WeWard Can Now Lock Your Apps Until You Hit Your Steps

A French fitness app, supported by tennis star Venus Williams, has rolled out a feature that blocks access to your favorite apps until you hit your daily step goal. WeWard’s new app-locking tool acts like a digital bouncer for your phone, preventing you from scrolling through Instagram or watching YouTube until you’ve put in the effort.

How the App Lock Actually Works

WeWard, which already rewards users with real cash for walking, has introduced what it calls an app-locking mechanic. You set a daily step goal, and any apps you decide to lock remain off-limits until you hit that goal. Think of it as a parental control, but this time, you’re the one making the rules.

This feature builds on WeWard’s existing model, where users earn points for every step they take. Those points can be turned into gift cards or small cash payouts. The app-locking feature adds a bit of pressure, giving users a solid reason to walk beyond just the rewards.

WeWard claims that users who actively engage with the app walk nearly 25% more than before downloading it. While the company hasn’t released peer-reviewed data to support this figure, it’s the number they’re using to attract health-focused users and potential investors.

Venus Williams and the Money Behind It

WeWard’s appeal partly stems from the notable investors backing it. Venus Williams, who has built a successful portfolio as an angel investor beyond her tennis career, is among them. Her involvement lends credibility to the app in the health and wellness sector, something pure tech funding often lacks.

This app is developed in France by a Paris-based team and has been expanding into the US and UK markets over the last year. The app-locking feature seems designed to attract users looking for more robust behavioral nudges than a simple step counter can offer.

What This Means for Everyday Users

If you’ve ever said you’d go for a walk but ended up binge-watching videos instead, this feature is made for you. The idea is simple: remove the fun part before the effort, rather than giving it after. Behavioral researchers call this “temptation bundling in reverse” — instead of pairing something enjoyable with exercise, you’re holding off the fun until the exercise is done.

You can choose which apps to lock. For instance, you might block social media and streaming platforms while keeping maps and messaging apps accessible. This flexibility is crucial because an all-or-nothing approach often frustrates users into deleting the app altogether.

For parents, there’s a clear secondary use: setting step requirements for kids before they can use screens. While WeWard hasn’t specifically marketed it this way, the mechanics certainly support it.

However, one concern is what happens on days when hitting 10,000 steps isn’t feasible. Someone recovering from an injury or facing bad weather shouldn’t lose access to essential phone functions. How WeWard addresses this issue will likely affect how long people stick with this feature.

Community Reactions

“This is actually genius for people like me who have no discipline. If TikTok is locked until I walk 8k steps, I’m walking 8k steps every single day, no questions asked.”

— u/CardioHater2024, Reddit r/loseit

“I love the idea, but I’d need an override for emergencies. What if I need to Google something and I’ve only done 200 steps? That could get annoying fast.”

— YouTube commenter on TechCrunch’s WeWard coverage

The Bigger Picture: Apps Fighting Screen Addiction With Screen Addiction

WeWard’s approach occupies a unique position in the wellness app market. Companies like Apple and Google provide screen time dashboards that show how much you’re on your phone, but those tools only inform you. They don’t prevent you from repeating those habits tomorrow.

WeWard takes a more interventionist stance, which many developers are now exploring. The thinking is that information alone rarely changes behavior; friction does. Making it just a bit harder to access something you want can break the automatic habit of reaching for your phone.

Whether a walking-reward app is the right vehicle for this behavioral design remains to be seen. But the feature gives WeWard a narrative that goes beyond just “get paid to walk,” which has always been a tough pitch to maintain long-term.

You can read more about the feature directly from TechCrunch’s original coverage.

What To Watch

• User retention data: WeWard’s claim of a 25% increase in walking needs long-term validation. Keep an eye out for independent studies or updated figures as the app-lock feature rolls out more widely.
• Platform pushback: Apple and Google have been cautious about third-party apps that control access to other apps. If WeWard’s feature conflicts with App Store or Play Store guidelines, it could face restrictions.
• Competitor response: If the feature boosts downloads, expect similar mechanics to pop up in apps like Sweatcoin or even in iOS and Android’s native health tools within the next 12 to 18 months.
• Venus Williams’ investor profile: Her backing of WeWard continues a trend of investments in health and wellness tech. More deals in this space from her portfolio could indicate where this category is heading.