New Dawn guides you through setup, sign-in and permissions before you create your first block. You can create a block during setup or skip it and add one later.

Complete Setup

Follow the setup screens in order to get New Dawn ready to use.

1. Answer the setup questions, then sign in using your email and the 6-digit code, or choose "Sign in with Google".
2. On the "Access" screen, grant the requested permissions.
3. When asked "Which apps distract you?", choose the apps to add to your Distracting list.
4. On "Create your first schedule", select "Create schedule" to make a block, or "Skip for now" to do it later.

Create A Block

You can create a block later from Block tab › "Schedules" › "New". This opens the block editor, where you choose the block type and configure its settings.

1. Choose "Schedule", "Limit" or "Earn". Optionally select a template under "Start from a template".
2. Enter a name. For a schedule, set the days and hours.
3. Choose "Apps" and "Websites" to select what the block covers.
4. Press and hold "Hold to commit" for two seconds to save the block.

Choose A Template

Templates give you a starting configuration for each block type.

• Schedule: "Deep Work" (9:00–17:00 on weekdays), "Wind Down" (22:00–07:00), "Weekend Zen" (all day Saturday and Sunday), or "Slow Morning" (05:00–08:30).
• Limit: "Social, 45m" or "Streaming & OTT, 1h".
• Earn: "Push to Scroll" or "Daily 10k".

Other Ways To Block

The free plan allows up to three blocks. Once you have three, selecting "New" opens Premium.

To start a one-off block without saving a block configuration, go to Home › "Quick Block" › "Block now".

New Dawn lists its permissions on the "Access" screen during setup. "Continue" becomes available once all five required permissions are enabled.

Required Permissions

Each permission supports a specific part of blocking.

• "Accessibility": identifies the app in front and closes it. It is also needed for in-app blocking, website blocking and Block uninstall. Screen contents are not recorded, stored or transmitted.
• "Display over other apps": shows the block screen over an app.
• "Usage access": measures screen time and detects when you open a blocked app.
• "Background activity": keeps blocks running when New Dawn is closed.
• "Notifications": silences notifications from blocked apps and lets New Dawn send its own notifications. Android asks for two grants: posting notifications and notification access.

Optional Permission

"Health Connect" is optional. It lets New Dawn read your steps and active calories. New Dawn does not write anything back to Health Connect.

Permissions Requested Later

Some permissions are requested only when you use the related feature.

• "Camera": requested when a camera workout opens. Sessions are not recorded.
• Android's device admin screen: appears when you switch on "Block uninstall".

Review Your Permissions

You can check or change permissions after setup without returning to the setup flow.

1. Go to Profile › "Permissions" to review or change your permissions.
2. Go to Profile › "Notifications" to access notification settings.

New Dawn offers three block types: "Schedule", "Limit" and "Earn". Each controls access in a different way, depending on when you want apps and websites blocked.

Schedule Blocks

A "Schedule" blocks access between two times, either once or on a recurring basis.

1. Choose "Recurring" days or a single "Date", then select "All day" or set a time window.
2. Select "Add another window" if you need additional blocking hours.
3. Set up to three breaks per day, each lasting 5, 10 or 15 minutes.

With "Allow only", available for schedules, only the apps you choose stay open. Your phone, contacts and settings remain available at all times.

Daily Limit Blocks

A "Limit" allows a set amount of daily use, then blocks access for the rest of the day.

• "Time limit": set a daily allowance from 1 minute to 24 hours.
• "Open limit": allow 1 to 200 opens per day.
• You can use both limits together. "Per-app limits" lets you configure limits for individual apps.

While time remains, opening an app shows a short intervention. Once the limit is used up, the block screen displays "Daily limit reached" and the time remaining until the day resets. The apps stay blocked until then.

The reset time is controlled by Profile › General › "Beginning of the day", which defaults to midnight.

Earned Time Blocks

An "Earn" block lets you access apps using time earned through workouts or steps. The apps stay blocked until you earn time.

Configure "Activity", "Every", "Earns" and "Daily limit" in the block editor.

