Secure one of 500.
The Founder Edition.
First pre-ordered, first shipped. Ships October 15. Cancel any time before shipping.
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Estimated shipping: October 15, 2026. Review your selection in the cart.
In the box
Product and manufacturer
ctrl key, NFC keyring tag, approx. 50 × 50 × 16 mm, aluminium with a ceramic top. Manufacturer and responsible person in the EU: back to ctrl, Inhaber Manuel Schmidt, Mollstraße 13, 68165 Mannheim, Germany, hello@backtoctrl.com.
Safety information
Contains a magnet. Not suitable for children under 3 years. Swallowed magnets can attract each other inside the body and cause serious injury. Seek medical help immediately if swallowed. Keep away from pacemakers, defibrillators and other medical implants. Keep away from magnetic stripe cards, storage media and sensitive devices.
4.9 out of 5
Average across our TestFlight beta testers, before the first keys even shipped.
Dinner without phones, for the first time in years. Our evening mode starts on its own.
Sleep mode at half past ten, on its own. I read again at night instead of scrolling.
Focus on, phone shut, done. I finish work in the afternoon, not at night.
The risk is on us.
Cancel any time
Cancel before shipping with a short email and you get everything back.
Test it for 30 days
If it changes nothing, send it back. Full refund, no questions.
Lasts years
No battery, sealed, 2 years of warranty coverage under EU law.
Private by default
Settings stay on your device, account optional, EU privacy.
Behind ctrl are Larissa, Diyana, Manu and Szymon. More about us
What you want to know first.
When do I pay?+
At checkout, when you place your pre-order. Full refund any time until we ship. First delivery starts October 15.
Where do you ship?+
We ship from Germany with tracked shipping. The available countries and exact costs show at checkout.
How the ctrl key works+
You choose in the app which apps belong to which mode. Hold your phone to the key to lock them, tap again to unlock. The key is a passive NFC chip in aluminum: no battery, no Bluetooth, nothing to charge. The blocking itself runs on Apple Screen Time technology directly on your iPhone.
App and Modes+
The core app is free with no subscription: Modes for focus, social pause, sleep and dinner, schedules, timers, progress and the Lock Settings against workarounds. Plus a sleep mode with an alarm that only goes quiet after the key scan, and a driving mode. Optionally there is ctrl club for deep insights and extras.
Material and design+
Precision-milled aluminum in the look of a keyboard key, like your iPhone, sealed. No screen, no LED, no plastic shell. An object that gets to stay on the desk and works the same after years as on day one.
When does it ship?+
The first run is expected to ship from October 15, 2026. Pre-orders are delivered first, the waitlist hears about the date right after.
Do I need a subscription?+
No. The core app is free and stays free: Modes, blocking, schedules, progress, all without a subscription. Optionally there is ctrl club for deep insights and extras. The key works entirely without it.
What if I lose the key?+
No drama. Timers and schedules end on their own, and for the moment there are emergency unlocks in the app. A replacement key pairs in minutes.
Does it work with my iPhone?+
The ctrl key uses NFC and works with iPhone 11 or newer, including iPhone SE 2nd generation and later (any iPhone running iOS 26). Android is on the roadmap.
Can I cancel?+
Any time before shipping. A short email is enough and we refund your pre-order in full. After delivery you additionally have 30 days money back.
Can several iPhones use the same key?+
Yes. The key is a passive chip and not tied to one specific iPhone. Any iPhone with the ctrl app can use the same key to lock and unlock, handy for households with one key per room.
How do returns work?+
Short email to us, send the key back, full refund. That applies for 30 days from delivery, no reasons needed.
Your question is missing? Write to us at hello@backtoctrl.com, we answer personally.
Secure your ctrl key.
Estimated shipping: October 15, 2026 · Secure payment · Cancel any time · 30 day money back
- Your own Modes
- Progress + stats
- For iPhone
