Last updated: March 30, 2026

Shabbos Planner App Guide

Every Friday, the same questions come up: What time is candle lighting? What is this week's parsha? When is havdalah? On an unfiltered phone, you search the internet, navigate through ads and irrelevant results, and maybe bookmark a zmanim site for next week. On a filtered phone with the KolBo app, you open the Shabbos Planner and every answer is already there.

What the Shabbos Planner Shows

The KolBo Shabbos Planner pulls live data from the Hebcal API — the same authoritative source used by most Jewish calendar apps and websites. For your current location, it displays:

• This week's parsha — The Shabbos Torah reading, updated automatically each week
• Candle lighting time — Calculated for your exact location, accounting for the 18-minute or local custom minhag
• Havdalah time — When Shabbos ends at your location
• Any special occasions — Rosh Chodesh, upcoming holidays, or special Shabbosos

The data is live and location-aware. If you are spending Shabbos in a different city, the times adjust automatically. No manual city selection, no searching for the right zmanim table — just open the app and the information is there.

Planning Your Shabbos

The Shabbos Planner is designed to be a one-stop reference for everything you need to know before and during Shabbos. Combined with the other tools in the KolBo app, you can prepare your entire Shabbos from your phone:

Before Shabbos: Check candle lighting time in the Shabbos Planner. Review the parsha summary. Look up any relevant shiurim on the parsha in the Torah Player — there are thousands of parsha shiurim across all 695,000 entries in the library. Check the Zmanim tool for Mincha time if you need to daven before Shabbos.

For the seuda: Use the Digital Library to look up pesukim or meforshim for your dvar Torah. The Tefila Companion has brachos and zemiros texts if you need a reference.

Motzei Shabbos: Check havdalah time in the Shabbos Planner. The Zmanim tool shows tzeis hakochavim for your exact location, so you know exactly when to make havdalah.

No Internet Search Required

The reason the Shabbos Planner matters on a filtered phone is that it eliminates one of the most common reasons people say they need a browser. "I just need to check candle lighting" is a real need — but it does not require an open internet connection. It requires a tool that provides the answer directly.

The KolBo Shabbos Planner is that tool. It answers the question without exposing you to anything else. No ads, no search results, no rabbit holes — just the information you need, updated live, accurate for your location.

This same principle applies across the KolBo app. The Minyan Finder replaces the need to Google "minyan near me." The Zmanim tool replaces the need to visit a zmanim website. The Torah Player replaces the need to browse streaming platforms for shiurim. Each tool removes one more reason to keep an unfiltered browser on your phone.

Included with Every Subscription

The Shabbos Planner — along with all 15 tools in the KolBo app — is included free with every KolBo Filter subscription. $12.99/month or $129/year for the Single Device plan, $39.99/month for the Family Plan covering up to five devices.

Your Shabbos preparation should be simple. Open the app, check the times, review the parsha, and put the phone away. That is exactly what a filtered phone with the right tools makes possible.