Taking a digital detox is one healthy way to escape the world of screens for a while and refocus. Somewhat paradoxically, blocker and detox apps can help you unplug and track your downtime. These apps still give you some degree of control over your phone and its content, because shutting your phone off completely isn't always an option. Here's a roundup of apps designed to help you occasionally step away from your tech.

1. OFFTIME

Block a selected number of apps or incoming calls with OFFTIME. Set the timer for a selected amount of minutes or hours, then simply go about your day with fewer distractions from your phone. You can also create daily schedules in OFFTIME to block out certain hours of the day for rest, so you can enjoy hanging out with friends, family, or yourself.

Meanwhile, the call-blocking feature allows you to select which contacts can and cannot reach out to you during OFFTIME. This ensures that you'll still be reachable to take important calls, so it's more of a call screening feature.

Playing with your phone during the set OFFTIME hours will result in a couple of warning notifications, and you'll lose that block of OFFTIME. A statistics feature tracks the amount of screen-free time you've racked up so you can keep track over time.

Download: OFFTIME for iOS ($0.99) | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. Digital Detox

Packed with accountability features, the Digital Detox app is for people who are pretty serious about breaking their screen habits. To raise the stakes, the app asks you to put a little money on the line when you make an effort to cut back on phone use.

Multiple challenge settings help you ease into your phone detox. For instance, the easy challenge asks you to forgo your phone for 2 hours, while the hard challenge lasts an entire day.

Quitting a challenge early will cost you $0.99. And because the app uses the Android device administrator permission, you can't simply uninstall it to get out of the detox early. This app means business.

The app gamifies the experience: you earn points for completing your detox challenges. Earn achievements along the way, check out the leader board, and challenge friends to join you in the competition.

Download: Digital Detox for Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

3. Digital Detox Dragons

Another app that gamifies your phone-free experience is Digital Detox Dragons. By combining your screen-free time with a Dungeons & Dragons-style game, you can break your phone addiction while fighting off enemies.

Successfully staying away from your phone for set periods helps you earn experience points. For instance, 25 minutes of screen-free time gets you 5 experience points.

Spend more minutes away from your phone to level up quickly and deal out more damage to your enemies (i.e. dragons).

For a totally original way to help decrease your screen use, try your luck at Digital Detox Dragons.

Download: Digital Detox Dragons for Android (Free)

4. minimalist phone

If your smartphone is too enticing, but you're not quite sold on switching to a dumbphone, then this app is the ideal way to get the best of both worlds. By reducing your smartphone's features, the minimalist phone app encourages you to reach for your device less and less.

The app strips icons of their bright colors, displaying them as text-only links. A time reminder will interrupt your social media browsing, reminding you to stop endlessly scrolling. Notifications are stored for later viewing.

With this app installed, your home screen will become a simple black-and-white interface. Straightforward features let you make a call, access the clock function, search, or swipe to check notifications. You won't miss anything, but the phone is noticeably less cluttered and attention-grabbing.

With over 100,000 downloads, minimalist phone is a popular app that helps you live in the moment. Anyone interested in using online tools to be more minimalist will appreciate this straightforward app.

Download: minimalist phone for Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

5. OffScreen

By providing a visual representation of your screen time usage, OffScreen helps you become more mindful of your scrolling.

Get immediate access to your tracked data, such as the number of pickups, average usage minutes, and even time spent using your phone while walking. At the very least, remembering to put your phone away when you're moving is easier than using a robotic eye to help prevent walking and texting collisions.

You can keep track of your best phone detox records in OffScreen. In general, this app can help you become more aware of your scrolling habits and learn to enjoy more screen-free time.

Download: OffScreen for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

6. Phoneless

For those who thrive when there's a little competition, the Phoneless app will notify your friends if you fail your digital detox challenges. Simply stay off your phone for the duration of the countdown to win and avoid that semi-public humiliation.

As a bonus, now you and your friends will have another reason to leave your phones alone during real-life hangouts. Win the Phoneless challenge for bragging rights and learn to enjoy each other's company.

Download: Phoneless for iOS (Free)

7. One Sec

The One Sec app adds a little friction to any attempts at viewing social media.

Each time you try to open your favorite feed, the One Sec app asks you to pause first and take a breath before getting sucked into the latest posts. By encouraging you to reflect for a moment, the app helps reroute the urge to scroll social media during any downtime.

You can also block selected apps and websites completely.

The One Sec app invites you to take moments of mindful reflection throughout the day and become more aware of your habits.

Download: One Sec for iOS (Free, subscription available)

8. Opal

Disconnect distractions from your phone with the popular Opal app, which lets you set daily working hours to block out certain apps and websites automatically while you're focusing. For the ultra-dedicated, you can make these timers impossible to bypass.

The Opal app can help you maintain focus and become more aware of the ways you're spending your time by disconnecting you from potential productivity blockers. For anyone dealing with a toxic social media addiction, blocker apps like Opal can break the habit of auto-scrolling.

Download: Opal for iOS (Free, subscription available)

Live in the Moment With Digital Detox Apps

Constant access to social media, the internet, and even phone calls can lead to distractions. But with the help of digital detox apps, remembering to take a break from the screens every now and then becomes second nature.