iOS · Free

The dopamine detox app for iPhone

Rewire is a dopamine detox app for iOS that helps you reset your reward system through urge logging, twelve neuroscience-backed micro-interventions, and the Dopamine Score (0–100). Built for people who want behaviour change, not another screen-time blocker. Free on the App Store.

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What a dopamine detox app should actually do

Most apps marketed as “dopamine detox” tools are just screen-time blockers with new branding. They add friction by hiding apps or locking your phone. The moment the block is gone, the behaviour returns. That is not a detox — that is restraint.

A real dopamine detox app targets the neurological pattern behind the compulsive behaviour: the urge, the trigger, and the reinforcement loop. Rewire is built around three loops that cooperate — urge awareness, micro-intervention, and identity tracking.

The Rewire system

1. Urge logging

Every time you feel the pull — to open Instagram, refresh Reddit, reach for the phone — you tap once in Rewire. Over two weeks of consistent logging, you build a high-resolution map of your own triggers. The pattern is almost always more specific than you expect.

2. The Dopamine Score (0–100)

A daily index of how recalibrated your reward system is, computed from urge frequency, intervention completion, sleep proxy, and streak depth. It is not a vanity number. It tracks downward when you binge and upward when you resist — useful signal, not gamified noise.

3. Twelve research-cited micro-interventions

Each one runs in under 90 seconds when an urge hits. Box breathing, cold exposure, the 10-minute rule, urge surfing, identity priming. Each intervention has a citation in the methodology page if you want to read the underlying research.

Who Rewire is for

  • People with a compulsive phone habit who have tried screen-time limits and bounced off them
  • People in early recovery from short-form video, porn, or doom scrolling who want a structured framework
  • People rebuilding focus after burnout or post-pandemic attention collapse
  • Anyone who wants behaviour change grounded in behavioural neuroscience, not productivity-influencer slop

What Rewire is not

Rewire is not therapy. It is not medical treatment for substance addiction. It is not a screen-time blocker (your iPhone has Screen Time built in, and apps like Opal do the blocking job better). Rewire is the layer above the block — the part that rebuilds the underlying pattern so the block becomes unnecessary.

Try Rewire free on iOS

Twelve research-cited interventions, the Dopamine Score, and the full 30-day arc. No account required. All data stays on your device.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a dopamine detox app?

A dopamine detox app is a tool that helps you structure a deliberate break from compulsive, high-stimulation behaviours, typically phone use, short-form video, social media, or porn, so your reward system can re-sensitise. Effective apps focus on urge awareness, behaviour replacement, and identity change rather than only blocking apps.

Is Rewire really free?

Yes. Rewire is free to download on iOS with the core dopamine detox features included: urge logging, the Dopamine Score, daily check-ins, and the 30-day onboarding arc. A Pro subscription unlocks deeper analytics, advanced interventions, and additional challenges.

How is Rewire different from a screen-time blocker?

Screen-time blockers create friction by removing access. They fail when access returns. Rewire targets the neurological pattern behind the urge, you log urges as they happen, run a 60-second intervention, and track Dopamine Score recovery over weeks. The goal is self-regulation, not external restriction.

Does the dopamine detox idea actually have science behind it?

The pop-culture version (sit in a dark room for 24 hours) is nonsense. The real neuroscience is solid: chronic overstimulation downregulates D2 dopamine receptors, producing anhedonia and craving. A structured abstention period from one compulsive behaviour allows partial receptor recovery. Rewire is built on this evidence, not on the viral misreading.

How long until I notice changes?

Most users report sharper focus and lower urge intensity within 7–14 days of consistent logging. Lasting habit change takes longer, Lally et al. (2010) found habit formation requires a median of 66 days, range 18–254. Rewire's 30-day arc is designed to build the foundation; the year of practice that follows is where the rewiring sets in.

Does Rewire work for phone addiction specifically?

Yes. Phone addiction is the highest-frequency use case. Rewire treats it as a dopamine-seeking pattern driven by intermittent reinforcement (notifications, feed refreshes, short videos). The urge-logging loop and 12 micro-interventions are specifically designed to interrupt the scroll reflex and rebuild attention span over weeks.