"Daily limit" sets the maximum earned time available each day. The block type lets you earn access through the activity you configure, up to that daily maximum.

Interventions are short pauses before a distracting app opens. New Dawn includes five interventions, all available on the free plan.

Choose Your Interventions

You can turn interventions on or off in Profile › "Interventions".

• "Breathing": five seconds of breathing.
• "Riddle"
• "Deduction"
• "Word ladder"
• "Anagram"

Each intervention has its own switch and a play button you can use to preview it. All five are on by default, and they take turns when shown.

Keep at least one intervention switched on. You cannot turn them all off.

When Interventions Appear

Interventions appear when you open an app under a "Limit" or "Earn" block while time remains, or when you open an app during a break.

With Premium, you can also enable interventions for apps on your Distracting list.

Go to Block tab › Apps › "Distracting" and switch on "Interventions" to enable them for those apps.

Wrong Puzzle Answers

If you answer a puzzle incorrectly three times, New Dawn lets you open the app without answering.

When An App Is Blocked

When an app is fully blocked, you see the block screen instead of an intervention. It shows the app name, the time remaining and the available actions.

• "App is blocked": identifies the blocked app.
• The time left: shows the remaining block time.
• "Close": closes the blocked app.
• "Take a break · N left": appears when a break is available and shows how many breaks remain.
• "Blocked by New Dawn": appears as the block screen footnote.

New Dawn can block websites in supported browsers as part of a block. Website blocking is free and requires the Accessibility permission.

Add A Website

Open the block editor and go to "Websites" › "Add a website". Enter the site you want to block.

1. Type the website address. New Dawn removes "https://", "www." and anything after the domain. If you enter a bare word, it becomes a .com domain.
2. Select one of the suggested shortcuts if you want to add a common site.

• Available shortcuts include instagram.com, youtube.com, x.com, tiktok.com, reddit.com, facebook.com, news.ycombinator.com and twitch.tv.

Adding a domain also covers its subdomains. For example, instagram.com covers m.instagram.com.

Supported Browsers

Website blocking works in the following browsers:

• Chrome, Chrome Beta, Chrome Dev and Chrome Canary.
• Brave, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Kiwi, Opera and Opera Mini.
• Samsung Internet, Firefox, Firefox Focus, DuckDuckGo, Mi Browser and HeyTap browser.

Website blocking does not work in browsers built into other apps. Make sure the Accessibility permission is enabled.

Use The Block Screen

When a website is blocked, selecting "Close" on the block screen sends the tab to a blank page.

Block Adult Content

The "Adult content" switch is available in the same website list and is free to use.

Switch on "Adult content" for the block you want to configure.

While that block is running, each site you open in a supported browser is checked using Cloudflare's family filter. Only the site's domain is checked, and no list is kept on your phone. If you have no connection, the site stays open. On a first visit, the site may load briefly before the block appears.

In-app blocking lets you block one feature inside an app without blocking the entire app. This feature requires Premium and the Accessibility permission.

Supported Features

You can block the following features in supported apps.

• Instagram: "Reels", "Stories" and "Explore".
• YouTube: "Shorts".
• X: "Video".
• Snapchat: "Spotlight" and "Stories".

Some features are not supported. You cannot use in-app blocking for the YouTube Home feed, TikTok or X's For You feed.

Enable In-App Blocking

Choose the features you want to block from the app list in a block's settings or Quick Block.

1. Open the block editor or Quick Block, then go to "Apps".
2. Find the app you want to configure. Its supported features appear as separate rows underneath it.
3. Tick the feature you want to block without ticking the whole app.

This blocks the selected feature while leaving the rest of the app usable.

What Happens When You Open A Blocked Feature

When you open a blocked feature, New Dawn displays a block screen identifying it. For example, the screen can read "Instagram Reels is blocked".

Select "Close" to return to the app. You can continue using the parts of the app that are not blocked.

Feature Recognition

In-app blocking depends on New Dawn recognising the screens in the other app. An update to that app can change its screens so a feature is no longer recognised.

