Beeswax

Beeswax is a small open-source utility for Android whose single purpose is to make a smartphone behave like a dumbphone. Rather than measuring usage or nagging you with reminders, it simply removes access: selected apps and browsers vanish from the device, and they stay gone until the lock code is entered. The project is aimed at people who have decided that willpower and screen-time dashboards are not enough.

The feature set is deliberately narrow. You can block any installed app, including browsers that cannot be uninstalled, and every app installed after locking is blocked automatically so the restriction cannot be bypassed by downloading a replacement. The only ways around it are the lock code or a factory reset. Privacy is handled by doing nothing extra: no network access, a single permission, no data collection, and reproducible builds for verification.

Setup is the part that filters the audience. You need a computer with ADB, USB debugging enabled, and a phone with no accounts or users while Beeswax is made device owner; accounts can be added back afterwards. That makes it a poor fit for someone wanting a one-tap install, but a reasonable trade for a restriction that is genuinely hard to undo.

A practical tip is to treat the lock code as the real product: give it to a trusted friend or store it somewhere inconvenient, because keeping it on the same phone defeats the purpose. Expect to plan ahead about which apps you need before locking, since post-lock installs are