moss vs Grayscale mode
A free iPhone setting that turns the whole screen black and white.
Checked 11 November 2026 against Apple's own pages. We make moss, so we have linked every source below.
What Grayscale mode is
Grayscale is a colour filter built into the iPhone. You switch it on in Settings, under Accessibility, Display & Text Size, Color Filters. Every app becomes duller, and nothing is blocked. In one study (Dekker and Baumgartner, 2024), 84 people used grayscale for a week and their daily screen time fell by 20 minutes, while the number of times they unlocked their phones did not change. Colour comes back with the Accessibility Shortcut, which is a quick press away.
What moss is
moss is an iPhone app that comes with a small physical stone. You choose the apps that distract you, tap your phone on the stone, and those apps stay locked until you tap the stone again. People who live together can link their phones to share schedules and put their phones down at the same time, while each person keeps control of their own phone. Locking is free in the app, the stone is a one-time purchase, and the household features are a paid add-on.
Side by side
| Feature | moss | Grayscale mode |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$49 stone, free app | Free |
| Subscription | None to lock your own phone. Household features are a paid add-on | None |
| Works on | iPhone only, iOS 17 or later | iPhone |
| How you lock | Tap the stone, or start from the app, a Shortcut, the lock screen or the Action Button. Schedules by day of week | It does not. The screen is black and white, so apps are less appealing |
| How you unlock | Tap the stone, in the app | Turn the filter off in Settings or with the Accessibility Shortcut |
| If you need back in | 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically | Not needed: nothing is locked |
| Locking together as a household | Yes, as a paid add-on. Shared schedules, sessions others join in one tap, a view of whose phone is down, a streak. Nobody controls anyone else | None. It is set on each device |
| Whose key opens your phone | Only your household's own stone, card and sprigs unlock your phones | Nothing is locked |
Where Grayscale mode is better
- It is free and already on your iPhone.
- It has published evidence: 20 minutes a day less screen time in one study of 84 people. There is no published trial of NFC pucks.
- It is always on and dulls every app, including the ones you would not think to block.
Where moss is better
- A lock. Grayscale leaves every app open, and colour is seconds away.
- Photos, maps and video look normal when you are not in a session.
- Households can lock together and see whose phone is down.
Who should pick which
Pick Grayscale mode if
You want to try something free that makes the whole phone a little less appealing.
Pick moss if
You have tried grayscale and found yourself scrolling in black and white. The two work well together.
Sources
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
moss is a stone that locks the apps you choose.
Tap to lock, tap to unlock. One price, and locking needs no subscription.
