Balance Phone review: the smartphone without social media

The Balance Phone starts from a simple idea: keep everything useful in a smartphone, and block what isn't for good. No social media, no games, nothing to get around. Here is how it works, what it costs, and what the people who bought it say.

Transparency. This article is written by the Livetime team, another solution against screen time. The facts and prices come from Balance's official website, checked in October 2026. The testimonials were collected by Emile from buyers, in 2025.

In short

What we like

Social media and games are blocked at system level: no way to bargain with yourself.
The useful apps stay: WhatsApp, Maps, banking, transport.
A real Samsung, with a good screen and a good camera.

What falls short

You have to buy a phone, from €299 to €749, or subscribe to Balance OS.
No middle ground: Instagram and YouTube are blocked, not lightened.
Several buyers keep a second device for social media.

What is the Balance Phone?

It's a Samsung smartphone running Balance OS, a system that filters apps by category. It's sold by The Balance Phone SL, a company based in Barcelona. Balance OS blocks the apps that capture attention and lets everyday tools through, with nothing for you to set up.

Models and prices

Model	Price	Base phone
Balance Phone Kids	€299	Samsung Galaxy A17
Balance Phone	€449	Samsung Galaxy A37
Balance Phone Pro	€749	Samsung Galaxy S25
Balance OS only	€79 a year	On a Samsung you already own

Balance offers 14 days to try it, with a refund if the phone doesn't suit you.

What's blocked, what stays

Blocked: social media (Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook…), streaming (YouTube, Netflix…), games, gambling, dating apps and pornography.

Allowed: messaging (WhatsApp, Messages, Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Teams), transport (Google Maps, Uber, Waze…), education (Classroom, Drive, Notion…), services (banks, wallet, health), and others like Spotify or Booking.

According to the test published by Dumbphone.fr, some useful apps can also end up blocked, with exceptions granted case by case.

What buyers say

In 2025, Emile wrote to people who commented on Balance's Instagram posts to ask whether they were happy with it. Three buyers replied; here are their answers, in substance:

“Honestly, it changed my life. I've cut my screen time down to barely an hour, and I only go on social media from my computer, at times I choose.”
“I bought it three months ago and I'm very happy. My screen time went from 4 hours to 1. I still use my iPhone in the evening for Instagram and X, but much less than before.”
“I'd tried loads of apps to limit my screen time, and none of them worked. What I liked is that Balance OS is impossible to get around.”

All three are satisfied. But two out of three still go on social media, from another device. That's the limit of a total block: when you need Instagram, you keep a door open somewhere else.

Who is it for?

Parents of teenagers who want a real smartphone, without social media.
Adults who have tried everything and want a barrier they can't lift.
People who already own a Samsung and can make do with Balance OS.

Our verdict. An excellent product for anyone who wants to cut out social media for good. If you want to keep Instagram and YouTube, but without the Reels, the Shorts and the lost hours, and without buying a phone, a solution that lightens those apps rather than blocking them will suit you better. All the options are in the comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Balance Phone have WhatsApp?

Yes. Messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messages, Gmail or Outlook are among the allowed apps.

Can you install Balance OS on your own phone?

Yes, on a Samsung phone, with a subscription at €79 a year.

How much does the Balance Phone cost?

From €299 for the Kids model to €749 for the Pro model. The standard model costs €449.

Sources

Written by Emile Clement, a student and the creator of Livetime, after two years of testing almost every screen-time solution out there.