Four signals that actually correlate with being drunk.
Sobrium picks one at random when you try to unlock. None of them rely on what you know — they measure how your brain and body are working in this moment.
Reaction time
The word "RED" appears in blue ink. Tap the color, not the word. Based on the Stroop effect — alcohol slows the brain's conflict-resolution and this is the strongest cognitive signal of impairment.
Timing precision
Watch a beat for a few seconds, then keep tapping the same tempo without the cue. The cerebellum handles steady timing — it's one of the first regions impaired by alcohol.
Fine motor control
Drag your finger along a curved path. Sobrium measures how far you deviate. The same skill that roadside coordination tests check, on a touchscreen.
Postural balance
Hold the phone against your chest and balance on one leg. The accelerometer measures your sway — the same principle as the police one-leg-stand test.
Built on Screen Time. Set up in a minute.
Pick the apps. Pick the tests. Pick how long an unlock lasts. Sobrium does the rest at the operating-system level.
System-level shielding
Sobrium uses Apple's Family Controls — the same framework parental controls run on. Drunk-you can't disable it in two taps; it'd take a sobriety test to do so.
Block any app
Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Instagram, Snapchat, Tinder, banking, work apps — any combination you choose, including categories.
Choose your unlock
Pass once and apps stay open for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour. Then they re-lock automatically.
Three difficulties
Easy, Medium, Hard tune how strict each test is. Tougher means a smaller margin for impairment.
Twelve languages
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish.
On-device only
No servers. No accounts. No analytics. Sobrium can't see who you call, what you type or where you are — it only knows whether the apps you chose are currently locked.
No ads, no tracking
One-time download. The app does not request any identifier, does not contact any server, and does not bundle a single third-party SDK.
Three taps before you head out.
No accounts, no onboarding tour, no learning curve.
Pick your apps
Open Sobrium and tap the app picker. Choose the ones you don't want drunk-you accessing — Messages, WhatsApp, Tinder, your ex's contact, whatever.
Switch on Alcohol Mode
Flip the toggle. Apps you chose are locked at the system level — try to open Messages and you'll see a shield instead, with a button to take the sobriety test.
Pass to unlock
Take a 15-second test. If you pass, apps unlock for the duration you set. If you don't — stay safe, try again later.
Available in 12 languages.
Runs on modern iPhones.
Questions, bug reports, feature ideas?
Email me directly. I read everything and usually reply within a day.
walter.tengler@gmail.comImportant. Sobrium is a behavioral tool, not a medical device. It cannot measure blood alcohol concentration. The tests measure reaction, rhythm, fine motor control and balance — all of which alcohol affects, but none of which substitute for legal or clinical determination of impairment. Never drive after drinking, regardless of any test result. If you're impaired, call a cab or a friend. Sobrium is provided as is without warranty of any kind; the author accepts no liability for actions taken or not taken in reliance on the app. Full terms in the imprint.