What exactly is Cognitta?+
Cognitta is an app for iPhone and Android that puts a quick problem in front of the apps you choose to guard. Reach for a guarded app, solve a short problem, and carry on. It's designed to interrupt the reflex that drives mindless phone use and turn each interruption into a rep that retrains it.
Why "solve a problem" instead of just blocking the app?+
Blocking creates resentment and gets switched off. A problem does something better: it inserts a beat of real thought between the craving and the reward, so you decide consciously whether to continue — and your brain gets a rep either way.
Will this make me smarter?+
We're careful here. Regular practice reliably makes you better at these problems, and a deliberate pause genuinely disrupts compulsive scrolling — those are benefits we stand behind. The broader science on whether training transfers to general intelligence is mixed, so we don't make medical or cognitive-improvement claims. Treat Cognitta as a good habit, not a treatment.
Cognitta is a tool for mental exercise and mindful technology use. It is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or cognitive condition, including memory loss or cognitive decline. Statements on this site have not been evaluated by any medical or regulatory authority. Individual results vary. If you have concerns about your cognitive health, consult a qualified healthcare professional.
What kinds of problems are there?+
Five types: Math, Sequences, Logic, Patterns, and Visual (memory and search). You toggle which ones are active in Settings, and choose whether each unlock needs 1, 2, or 3 problems.
Which apps can I guard?+
Any app on your phone. Most people start with the usual dopamine machines — Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, X — but you can guard anything you reach for without thinking.
Why does it need special permissions?+
On iPhone, Cognitta uses Apple's Screen Time API to shield the apps you've chosen. On Android, the Accessibility Service is the only reliable way to detect when you've opened a guarded app. Either way it's used for nothing else — it does not read screen content, capture keystrokes, control other apps, or send any data off your device. You grant the permission yourself and can revoke it anytime.
Do you collect my data?+
There's no account, and your scores, streaks, settings, and the problems and answers themselves stay on your phone — we never see them. We do use a standard analytics tool to understand how the app is used: app opens, screens visited, and a defined set of in-app events like when you add a guarded app or solve a problem (recorded by category, never the problem or answer itself). It's never used for ads or cross-app tracking. If you buy Cognitta Pro, our payments provider also processes your purchase record so your subscription restores on a new device. Full detail in the
Privacy Policy.
Is there an iPhone version?+
Yes. Because Apple handles app interception differently from Android, the iPhone version is built on Apple's Screen Time framework — so after you solve the problem you'll tap a notification to return to the app you opened. Same idea, slightly different path.
Is it free?+
Cognitta is free to download, and the free tier guards one app with the full problem engine — every category, no time limit, no ads. Cognitta Pro unlocks guarding more apps plus settings customization, like how many problems each gate requires and how long the grace period lasts. It's available monthly, annually with a 7-day free trial, or as a one-time lifetime purchase.
