The Good
- Nothing, really
The Bad
- Misleading screenshots and description at App Store
- Doesn't actually offer lockscreens; just images
- Very slow
- Some aspects of the app don't work
- Includes ads (!!)
The Price
US$0.99
From changing wallpapers and lock screens to ringtones and arranging apps, the iOS offers ample opportunities to customize the look and feel of your iPhone. A number of apps aim to make that task easier by supplying images and letting you build your own. There's a subset of these apps, though, that misrepresent what they offer and provide little of value for their price. Display Block is one of these apps and, unless you like to simply waste your money, you should avoid it.
A Reasonable Premise, Dishonest Execution
When you see Display Block in the App Store, it seems to promise some interesting things: namely new features for your iPhone's lockscreen. The screenshots for the app in the store show a lockscreen image that involves drawing a pattern over a series of dots to unlock the screen, which is the way some Android devices handle unlocking. A second screenshot touts "voice blocking," giving the appearance of an app that uses voice activation to unlock your phone. Lastly, the app's description promises "maximum security."
Imagine my--and your, if you ignore me and buy this app--surprise when I downloaded Display Block and found that it offers none of these things.
Display Block isn't an app that adds any functionality to your phone. Instead, it's simply a collection of graphics that you can save and then use as your home screen wallpaper or lock screen.
That voice activation screenshot? It's just a static graphic that does nothing, not actually a voice activation feature. The images of the Android-style unlock dots? Not actually a functional unlock tool; it's also just a graphic.
There are tons of apps in the App Store that offers collections of images to use to customize your iPhone. There's nothing wrong with the idea. What is wrong, though, is when an app presents itself as one thing--in this case, a security app--and delivers something else: a collection of images.
Awkward Operation
If you end up with Display Block on your phone and decide to try to make the best of it, you'll find even that challenging. There are three categories of images to choose from: shelves (images that make your app icons appear to sit on shelves with various designs), Valentine's Day-style animations, and lockscreens.
If you select the shelves, you get a collection of a few dozen images. Some are decent looking, others a bit ugly, but so be it. What you do with the images isn't so clear. However, since there are only two buttons on the screen--a back arrow and a folder with a plus on it--you can guess that the folder may be what you want and tap it. At first, nothing will seem to happen. You may tap it again. Or even a third time. Eventually, a message will pop up on screen telling you “guardado – saved albums photos.” While that's not entirely clear, what it means is that the image has been saved to your Photos app and you can now use it as wallpaper or lock screen. Display Block doesn't offer any instructions on how to do that (though I do).
The other categories are even less satisfying. The Valentine's Day images are useless. They're clip-art style animations and the onscreen message says to copy and paste them--except the app doesn't seem to support copy and paste. At least not in any way I'm used to on the iPhone.
The lockscreen images aren't much good, either, since even when you use them the unlock slider is still present on the screen. Simple move the slider and the image supplied by Display Block will disappear. Not exactly "maximum security."
To add insult to injury, Display Block slaps ads via iAd into the app.
The Bottom Line
Apple is somewhat famous, to those who follow these sorts of things, for having exacting standards for what is and isn't allowed into the App Store. Given that, it's difficult to fathom why Apple would allow an app like this to be sold (or, for that matter, why Apple would let it into the iAd program).
At best, Display Block misrepresents what it does. It touts itself as a security app that provides options for lockscreen control. It actually just offers a few images with no functionality. The harshest judgment of this app would be that it essentially tricks people out of their money.
As I've said, there's nothing wrong with apps that provide collections of images to help you customize your device. The apps that are upfront about this are among the most popular in the App Store. But apps like Display Block, which exist primarily to trick users out of their money, are indefensible, should be removed from the App Store, and should be avoided by all users.
What You'll Need
An iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS 4.1 or higher.
