How we compared

We looked at the exercise-to-unlock apps people search for most, on the US App Store, on 27 September 2026. For each one we noted what counts as a challenge, how it is verified, how the unlock timer works, what the free version includes, the price and the rating. Prices and ratings change often, so treat them as a snapshot and check the listing before you buy.

If you are new to the category, start with how exercise-to-unlock apps work, which explains the Screen Time API, verification methods and why clock and real-use timers feel so different.

We wrote this guide, and MiniMove is one of the apps. We have tried to be fair: each app below has a "choose it if" line, and competitors come before us.

The apps

Pushscroll

  • Challenge: push-ups, squats, lunges, jumping jacks, sit-ups, planks and squat holds.
  • Verification: camera. One rep earns one minute, and minutes are banked.
  • Timer: banked minutes; several reviews say unlocked time runs on the clock.
  • Price: free trial, then $14.99 a month or $24.99 to $59.99 a year. Rated 4.7 from about 18,000 ratings.
  • Choose it if you want real rep-counted workouts and like the "one rep, one minute" deal.

Full comparison: MiniMove vs Pushscroll.

PushUp Time

  • Challenge: push-ups, squats or sit-ups.
  • Verification: on-device camera tracking.
  • Timer: a set unlocks apps for 15, 30, 60 or 120 minutes.
  • Price: $12.99 a month or $29.99 a year, plus weekly plans and a $59.99 "Yearly+". Rated 4.7 from more than 12,000 ratings. Reviews mention a paywall after setup and a forced sign-in.
  • Choose it if strict camera verification and long unlocks matter most to you.

Full comparison: MiniMove vs PushUp Time.

Steppin

  • Challenge: walking. By default, 100 steps earn one minute of screen time.
  • Verification: the iPhone's step counter.
  • Timer: banked minutes; some reviews say the timer runs shorter than set.
  • Price: entirely free since May 2026. Rated 4.5 from 156 ratings. Available in English, German, Japanese and Spanish.
  • Choose it if walking is the habit you want and you want everything free.

Full comparison: MiniMove vs Steppin.

ScrollFit

  • Challenge: push-ups or squats only.
  • Verification: camera.
  • Price: weekly plans from $3.99, $9.99 a month, $29.99 to $39.99 a year, or a lifetime option from $19.99. Rated 4.7 from about 3,100 ratings. Available in French.
  • Choose it if you want a camera app with a low-cost lifetime option.

StepBloc

  • Challenge: push-ups, squats or steps from Apple Health.
  • Verification: camera for reps, HealthKit for steps. Ten push-ups earn ten minutes.
  • Price: $3.99 a month, a $19.99 pass or $29.99 lifetime. The free version is capped per day. Rated 4.5 from 487 ratings. Not available in French.
  • Choose it if you want a cheap mix of reps and steps.

UnlockFit

  • Challenge: guided exercises of 15 to 60 seconds, such as squats, push-ups, planks, jumping jacks and stretches.
  • Verification: honour system.
  • Price: $8.99 a month, $69.99 a year or $99.99 lifetime. Rated 4.2 from 27 ratings (App Store listing).
  • Choose it if you like short guided exercises and do not want the camera.

MiniMove

  • Challenge: 46 Moves of 90 seconds or less in four families: Body (10 squats, 5 push-ups), Breathe (box breathing), Mind and Care.
  • Verification: timer, taps, motion, pedometer, altimeter or phone face down. No camera needed.
  • Timer: windows of 5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes of real use, capped at twice that on the clock.
  • Price: the core loop is free forever with no account (three apps, 13 Moves, unlimited unlocks). MiniMove+ is $8.99 a month or $49.99 a year, each with a 7-day trial, or $119.99 once. A new app, so no App Store rating yet. Available in English and French.
  • Choose it if you want variety, a discreet mode for public places, calm Moves for the evening and windows that count real use.

See all plans on the pricing page.

Worth knowing: other approaches

One more exercise app deserves a mention. Fit to Scroll counts reps with the camera, like Pushscroll, and spends your earned minutes only while you are in the app, like MiniMove's real-use windows. It is small (rated 4.4 from 83 ratings) and costs $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year (App Store listing).

A few apps sit next to this category without asking for exercise:

  • one sec adds a breathing pause before an app opens and asks whether you still want to continue: see MiniMove vs one sec.
  • Opal blocks apps with scheduled focus sessions: see MiniMove vs Opal.
  • ScreenZen is a free, donation-funded app that adds a delay before distracting apps: see MiniMove vs ScreenZen.
  • Clearspace adds a deep-breath pause and asks whether to proceed or opt out, with schedules and daily limits; $6.99 a month or $44.99 a year (App Store listing).

How to choose in 30 seconds

  1. Want a workout? Pushscroll or PushUp Time.
  2. Want to walk more, for free? Steppin.
  3. On a tight budget and fine with the camera? ScrollFit or StepBloc.
  4. Want something you can do anywhere, including on the bus, and that mixes body and mind? MiniMove.

Whatever you choose, the thing that decides whether it works is whether you still use it in week three. People often uninstall unlock apps and blockers when they start to feel like punishment; our guide on why app blockers fail explains what tends to last.

Sources