# How to freeze games and short video apps to reduce distractions

> Keep opening games, short video and social apps? Freeze them with Ice Box so they leave your home screen and stop pushing notifications. Defrost when needed.

Source: https://icebox.catchingnow.com/use-cases/focus/
Language: English
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Short answer

Freeze the apps that distract you. Once frozen, they don't appear on the home screen, and they cannot run or send push notifications in the background. When you want to use one, tap it in Ice Box to defrost and open it. If Auto Freeze is on, Ice Box freezes them again after the screen turns off.

## A simple approach

1. Create a new tab in Ice Box, for example one called "Fun", and put your games, short video apps and similar apps in it.
2. Keep them frozen most of the time.
3. When you really want to use one, open Ice Box and tap the app in the "Fun" tab.
4. Turn on [Auto Freeze](https://icebox.catchingnow.com/guide/auto-freeze/) so the apps are frozen automatically when the screen turns off or you go back to the home screen, with no tidying up on your part.

Opening these apps now takes one extra step, and that step is a chance to make a choice for yourself.

## Things to keep in mind

- Ice Box is not a dedicated anti-addiction or parental control tool. It does not limit usage time, and it cannot stop someone else from defrosting apps in Ice Box.
- Turn on Ice Box's [fingerprint and PIN lock](https://icebox.catchingnow.com/features/#lock) to add a verification step before defrosting.

## Common questions

### Will I lose my game progress if I freeze a game?

No. Freezing does not delete app data, so you can pick up where you left off after defrosting.

### Do frozen apps update automatically?

No. To update an app, defrost it in Ice Box first, then freeze it again after the update. If you use CoolApk (酷安), a Chinese Android app store, you can also turn on "Show hidden apps" (显示隐藏应用) in CoolApk and update the app there directly.