New Dawn gives you two ways to temporarily stop blocking: breaks for schedule blocks and an emergency pass for all blocks. Breaks are unavailable in Hardcore mode, but an emergency pass can release Hardcore blocks.

Set Up Breaks

Breaks are available for schedule blocks only. Configure them in the block editor under "For emergencies, use a break".

1. Set "Breaks" to allow 0 to 3 breaks per day.
2. Set "Break length" to 5, 10 or 15 minutes.

Your configured breaks can be used while the schedule block is running, unless Hardcore mode is on.

Take A Break

You can start a break from the block screen when one is available.

1. Select "Take a break · N left" on the block screen.
2. Take a slow breath when prompted.
3. Press and hold "Hold to pause" to start the break.

The number in "Take a break · N left" shows how many breaks remain. Breaks are not available in Hardcore mode.

Activate An Emergency Pass

The emergency pass is free and turns off every block, including Hardcore blocks, for 12 hours. When the 12 hours end, your blocks come back on automatically.

1. Go to Profile › Support › "Emergency pass".
2. Press and hold "Hold to activate emergency pass".

You get one pass per week, from Sunday to Saturday. An unused pass expires at the end of Saturday.

End A Pass Early

You can end an active emergency pass before the 12 hours are up.

Go to Block tab › Mode card › "End pass".

Ending the pass early uses up your emergency pass for that week.

Hardcore mode is a Premium feature that restricts changes to running blocks. Block uninstall is a separate free setting that helps prevent New Dawn from being removed or force stopped.

Turn On Hardcore Mode

You can enable Hardcore mode for all blocks or for an individual block.

1. For all blocks, go to Block tab › Mode card › "Switch to Hardcore".
2. For one block, open the block editor and go to "Mode" › "Hardcore".

Before you switch Hardcore on, choose an "Unlock method". While Hardcore is active, running blocks cannot be deleted, paused or shortened. Breaks are unavailable, today's allowance cannot be raised, and Block uninstall cannot be turned off. You can still make blocks stricter.

Choose An Unlock Method

The "Unlock method" determines how Hardcore mode can end.

• "Cooldown": after you ask to switch back, wait 1 minute to 24 hours.
• "Timer": Hardcore ends automatically after 1 minute to 24 hours. You can extend the timer.
• "Follow schedules": Hardcore can be turned off only when the blocks you select are not running.

Only the emergency pass can release Hardcore mode early.

Enable Block Uninstall

Block uninstall is free. When enabled, New Dawn cannot be uninstalled or force stopped through the ordinary Android controls.

1. Go to Profile › General › Security › "Block uninstall".
2. Turn on "Block uninstall". This opens Android's device admin screen.

Uninstall New Dawn

You must turn off Block uninstall before uninstalling New Dawn. This setting cannot be turned off while Hardcore mode is active.

Switch "Block uninstall" off, then uninstall New Dawn as usual.

Block uninstall cannot make New Dawn impossible to remove. Android's Safe Mode starts without New Dawn.

An Earn block keeps your selected apps blocked until you earn time through workouts or steps. You can create your own earning rules or start with a template.

Create An Earn Block

Go to Block tab › "New" › "Earn", or choose a template to get started.

• "Push to Scroll": 5 push-ups earn 10 minutes, up to 1 hour a day.
• "Daily 10k": 500 steps earn 5 minutes, up to 1 hour 40 minutes a day.

In the editor, configure how you earn time.

• "Activity": choose Strength, Cardio or Stretch.
• "Every": set 1 to 100 reps, a hold of 15 to 180 seconds, or 100 to 3,000 steps, depending on the activity.
• "Earns": choose 1 to 60 minutes for each completed amount.
• "Daily limit": set a maximum of up to 24 hours, or choose "No limit".

The editor spells out your earning rule. For example, "10 push-ups earns 5m. Up to 1h a day, which is 120 push-ups."

Earn Time With Workouts

Start a camera workout from the Earn block.

Open the block from the Block tab and tap "Earn more".

