Daily time caps on any app
Set a per-day limit on specific apps. When reached, a soft overlay follows the app window — three 5-minute extensions, then the limit holds.
App & Website Limits · Windows
Set healthy app and website limits on Windows
Deskly helps you control overuse with practical limits so distractions don't silently consume your day. Designed for people who want healthier digital boundaries without complicated setup.
Website limits — no extension needed
Deskly tracks website time across 56 browsers using window titles. No proxy, no browser extension — just accurate data.
Respectful reminders
Limits respect your decision. After three snooze extensions the limit is firm, keeping you accountable without being overbearing.
See what limits are working
Weekly reports show trends for every limited app. You'll see exactly whether your boundaries are reducing overuse over time.
How to set an app or website limit
Four steps, no scheduling required.
1. Pick an app or site
Search your installed apps or add a website by domain — no need to know its exact process name.
2. Set a daily minutes cap
Choose how many minutes per day are allowed, optionally with a different cap for weekends.
3. Deskly tracks it in the background
Every minute spent counts down automatically — no manual timer, no need to check in.
4. An overlay appears at the limit
You get up to three 5-minute extensions before the limit holds for the rest of the day.
Soft limits and hard blocks solve different problems
A limit is the right tool when you still need an app for legitimate work but tend to overuse it — a chat app, a news site, a game you play in moderation. It lets you use the app freely until you hit your cap, then nudges you to stop.
Sometimes a soft nudge isn't enough. If an app has no place in your day during certain hours — a game during work hours, social media during a study block — a hard rule works better than a countdown you can negotiate with. That's what Deskly's app blocker is for: it prevents an app from launching at all during scheduled hours, no extensions offered.
Most Deskly users combine both — limits on apps they want to moderate, blocks on apps they want off-limits entirely during focus hours.
Who uses app and website limits
Different people, the same goal: less time lost to autopilot.
Students
Cap social apps and games during study blocks, and pair limits with the focus app during exam season.
Remote workers
Keep news, chat, and shopping tabs on a leash during work hours without banning them outright.
Parents
Set reasonable daily caps on games and streaming apps for a shared family PC, with reports to see how they're trending.
Anyone breaking a scroll habit
Start with a generous limit and lower it each week — small, consistent friction beats an abrupt cutoff.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a limit and a block?
A limit is a soft cap — when you hit your daily time on an app or site, Deskly shows an overlay with the option to take a few short extensions before the boundary holds. A block is a hard rule that stops an app from opening at all during set hours. Deskly supports both, so you can use limits for apps you still need occasional access to and blocks for apps you want off-limits entirely.
Can I set limits on websites without a browser extension?
Yes. Deskly reads browser window titles to identify which site is active across 56+ Chromium and Firefox-based browsers, so website limits work without installing any browser extension or routing traffic through a proxy.
How many extensions do I get before a limit holds firm?
Three. After a limit is reached, you can snooze it in 5-minute increments up to three times. After the third extension, the app or site is locked for the rest of the day.
Do limits reset automatically each day?
Yes. All app and website limits reset at midnight local time, so you start each day with a fresh allowance without needing to reconfigure anything.
Can I set different limits for weekdays vs weekends?
Yes. Deskly lets you configure separate limit schedules, so you can allow more leisure time on weekends while keeping weekday limits tighter for focus.
Will limits slow down my PC?
No. Deskly is a lightweight native Windows app that monitors the active window in the background. It typically uses well under 1% CPU and a small amount of memory, even while tracking dozens of limited apps and sites.