Blocked in every browser
Safari, Chrome, in-app browsers: gambling and betting sites don't open. Mirror addresses are caught by pattern.
PremiumAgainst gambling — for yourself, or someone you love
Nobody quitsgamblingalone.
Watchover blocks gambling sites on your iPhone and locks the protection so it can't be undone in a weak moment. If it's switched off, someone you trust hears about it within minutes.
- 7 days free
- Supporter role is always free
- No ads, no data sales
01 — Night
One site shuts down. The next day, a new one opens.
Promises are made, and broken. You already know willpower alone doesn't hold in the moment that matters. Something has to stand between the urge and the tap — and someone who knows you.
02 — A calm moment
You set the lock while you're calm.
A day, a week, a year. Until it runs out, protection can't be removed and the app can't be deleted. The two-second switch-off is gone; your calm self decides, not the urge.
03 — Together
The road is walked with someone beside you.
Watchover lives on two phones: the protected person's and their supporter's. One code connects them; after that, nobody has to keep checking.
What the link does
The site won't open. And someone who cares knows it was tried.
01
Gambling sites don't open
Gambling and betting sites don't open in Safari, Chrome or in-app browsers. Sites that come back under a new address with a number bumped at the end are caught too.
The list is updated on the server; you don't have to do anything.
02
If there's an attempt, your supporter knows
When an attempt is blocked, Watchover first asks the protected person. If they answer “That was me”, a notification lands on the supporter's phone: an attempt happened, and protection stepped in. It never says which site.
If they answer “That wasn't me”, the record is deleted and nothing is sent.
03
If protection is switched off, within minutes
If the filter is turned off, the supporter's phone gets a notification within minutes, even with the app closed. The server confirms over about 10 minutes, so a restart sends no alert.
While a lock is running, protection can't be removed from inside the app.
04
A short summary every Sunday
Whether protection went off during the week, the state of the lock and how many hard moments were shared. Numbers only.
Browsing history, location and messages are never shared.
05
The state, at a glance
On the supporter's screen a green shield means protection is running, with the last signal, the time left on the lock and the doors the protected person said they closed.
Connect with a 6-digit code (valid for an hour) or an invite valid for 7 days. The supporter never pays.
What it does
Not one wall, but layers that hold each other up.
Each layer covers a different weak moment. Together they make the two-second relapse a lot harder than it is today.
A lock you can't undo
Until the time you chose runs out, protection can't be removed and the app can't be deleted. Need out early? Ask your supporter; they decide, not the urge.
PremiumSomeone who's told
If protection is switched off, your supporter is notified within minutes. The server confirms over about 10 minutes, so a restart sends no alert.
PremiumSilence gambling SMS
Promotional texts from betting sites go to the Junk folder. Filtering happens on your phone; your messages never leave it.
Always freeSafari backup line
Even if the main protection drops for a moment, gambling sites stay blocked in Safari.
Always freeUrge screen
A wave, a breathing rhythm and a helpline a tap away. For the hard minutes, asking nothing of you.
Always free
Watchover now
Sam's protection may have stopped. The filter looks off and the lock hasn't run out yet.
The supporter
Watching over, not watching.
This isn't a spy app. The link is made with the protected person's consent, and what the supporter can see is a short list on purpose.
Sees
- Whether protection is onA green shield means it's running, red means it stopped. With the last signal and clean-day count.
- That an attempt was blockedOnly if the protected person answers “That was me”, and never which site.
- A weekly summaryEvery Sunday around 18:00: the lock and how many hard moments were shared. Numbers only.
Never sees
- Browsing historyWhich sites are visited is never recorded or shown.
- Which site was triedSite names are stored nowhere. “That wasn't me” deletes the record.
- Location and messagesThe supporter can't read, restrict or control anything on the other phone.
The journey
Every clean day, a new stage.
The phoenix starts in ashes; after 33 days one round ends and it begins to take flight. If you slip, you keep the stage you reached.
ashesDay 0
eggDay 3
chickDay 7
young phoenixDay 14
phoenix taking flightDay 22
phoenixDay 132The stage you reach is yours. You carry on from where you are.
Honestly
It can't close every door. We say so up front.
iOS doesn't let any app fully lock the phone's DNS setting; a determined person can turn the filter off in Settings. That's exactly why the supporter exists: if it's turned off, they know within minutes. The goal isn't a perfect cage; it's enough friction in the weak moment, and not being alone in it.
During setup you also look, together, at the doors that stay open outside the phone:
- ComputerThe phone is protected, the computer isn't. Its browser needs closing separately.
- Saved cardsA bank card saved on sites is the shortest path in a weak moment.
- PasswordsSaved gambling accounts and Authenticator codes.
Pricing
Plain and simple.
For everyone
Always free
We don't want anyone trying to quit gambling to be left behind a paywall.
- Silencing gambling SMS
- Safari backup line
- Urge screen and helpline
- The whole supporter side
Premium
7 days free, then a subscription
Monthly, 3-month or yearly, billed through the App Store, which shows current prices. Cancel any time in your Apple ID settings.
- Site blocking in every browser
- The supporter link and its alerts
- Urge lock and scheduled lock
Day 1
Install, block, lock. Connect your supporter. Nothing is charged.
Day 7
The subscription starts, unless you cancelled at least a day earlier.
Supporter
Never pays. Installs the app, enters a code, gets notified.
If you can't afford it, write to us from inside the app. We don't ask why; we open access for a while.
Guides
Guides to stop gambling
How to stop gambling for goodPractical steps for the first day and the first month, and where to get help.How to block gambling sites and apps on iPhoneScreen Time, a gambling blocker app and a lock: what each one really covers.My partner is gambling. What can I do?How to talk about it, protect your money, and help without policing.Gambling addiction signs and symptomsNine honest questions, and the signs family members notice.Sports betting addiction: how to stopWhy it's so hard to stop, and practical steps for game days.
Frequently asked
Things people ask
Can the protected person just switch it off?
While a lock is running, the app can't be deleted and protection can't be removed from inside it; opening it early needs the supporter's approval. Honest limit: iOS doesn't let any app fully lock the DNS setting, so a determined person can turn the filter off in Settings. That's why the supporter exists — if it's turned off, they're told within minutes.
What can the supporter see, and what can't they?
Whether protection is running, the state of the lock, and — only if the protected person answers “That was me” — that an attempt was blocked, never which site. Every Sunday they get a short, numbers-only summary. Browsing history, location and messages are never shared.
What happens when a gambling site closes and a new one opens?
Blocking works on patterns, not a fixed list of addresses, so a site that reopens with a number bumped at the end is caught automatically. Coverage is updated on the server; you don't need to do anything.
Can I set it up for a family member?
That's what it was built for. The protected person installs it and gives you a code valid for an hour; you install it on your phone and choose “For someone close to me”. Or you send an invite valid for 7 days and the link is made once they accept. It's always made with their consent.
Is Watchover a treatment?
No. It's a tool that adds friction and company in the hard moment, not a substitute for professional help. Where a free, confidential helpline exists for your region, the app shows it a tap away; elsewhere it points to gamblingtherapy.org.
Is it on Android?
For now it's iPhone only. An Android version is on its way.
The first day is the one that counts.
For yourself, or for someone you love. Try Premium free for 7 days; the supporter role never costs anything.
Download on the App Store
You're not alone. Where a free, confidential helpline exists for your region, the app shows it. Everywhere else, gamblingtherapy.org offers free support.