Your completed reps are banked when you leave the workout. Extra reps count toward the next amount, so they are not lost.

Earn Time With Steps

Step-based blocks count steps automatically through Health Connect. They do not have an "Earn more" button.

Each full "Every" amount earns the configured "Earns" minutes, up to the "Daily limit". When your earned time runs out, the block screen says "No earned time left".

Available Workouts

The free plan includes these workouts:

• Push-ups, Knee push-ups and Squats.
• Plank, Walk or Run (steps), Jumping jacks and High knees.

Premium unlocks all 27 workouts.

New Dawn shows a placement guide when you open a camera workout. Correct phone placement helps the camera see your body and recognise your movements.

Follow The Placement Guide

When the guide opens, follow the instructions to position your phone.

1. Stand your phone on the floor, leaning it against a wall.
2. Place the phone to one side, about two metres away, with your whole body in frame.

For the groin stretch, place the phone in front of you instead of to one side.

Select "Skip" to skip the placement guide. Select "Don't show again" if you do not want it to appear again.

Change Camera Position

The front camera is used by default. If you need to switch views, use the camera button to select the back camera.

Your phone screen stays on throughout the workout.

To replay the placement guide, select "How to place the phone".

Understand Camera Messages

New Dawn displays messages to show whether it can see you and count your movements.

• "Nobody in frame yet": the camera has not detected anyone.
• "Ready to count": you are in position and ready to begin.
• "Counting": New Dawn is counting your reps.
• "Move back — your whole body has to be in frame": move the phone farther away so your whole body is visible.
• "Not the right position for this workout": your position does not match the workout.
• "Slow down — that was too quick to count": the movement was too fast to count.

Camera Privacy

New Dawn reads the camera image on your phone. The image is not recorded or stored.

New Dawn uses Health Connect to read steps and active calories burned. It does not write anything back to Health Connect, and it does not use your phone's own step sensor.

Connect Health Connect

Health Connect must be available on your phone before New Dawn can use it.

1. During setup, enable the optional "Health Connect" permission on the "Access" screen.
2. If you skipped it during setup, go to Profile › Permissions › "Health Connect".

Which Steps Count

Steps count when they are written to Health Connect by an app or watch. New Dawn reads those step records rather than measuring steps directly with your phone.

If you use a watch, its steps count when the watch or its companion app syncs them to Health Connect.

How Steps Earn Time

Your Earn block uses the "Every", "Earns" and "Daily limit" settings to calculate earned time.

• "Every": the full number of steps required for each earning amount.
• "Earns": the minutes you receive for each full amount of steps.
• "Daily limit": the maximum time you can earn that day.

Steps short of a full "Every" amount do not count toward earned time yet. Counting starts at the beginning of the day, or when the block was created if that was later.

When Steps Appear

Watches sync to Health Connect in batches, so new steps can arrive late rather than immediately.

The block's card refreshes while it is open. If your latest steps have not appeared yet, the card may not reflect them until the data arrives.

New Dawn uses the camera to recognise your body position and movements during a workout. The message on screen tells you what needs to change.

Check Your Position

Make sure the camera can see your whole body and that you are in the correct position for the workout.

• "Nobody in frame yet": New Dawn has not detected anyone. Check that you are in the camera's view.
• "Move back — your whole body has to be in frame": your whole body is not visible, most often because the phone is too close.
• "Not the right position for this workout": your body is visible, but your position does not match the workout. For example, standing during a plank does not match the required position.

Adjust Phone Placement

Position the phone to one side, about two metres away, with your whole body in frame.

1. Stand the phone on the floor, leaning it against a wall.
2. Move it back until your whole body is visible.

Check the framing again if New Dawn still cannot recognise your position.

Slow Down Your Reps

If you see "Slow down — that was too quick to count", the movement was faster than New Dawn's counting threshold.

• Most reps must take at least 0.6 seconds to count.
• Jumping jacks must take at least 0.35 seconds.
• High knees must take at least 0.25 seconds.

For held positions, New Dawn shows a cue naming what to fix, such as "Hips level" or "Arms straight". Follow the cue to correct your position.

