Anchor

Help & FAQ

Questions & answers

How Anchor wakes you, blocks your apps, and stays out of your way. Anchor Morning is on the App Store for iOS 26.1 and later. Anything we missed? Write to hello@anchormorning.app. A human reads every message.

The basics

What exactly is Anchor, and how is it different from my iPhone's Clock app?
Anchor is an alarm you can't silence from the pillow. Once it's ringing, the only things that end it are a scan of the barcode, QR code, or NFC tag you registered, or an emergency override. Snooze exists (0, 1, or 2) but it's a short pause, not an exit. After you're up, it locks the apps you chose. It's built on Apple's AlarmKit for iOS 26.1 and later, so it rings through Silent Mode, Do Not Disturb, and Focus.
Is Anchor an alarm app, a blocker, or both?
Both. The alarm gets you out of bed, because a scan is the only way to end it. The app blocker, called At Rest, works on its own and can run with or without an alarm. Lock apps on a schedule, for a set time, or until you scan. They're built to work together, but neither needs the other.
What's the bare minimum I need to get started?
An iPhone on iOS 26.1 or later, and a plan: $6.99 a month, $39.99 a year, or $79.99 once. Try it free on Monthly and Yearly. Lifetime has no trial. Install Anchor, register any household barcode as your dismiss code, and you're set. Everything lives on the device. No account, no sign-up.

Waking up & dismissing

What can I scan to dismiss the alarm?
A barcode or QR code you register, or an NFC tag you pair. It doesn't have to be ours. Once paired, only that tag works, and a registered barcode has to match. No special hardware.
Do I need to buy the Anchor Tag NFC hardware to use the app?
No. Any household barcode works: a cereal box, a shampoo bottle, an Amazon package. Pick it once in Settings, then scan it to dismiss. The Anchor Tag is an optional $9.99 NFC tag with our mark on it. You can reserve one with your email, with no charge today. It's never required, and any NFC tag works.
How does registering my dismiss code work? Will any barcode work?
During setup you register a household barcode or QR code. From then on, only that one ends the alarm; a random barcode won't. NFC works the same way: pair a tag you own, and only that tag dismisses or unlocks.
What if my registered code gets damaged or I lose access to it?
Change it anytime in Settings by registering a different barcode or QR code. If the alarm is already ringing and your code is out of reach, Emergency Override silences it after a three-step confirmation. You get three a month, refilled on the 1st, and once they're gone you can borrow up to three more from next month.
Will the alarm ring through Silent Mode, Do Not Disturb, or Focus?
Yes, all of them. It's designed to wake you whatever your phone is set to, and it keeps coming back until you scan or use an override.
What happens if I force-quit the app or my phone runs out of battery?
Force-quitting changes nothing. Your alarm lives in Apple's AlarmKit, outside the app, so it fires even if Anchor was closed or never opened. A dead battery is different: a phone that's off can't ring, so charge it overnight.

Snooze & the comeback

What happens if I ignore the alarm? Does it ever stop?
No. It keeps coming back until you scan or use an override. Snooze buys you a moment (0, 1, or 2, your choice), but the only real silence is a scan. That's the whole point: it won't let you roll over and go back to sleep.
Can I snooze Anchor, or do I have to get up right away?
You can set 0, 1, or 2 snoozes. Each is a short pause, not a way out. When they run out, only a scan or an override ends the alarm.
What's Quiet Walk, and when would I use it?
Quiet Walk is an optional sixty-second grace window you can turn on per alarm. It gives you a quiet minute to get out of bed and walk to your code without the alarm blaring. When the minute's up, the ring comes back if you haven't scanned. Turn it off if you'd rather be jolted awake.

Blocking your apps

Can I use Anchor to block apps without setting an alarm?
Yes. Blocking works on its own. Lock apps for a set time, on a repeating schedule, or until you scan. No alarm required.
What's the difference between the three blocking modes?
Scan to unlock stays locked until you scan your code. Time-locked runs for a set time, from 15 minutes to 3 hours, and can't be scanned out early, though an override still works. Scheduled blocks repeat every week and come in two strengths: Soft Dock lets you scan out early, and Hold Fast holds until the window ends (override only). A block can also start on its own after your alarm, for 15 minutes to 8 hours or until you unlock it.
Can I block all apps, or only some?
You choose. Block a few (social, games) or a lot. Anchor never locks the whole phone.
Will I still get calls and texts while an app is blocked?
Yes. Anchor locks only the apps you pick. Calls, texts, and the dialer stay available. Blocking runs through Apple's Screen Time framework, which keeps communication separate from app access.
Can I set a post-wake app block to start automatically after I scan the alarm?
Yes. After you scan to dismiss, a block can start on its own for a length you choose, so you stay off your phone once you're actually up.
Can I edit or delete a group while it's blocking apps?
Partly. You can rename it or change its icon and color anytime. Its app list and the Delete button stay locked until the block ends, so you can't edit your way out of a block you set.

