Torah First is an iOS app that puts Hashem first: it guards your most distracting apps behind a short prayer, so the first thing you do before scrolling is pray.
RST built, shipped, and maintains the app. It is live on the App Store with a 4.4-star rating.
The Problem
The modern phone is built to be opened constantly. Torah First flips the sequence: instead of going straight into Instagram, Safari, or YouTube, the user meets a prayer first.
Each guarded app sits behind a Prayer Unlock flow: read the current week's Torah portion line by line, then the app opens for a window of time.
The Build
We designed a calm, devotional interface: warm cream surfaces, deep navy type, and gold accents, with a gentle on-brand feel that respects the act of prayer.
The app ships seven core moments: Pray First, Choose Apps to guard, the weekly portion, a Brick Mode for stricter guarding, Key Hours for the times that matter, a habit builder, and weekly proof of progress.
Setup walks through granting Screen Time access, picking the apps that Torah First should guard, and the app takes over from there.
Ongoing Development
Torah First is under active development with a focus on paid acquisition and user growth. New guarding features and habit tools ship as the product evolves.