Check Camera Access

If the screen says "Camera access is off", New Dawn does not have camera access.

Open Android settings and allow camera access for New Dawn.

Your Premium membership follows your New Dawn account, so you can use it on a new phone. Your blocks and personal app data do not transfer automatically.

What Transfers

Your Premium membership moves with your New Dawn account when you sign in on another phone.

The following data stays only on your old phone and is not transferred or backed up:

• Your blocks and settings.
• Your Distracting list.
• Your history and earned minutes.

Sign In On Your New Phone

Install New Dawn on your new phone and sign in using the same account you used on your old phone.

1. Open New Dawn and tap "I already use New Dawn".
2. Tap "Already a member?".
3. Sign in using the same email address or Google account as before.
4. Grant the requested permissions.

Recreate Your Blocks

After signing in, create your blocks again on the new phone. Your old blocks, settings and Distracting list are not restored automatically.

Your earned minutes and history also remain on your old phone. You will need to configure your blocks and preferences again on the new device.

New Dawn sends specific account and service information from your phone. Other information, including your blocks and workout data, stays on your device.

Information Sent From Your Phone

New Dawn sends the following information:

• Sign-in details: your email address, or your Google account's name and profile picture.
• Your plan: Free or Premium.
• Bug reports you choose to send, including your message, the affected area, severity, up to three screenshots, app version, device model and Android version.

Website domain checks also take place when a block with "Adult content" is running. The domain of each site you open is checked with Cloudflare's family filter during that time.

Information Kept On Your Phone

The following information stays on your device:

• Your blocks and settings.
• Screen time and intervention history.
• Workouts and earned minutes.
• Health Connect readings.

Camera images used during workouts are read on your phone and are never stored.

Read The Privacy Policy

For full details about how New Dawn handles your data, read the Privacy Policy.

New Dawn requires an account, and setup asks you to sign in. You can use your email address with a six-digit code or choose Google sign-in.

Sign In With Email

Use your email address to receive a code and complete sign-in.

1. Enter your email address when New Dawn asks you to sign in.
2. Open the email you receive and enter the six-digit code in New Dawn.

Sign In With Google

If you prefer to use your Google account, choose the Google sign-in option instead.

1. Tap "Sign in with Google".
2. Follow the sign-in steps to use your Google account.

Your Account And Membership

Your plan belongs to your account, not your phone. As New Dawn puts it, "Membership follows the account rather than the device".

If you sign in with the same account on another phone, your Premium membership comes with it. Make sure you use the same email address or Google account associated with your membership.

Your account details are available in Profile › "Account".

Your Premium membership belongs to your New Dawn account, not your phone. If you reinstall New Dawn or move to another phone, sign in with the same account to get your membership back.

Sign In With Your Existing Account

After installing New Dawn, follow these steps to sign in.

1. Tap "I already use New Dawn".
2. Tap "Already a member?".
3. Sign in using your email code or tap "Sign in with Google". Use the same account associated with your Premium membership.

New Dawn checks your plan when you sign in and each time the app starts.

Check Your Account

If Premium still does not appear, first check that you signed in with the correct account.

Make sure you used the same email address or Google account that you used for your Premium membership.

Check Your Subscription

Confirm that your subscription is still active in Google Play.

1. Open Google Play › Payments & subscriptions › Subscriptions.
2. Check that your New Dawn subscription is active.

Contact Support

If Premium still does not show after these checks, contact New Dawn through the Support page.

Open the Support page and contact us with your Google Play order number. The number starts with GPA.

New Dawn offers a Free plan and a Premium subscription. Premium adds more blocks and features, while the Free plan includes essential blocking tools and a selection of workouts.

What's Included In Free

The Free plan includes:

• Up to 3 blocks, including schedules, limits and earned-time blocks.
• Website blocking and the adult content filter.
• All five interventions and the weekly emergency pass.
• Quick Block, breaks and Block uninstall.
• Earning time with 7 workouts.
• Insights for today and yesterday.