Staying committed

What is Hardcore Mode and why would I use it?
Hardcore Mode stops apps from being deleted while a block is running, Anchor included, so you can't panic-delete your way out of a lock you set for yourself. It's optional, releases the moment your block ends, and is there for people who want one more layer of accountability.
Can I uninstall Anchor to get out of an app block?
Only if Hardcore Mode is off. With it on, app deletion is locked while a block is active, Anchor included, until the block ends on its own. It's optional and off by default.
Can I turn off Hardcore Mode if I need to?
Not while a block is running. The toggle locks to keep you honest and releases when the block ends; after that you can switch it off in Settings. If you need out sooner and have an override left, spend one to unlock the block with a single confirmation.
Can I change an alarm after I set it?
Yes. A saved alarm can be edited, turned off, or deleted right up until it rings, unless you've turned on Set in Stone, which locks it for the final two hours. Once it's ringing, only a scan or an override ends it.
What is Set in Stone?
An optional setting on each alarm. For the two hours before it rings, the alarm can't be edited, turned off, or deleted, so a half-asleep 5 a.m. edit can't move your wake time. A scan still ends it early. Outside that window, saved alarms can be edited, toggled, or deleted as usual. It doesn't lock when you go to sleep.

When life happens

What if I have a genuine emergency and can't scan?
You have three emergency overrides a month, refilled on the 1st, that work for alarms and app blocks alike. On the alarm screen, tap the override button and confirm three times; only the third confirm spends one. That friction is deliberate, so the button isn't a casual exit. Unlocking a blocked app group takes a single confirmation. If all three are gone, you can borrow up to three more from next month.
How many times can I use the emergency override?
Three a month, shared between alarms and blocks, refilled on the 1st. After those, you can borrow up to three from next month; the app shows this as -1/3, -2/3, -3/3, and next month starts with that many fewer. Once three are borrowed, no overrides are available until the 1st.
Will I be trapped if I run out of overrides?
No. An override is a deliberate exit, not the only one. A scan still ends a ringing alarm, and Soft Dock blocks still scan out early. Once your three are used you can borrow up to three more from next month; after that, overrides wait until the 1st. They exist for the moments scanning truly isn't possible. Anchor is not a life-safety or medical device.
Does Hardcore Mode lock me in if I have a real emergency?
No. Your three monthly overrides work on the alarm screen and on block unlocks, and you can borrow up to three more once they're gone. Each one gives you an immediate way out without scanning. They refill on the 1st.

Plans & billing

How much does Anchor cost?
$6.99 a month, $39.99 a year, or $79.99 once for Lifetime. Try it free on Monthly and Yearly, then the plan renews. Apple handles the billing through the App Store. Subscriptions don't support Family Sharing.
Can I try Anchor for free before buying?
Yes, on Monthly and Yearly. Try it free, then your plan renews. Cancel anytime in iPhone Settings → your name → Subscriptions. Lifetime is paid once, with no trial. Refund requests go through Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
What's the best value: monthly, yearly, or lifetime?
Yearly ($39.99) is about 52% less than paying monthly for a year, or about $3.33 a month. Lifetime ($79.99) is one payment with no subscription.
How do I cancel my Anchor subscription?
Open iPhone Settings → your name → Subscriptions → Anchor Morning → Cancel Subscription. You can cancel anytime, even right after buying. No questions asked.
Can my whole family share one Anchor subscription?
No. Each person needs their own iPhone and their own subscription. One optional Anchor Tag can pair with everyone's phone, though, so you'd only buy the tag once.

The Anchor Tag & your household

What's the difference between using a barcode and the Anchor Tag?
Both end the alarm with a scan. A barcode is free and instant: point your phone at a household item. The Anchor Tag is a dedicated NFC tag: on the alarm screen, tap Scan Anchor, then hold the tag to the top of your phone. The NFC scanner doesn't open on its own; you reach for it once you're up.
Can multiple people use the same Anchor Tag?
Yes. One optional tag can serve every iPhone in the house. Each phone pairs it once, and from then on only the paired tag works on that phone. A registered barcode still has to match.
Can my family use Anchor on the same iPhone?
Each person needs their own iPhone and their own install. Everyone sets their own wake time, code, and blocking rules. One shared tag can pair with all of them.
What happens to my alarms and blocks if I delete and reinstall the app?
Everything is erased. Anchor keeps all settings on your phone, with no backup to iCloud or a server, so a reinstall is a fresh start: alarms, blocks, and dismiss code are gone.
What if I accidentally delete the barcode or lose access to it?
Register a new one anytime in Settings. You're not tied to one barcode or tag forever: scan a different household object and you're set. A lost barcode is just paper; a lost Anchor Tag means buying another.

Privacy, devices & launch

Where does Anchor store my alarm settings and dismiss code?
On your iPhone, and nowhere else. Alarm times, your registered barcode or NFC tag, and your blocking settings stay in local storage and are never sent to a server. Your subscription is handled by Apple.
What data does Anchor collect about me?
None. We don't track your wake times, which apps you block, or what you scan. Your dismissal method is a choice you make once in Settings, and it stays on your phone.
Why does Anchor need iOS 26.1?
Anchor is built on Apple's AlarmKit, which needs iOS 26.1 or later. AlarmKit is what lets the alarm ring through Silent Mode and keep coming back. There's no Android version planned yet.
Why doesn't Anchor have App Store ratings yet?
It's new. Apple only shows a rating once enough people have left one, and Anchor isn't there yet. If you try it, an honest rating helps the next person decide, and anything that isn't working can go straight to hello@anchormorning.app.
When can I download Anchor?
Now. Anchor Morning is on the App Store for iOS 26.1 and later: apps.apple.com/us/app/anchor-morning/id6766728511.
If my internet is down or I have no cell signal, will my alarm still ring?
Yes. Alarms and blocks run entirely on the device, with no internet or cell signal needed. They work in Airplane Mode.
How do I report a bug or get support?
Email hello@anchormorning.app. A human reads every message.

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