Haven
← Back to Haven

Your home, a little quieter

Hide distracting apps
at home with Haven.

Create a Location Haven around home and choose Hide selected. Your selected apps disappear from Haven’s launcher while you’re in the area and can return when you leave.

This changes what you see in Haven’s launcher. It doesn’t uninstall apps or block every way of opening them elsewhere on Android. Location changes can take time to register.

Before you begin

During setup, choose Set as Default Launcher to make Haven your home app. The free version supports one Haven with up to five selected apps. With Hide selected, that means up to five apps hidden by this Haven.

Already have a Location Haven? Open its row under Settings → Havens to edit it. If you already have a Time Haven, read the options below before creating another.

Get Haven on Google Play
Already using your one free Haven?

You can keep your existing Time Haven. Its editor cannot switch it to a Location Haven, and disabling it doesn’t free up your one-Haven slot.

To keep both, you’ll need Haven Plus. Alternatively, you can replace your Time Haven, but deletion removes its saved schedule and app selection. Note those down first if you want to recreate it later.

Only if you choose to replace it: long-press its row under Settings → Havens and complete the 100 taps in Delete Haven?. Then create the Location Haven below.

  1. Choose Location Haven

    In Haven’s Settings, tap the plus beside Havens (Add Haven), then choose Location Haven. Under Details, enter “Home” in Haven Name. Editing an existing Location Haven? Open its row instead.

  2. Allow location in the background

    If asked, tap Grant location access and choose precise location. Follow Background Location Required → Open Settings and grant Allow all the time, so Haven can receive location updates when it isn’t open.

    On Android 11 and later, background access is granted on a system settings page. Labels can vary by phone. Android’s background-location guide explains this permission.

  3. Place the pin and check the circle

    In Location 1, use Search address and select the matching result, or tap home on the map. If you’re home and Current Location appears in the suggestions, you can select it. Check the pin before continuing.

    Start with Radius: 200m, the default. The slider runs from 50 to 1,000 metres. The circle includes nearby streets, so crossing your front door isn’t the same as leaving the Haven.

    A smaller circle isn’t necessarily more accurate. Android recommends a minimum radius of roughly 100–150 metres for better results in its geofencing guidance. Tap Next.

  4. Choose Hide selected

    Under App behavior, choose Hide selected and select your distracting apps. For example, choose Instagram, TikTok and Reddit while leaving Phone, Messages, Maps and your other essentials unselected.

    Check this choice carefully: the default, Show only selected, does the opposite and hides everything except your selections.

    Tap Create Haven, or Save Changes if editing. Check that the switch beside Home is on. Saving an already-disabled Haven doesn’t turn it back on.

Test leaving and returning

At home, return to Haven’s launcher and check that your selected apps disappear. On your next trip, go beyond the full circle, then check again. When Haven determines you’re outside, this Location Haven stops hiding those apps. Other active Havens or separate hidden-app settings may still affect visibility.

Keep the Home switch on for automatic use. Leaving the area ends its location condition; it doesn’t switch the saved Haven off. When you return, the location rule can apply again.

Don’t expect a doorstep-instant change. Android can delay background geofence events by minutes, and weak location or network availability can affect detection. Test both leaving and returning on your phone before relying on this routine. See Android’s geofence troubleshooting.

Need to turn it off?

Open Settings → Havens and turn off the switch beside Home. Complete the 100 taps in Disable Haven? to disable it. This isn’t a timed pause or a one-app unlock: the Haven stays disabled until you turn its switch on again.

If it doesn’t behave as expected

Next is unavailable. Enter a name, select a real map location, and check precise location plus Allow all the time access. To use Create Haven, also select at least one app.

Nothing changes at home. Confirm Haven is your default launcher, Home’s switch is on, Hide selected is selected, and the circle covers your home.

Apps stay hidden after leaving. Check that you’re outside the full circle, allow time for a location update, and return to Haven’s launcher. Check for another active Haven or a separate hidden-app setting.

Location seems unreliable. Check that phone location is on, review Haven’s location permissions, and verify the pin and radius. Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi scanning can improve location accuracy.

It works only after opening Haven. Review Haven’s battery/background setting. Android’s Restricted setting can prevent background work; manufacturer behavior varies. Changing this may use more battery and isn’t a guaranteed fix. See Android’s background restrictions.

Choose the routine that fits

Prefer a clock-based setup?

A Time Haven can suit a predictable work or study window. Follow the weekday first-Haven guide, keeping the one-free-Haven limit in mind.

Get Haven on Google Play