Accountability apps for porn: how they work and a private alternative

Accountability apps send reports of what you do on your phone to a partner you choose. For some people that works. For many men it's a privacy trade-off they don't want. Here's how they work and what else you can do.

How internet accountability software works

You install an app that watches your screen or browsing and sends reports to an "ally": a friend, a pastor, a spouse. Knowing someone will see it makes you think twice.

The trade-offs

• Privacy. Someone else sees reports of your screen activity, including things that have nothing to do with porn.
• Price. The best-known accountability apps cost around $20 a month (see our app comparison).
• It works after the fact. A report tomorrow doesn't help at 1am tonight.

A private alternative: block it and plan for the moment

Quit90 takes a different route: nothing about your browsing is sent to anyone, including us. The blocker stops adult sites on your phone, and switching it off means typing a long promise word for word, so a bad moment can't undo it. When an urge hits, the Panic Button shows your own reason for quitting and gives you something to do for the next two minutes.

Accountability still matters. If-then plans work. Across 94 studies, people who decided 'if X happens, I will do Y' reached their goals clearly more often.^[1] Tell one person you trust, and agree on what you'll do in your danger moment.

Free ways to add accountability

• Let a friend set the Screen Time passcode on your iPhone: steps.
• Check in with one person weekly.
• Join a free group: support groups.

Questions