What's Included In Premium

Premium includes everything needed to expand your blocking setup, including:

• Unlimited blocks and Hardcore mode.
• In-app blocking and all 27 workouts.
• The daily challenge, longer insights and weekly reports.
• Interventions for apps on your Distracting list.

Prices And Free Trial

Premium has two subscription options:

• Monthly: $6.99 a month.
• Yearly: $49.99 a year, equivalent to about $4.17 a month.

Google Play shows the price in your currency, including any taxes, before you confirm your purchase.

The yearly plan is the only plan with a free trial. The trial lasts 7 days, and you are charged $49.99 when it ends unless you cancel before then.

Manage Or Cancel Premium

Your subscription renews automatically for the same period unless you cancel it.

1. Open Google Play Store › Profile › Payments & subscriptions › Subscriptions.
2. Select your subscription to manage or cancel it.

If a blocked app opens, first check your permissions and whether the block is active. Some apps and phone features are never blocked by New Dawn.

Check Your Permissions

Go to Profile › "Permissions" and check these settings.

• "Usage access": without this permission, nothing is blocked.
• "Display over other apps": without it, the block screen cannot appear.
• "Accessibility": without it, in-app blocking, website blocking, the adult content filter and Block uninstall stop working. Whole apps are still blocked.
• "Run in the background": check that this setting is enabled so New Dawn can continue running in the background.

Check Your Block Status

An app may open because blocking is not currently active.

• Protection is "Paused" on the Block tab's Mode card.
• An emergency pass is running, or you are currently taking a break.
• The schedule has not started yet.
• A daily limit still has time left, so you see an intervention instead of a full block.
• The block is switched off.

Apps That Are Never Blocked

New Dawn does not block the following apps and phone features:

• Phone, messages, contacts and settings.
• Camera, calendar, maps and email.
• Messaging apps, the home screen and New Dawn itself.

If the app you are trying to block is on this list, it will remain available even while your other blocks are running.

New Dawn needs permission to run in the background to keep blocks working when you are not using the app. Some Android phones have additional battery settings that can stop apps from running in the background.

Enable Background Activity

Start by enabling the background setting in New Dawn.

1. Go to Profile › Permissions.
2. Turn on "Run in the background".

This opens Android's battery optimisation exemption screen or New Dawn's battery settings page.

Check Your Battery Settings

The option you need depends on your phone.

• Pixel: choose "Unrestricted" on the app's battery page.
• OnePlus: choose "Allow background activity".

If New Dawn opens the battery optimisation exemption screen instead, follow the options shown there.

Check Additional Battery Controls

Some phone makers add their own battery settings that can stop apps from running in the background.

1. Check your phone's additional battery settings.
2. Allow New Dawn to run in the background in those settings too.

After A Restart Or Update

New Dawn starts again by itself after your phone restarts or the app updates. You do not need to start it manually after either event.

New Dawn blocks websites only in supported browsers and while the relevant block is running. If a website still opens, check the browser, permissions and website entry.

Check Your Browser

Website blocking works in these browsers:

• Chrome, Chrome Beta, Chrome Dev and Chrome Canary.
• Brave, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Kiwi, Opera and Opera Mini.
• Samsung Internet, Firefox, Firefox Focus, DuckDuckGo, Mi Browser and HeyTap browser.

Browsers built into other apps are not covered by website blocking.

Check Accessibility

Website blocking requires the Accessibility permission.

1. Go to Profile › Permissions.
2. Check that "Accessibility" is enabled.

Check Your Website List

The website must be included in the block's "Websites" list, and the block must be running.

A listed domain also covers its subdomains. For example, a website entry covers subdomains of that domain, but a different domain needs its own entry.

1. Open the relevant block and check its "Websites" list.
2. Make sure the website's domain is listed.

Check The Adult Content Filter

The "Adult content" filter has two behaviours to keep in mind.

• Without a connection, the site stays open.
• On the first visit, the site may load briefly before the block appears.

The adult content filter checks sites while its block is running. If the site still opens, check that the block is active and that the required Accessibility permission is enabled.