moss vs touch grass
An iPhone blocker that unlocks your apps only after you photograph real grass.
Checked 11 November 2026 against Rhys Kentish's own pages. We make moss, so we have linked every source below.
What touch grass is
touch grass is an iPhone blocker with one idea: to unblock your apps you take a photo of real grass, which the app checks with computer vision. You choose the apps and how long they stay unblocked. You get one free skip a month and can buy more, and the maker says half of skip profits go to UK rewilding projects. The App Store lists Pro monthly at $2.99 to $8.99, weekly at $3.99 and yearly at $49.99, with skip credits from $0.99 for one to $4.99 for five. Its Information section lists iOS 18 or later.
What moss is
moss is an iPhone app that comes with a small physical stone. You choose the apps that distract you, tap your phone on the stone, and those apps stay locked until you tap the stone again. People who live together can link their phones to share schedules and put their phones down at the same time, while each person keeps control of their own phone. Locking is free in the app, the stone is a one-time purchase, and the household features are a paid add-on.
Side by side
| Feature | moss | touch grass |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$49 stone, free app | App Store lists Pro monthly $2.99 to $8.99, yearly $49.99. Skips $0.99 to $4.99 |
| Subscription | None to lock your own phone. Household features are a paid add-on | Yes for Pro |
| Works on | iPhone only, iOS 17 or later | iPhone only (iOS 18+ per the listing) |
| How you lock | Tap the stone, or start from the app, a Shortcut, the lock screen or the Action Button. Schedules by day of week | Choose apps. Custom block sessions |
| How you unlock | Tap the stone, in the app | Take a photo of grass, for a duration you set |
| If you need back in | 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically | One free skip a month. Extra skips are paid |
| Locking together as a household | Yes, as a paid add-on. Shared schedules, sessions others join in one tap, a view of whose phone is down, a streak. Nobody controls anyone else | None |
| Whose key opens your phone | Only your household's own stone, card and sprigs unlock your phones | Grass |
Where touch grass is better
- Unlocking gets you outside.
- There is nothing to buy, carry or lose.
Where moss is better
- The stone works at night and in any weather, wherever you keep it.
- Three emergency unlocks a month, free. Nothing is sold to let you back in.
- Locking is free, with no subscription.
- Households can lock together and see whose phone is down.
Who should pick which
Pick touch grass if
You want a reason to step outside, and there is grass near where you scroll.
Pick moss if
You want a lock that works the same at 11pm in the rain, with no plan to pay for.
Sources
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
moss is a stone that locks the apps you choose.
Tap to lock, tap to unlock. One price, and locking needs no subscription.
