Off, the Barcelona app for stepping away from your phone

Barcelona-based app Off, founded by Oliver Canosa in 2024, aims to help users “step away from your phone” through a mix of flexible screen-time blocks, activity discovery and access to psychological support. The app, built without external investment, is available in Catalan, Spanish, English, French and Chinese, counts users in more than 120 countries — primarily in Europe and the United States but also in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia — and offers a free tier alongside a subscription priced at €0.99 per month.

“Social media and certain apps are designed to make you lose sight of the world for as long as possible,” Canosa says, explaining the problem that prompted him to build Off after struggling with short breaks that stretched into long sessions of distraction. “I close it and get on with my life.”

Off positions itself as “a system to manage one's own time” rather than framing the phone as the enemy. The core of the app is a customizable blocking system that lets users choose among six different block types — from limiting access to a single app to restricting use of the entire phone or setting limits on scrolling sessions. When a block ends, Off closes the targeted app and reports how long the user was on it. A built-in analytics suite tracks daily phone pick-ups, most-used apps and peak usage times; the company reports Off users reduce screen time by between 20% and 50%.

• Six block types including per-app, full-phone and scrolling-session limits
• Usage analytics tracking pick-ups, top apps and peak times
• Activity finder through a partnership with Fever, surfacing local concerts, exhibitions and theater
• Psychological support via a partnership with German startup It’s Complicated, offering an international network of psychologists and session booking

Beyond blocking and metrics, Off has added two extensions intended to pull users toward offline life. An agreement with event marketplace Fever integrates a search engine for local events and activities — concerts, exhibitions, theater and more — while a collaboration with German startup It’s Complicated gives users access to an international network of psychologists and the ability to book therapy sessions directly through the app.

Canosa, who previously worked in investment and sustainability roles, says the app grew from his own need for healthier phone habits and feedback from tech professionals he recruited to build the first version. The project’s stated aim is not simply to replace one app with another but to make disconnecting a deliberate, supported choice.

Looking ahead, Off is exploring AI-driven features that would analyze individual usage patterns to recommend optimal blocks automatically and act as a “virtual coach” that suggests exercises to change habits and encourage presence in real life. “Off makes it easy for you to disconnect fully and in a healthy way,” the company says, framing future development around personalized, AI-assisted intervention and editorially supervised content aimed at sustaining healthier relationships with devices.