The Dopamine
Detox App
That
Rewires Your Brain

Your Dopamine Detox Plan: The 6 Rules

A dopamine detox is not 24 hours in a dark room. It is a structured fast from one compulsive behavior so your reward system recalibrates. Here is the honest six-step plan.

1. 1

   Identify the one or two behaviors you actually can't control

   Not all dopamine is the problem. Pick the one or two compulsive habits you regret and have failed to stop, like TikTok, porn, doomscrolling, or junk food. Not all of them at once.

2. 2

   Pick a realistic duration

   If it's your first, start with 24 hours away from one specific behavior, then scale to 7 days after two or three successful runs. Seven days is enough to feel the cravings peak and fade; 30 days gets you through the trough where most attempts die.

3. 3

   Write the rules in advance

   The single most important rule. On paper, define exactly what is off-limits ("no Instagram", not "less Instagram"), what counts as a slip, and what you do when you slip.

4. 4

   Replace, don't just remove

   This is where most detoxes fail. The brain was getting something from the behavior. Swap it for a slower reward, like reading instead of TikTok or a walk instead of the feed, not an empty void.

5. 5

   Plan for the urge wave

   Urges spike and then pass within minutes. Decide your response before it hits: a short intervention like Grounding Reset or Urge Surfing instead of caving.

6. 6

   Track and reflect, without being precious

   Note every slip, learn what triggered it, and keep going. You don't restart from zero. Progress is the trend over weeks, not a perfect streak.

Is Rewire free?

Yes. Rewire is free to download on iOS, and the core dopamine detox features are included at no cost. An optional Pro subscription unlocks deeper analytics and advanced tools.

Download on iOS