read →July 2, 2026
How to lock or hide the apps you can't stop opening
Every way to hide, lock, or add friction to distracting apps on iPhone, from the Home Screen to Screen Time. What each one does, and why friction beats a hard block.
Read →Questions, gently answered
Is Dear Wander an app blocker?
No. It doesn't lock you out of anything. When you open an app you've chosen, a calm breathing screen appears first. After about sixty seconds, you decide whether to continue. Most of the time, people put the phone down on their own.
Which apps does it work with?
You choose. Pick the apps that pull you in most, like Instagram, TikTok, or X, and leave the rest untouched. Maps, messages, and everything you actually need stay exactly as they are.
Is my data private?
Completely. Everything stays on your device. No accounts, no tracking, no analytics. We never see which apps you choose or how you use them.
Will it drain my battery?
No. Dear Wander is built on Apple's native Screen Time API. No VPN, no background workarounds, no battery drain.
When does it launch and what does it cost?
We're launching on iOS soon. Joining the waitlist is free, and waitlist members will be the first to know about pricing and early access.