AppBlock on Android

If AppBlock isn’t blocking the way you expect, don’t worry. Most issues on Android come down to permissions or background restrictions. Work through the checklist below from top to bottom.

Check your permissions first

Most blocking issues on Android are caused by a missing or revoked permission. Open AppBlock and go to Profile → Help → Troubleshooting — this screen shows which permissions are active and which need attention.

The most important ones:

• Usage access — AppBlock needs this to detect which apps you’re using.
• Accessibility service — required for website blocking and some app blocking features.
• Display over other apps — needed for the block screen to appear.
• Battery optimization — make sure AppBlock is excluded so it can run reliably in the background.
• Autostart (some devices) — make sure AppBlock is allowed to start automatically after a reboot.

Then check the basics

• Is a schedule active? Make sure the schedule covering those apps is switched on and set for the current time, day, or location.
• Are you on the latest version? Update AppBlock in Google Play — many issues are already fixed in newer releases.
• Restart your phone. A restart refreshes AppBlock’s system permissions and clears up a surprising number of issues.

Still not working?

If you’ve tried all of the above and AppBlock still isn’t behaving, contact our support team and let us know more details. A short video (max 20 MB) showing your blocking settings and what’s happening can help us find the cause much faster.

Website blocking on Android requires the Accessibility service. If it’s turned off, no websites will be blocked in any browser.

Check Accessibility first

1. Open AppBlock.
2. Go to Profile → Help → Troubleshooting.
3. Check that Accessibility is enabled — if not, follow the steps to re-enable it.

Common reasons a site slips through

• You’re using an unsupported browser. Website blocking only works in supported browsers. See “Which browsers are supported by AppBlock?” for the full list.
• You used a keyword that doesn’t match. Check how your keyword is configured — “In domain” and “Anywhere in URL” behave differently. See “How to block websites on Android” for details.
• The schedule isn’t active. Check that the schedule containing the website block is switched on and covering the current time.

If none of these help

Contact our support team and send a short video (max 20 MB) showing your browser and blocking settings, so we can take a closer look.

If apps you never selected are being blocked, it’s usually down to one of a few settings. Here’s how to track it down.

Check these common causes

• Check for an active Allowlist. If a schedule is set to Allowlist mode, AppBlock blocks everything except the apps you allowed, which can feel like apps are being blocked at random. Review your active schedules.
• Look for overlapping schedules. Another schedule may be blocking more than you realized. If two schedules apply, the strictest one wins.
• Check category blocks. Blocking a category (like Social or Games) also blocks new apps that fall into that category.
• Check Block reinstalled applications. If this Strict Mode option is active, apps you previously blocked may still be blocked even after reinstalling them.
• Check Block device settings in Strict Mode. Some apps may be blocked by AppBlock if they require authentication before opening — typically banking or payment apps. Their authenticators may need access to Settings to work properly. If Settings is blocked, these apps may be blocked too.

If none of this explains it, contact our support team, and we’ll help you pinpoint the cause.

If apps or websites that should be blocked are still opening, here are the most common reasons and how to fix them.

For app blocking

• Check your permissions. Open AppBlock → Profile → Help → Troubleshooting and make sure Usage access and Accessibility are enabled.
• Check that the schedule is active and set to block those exact apps.
• Restart your phone and try again.

For website blocking

• Check that Accessibility is enabled. Without it, website blocking won’t work in any browser.
• Check which browser you’re using. Some browsers are not supported — see “Which browsers are supported by AppBlock?” for the full list.
• Check that the website or keyword is correctly added to your schedule or Quick Block.

If nothing helps

Contact our support team and send a short video (max 20 MB) showing your blocking settings, so we can take a closer look.

On some Android devices — especially from manufacturers like Xiaomi, Huawei, and Oppo — the system automatically turns off Accessibility services to save battery or improve performance. This is one of the most common reasons AppBlock stops working.

Why this happens

Android gives manufacturers a lot of control over how background services behave. Some devices are aggressive about killing Accessibility services, especially after a restart or when battery saver kicks in.

What to do

1. Open AppBlock and go to Profile → Help → Troubleshooting.
2. Follow the steps to re-enable Accessibility for AppBlock.

After re-enabling, also check these settings on your device:

• Go to Settings → Apps → AppBlock and make sure it’s not restricted in the background.
• Disable battery optimization for AppBlock (Settings → Battery → Battery optimization → AppBlock → Don’t optimize).
• Enable Autostart for AppBlock if your device has this option (common on Xiaomi, Huawei, and Oppo).
• Lock AppBlock in your recent apps so the system doesn’t kill it.

If nothing helps

Contact our support team and share your device type, Android version, AppBlock version, and the steps you’ve already tried to fix the issue.

On some Samsung devices, you may need to enable “restricted settings” before you can grant AppBlock the Accessibility permission. If AppBlock appears greyed out in the Accessibility settings, follow these steps.

Step 1: Try to enable Accessibility

1. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Installed apps.
2. Tap on AppBlock — a “Restricted settings” screen will appear.
3. Tap OK.

Step 2: Allow restricted settings for AppBlock

1. Go back to Settings → Apps → AppBlock.
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Allow restricted settings.
4. Verify your identity (PIN, pattern, or biometric).

Step 3: Enable Accessibility

1. Go back to Settings → Accessibility → Installed apps.
2. Tap AppBlock.
3. Toggle it from off to on.
4. Confirm the Full Control dialog.

AppBlock should now have the Accessibility permission and work correctly.

If you’re having trouble restoring a backup in AppBlock, here’s what to check.

First: make sure a backup exists

You can only restore a backup if you previously created one via Profile → Backup. If you never created a backup, there’s nothing to restore.

Check your internet connection

The backup feature requires a stable internet connection. If you see the error “Something went wrong”, check your connection and try again.

If the error persists

Wait a few minutes — it may be a temporary server issue. If the problem continues for more than an hour, contact our support team.

Good to know

• Backups include your schedules and blocking settings, but not your usage statistics.
• Website statistics are stored only locally on your device and cannot be backed up or restored.

If your location schedules aren’t activating when they should, try the steps below.

1. Check your permissions

Make sure you’ve granted all necessary permissions, including location permission for AppBlock, and that location services are turned on for your device.

2. Extend your location radius

If the radius is set too small, there can be a slight delay before blocking activates — or it may not trigger reliably at all. Try increasing the radius to fix the issue.

3. Refresh your blocking settings

If the above steps don’t help, refresh your blocking settings within the AppBlock app:

• Open AppBlock and navigate to the Blocking tab.
• Tap the refresh icon in the top-right corner (or pull down to refresh, depending on your app version).

Still not working?

If your location schedule still isn’t activating after trying these steps, contact our support team — it helps if you can share which Android device/brand you’re using, as some manufacturers restrict background location access more aggressively than others.

If your home screen or recent apps view is blocked and you can’t navigate your phone normally, this is caused by the Block recent apps option being active in Strict Mode.

Why this happens

The Block recent apps feature prevents apps from being opened through the recent apps switcher — which on some devices can interfere with normal home screen navigation.

How to fix it

Step 1: Deactivate Strict Mode

Use your chosen access method:

• PIN — enter your PIN.
• Charger — plug your phone in, then open AppBlock and deactivate Strict Mode.
• Timer — wait for the timer to expire.
• Approval — ask your trusted contact to approve the unlock.

If you can’t deactivate Strict Mode on your own, go to Profile → Help → Contact support and select Emergency unblocking.

Step 2: Turn off Block recent apps

Once Strict Mode is off, go to Strict Mode → Options and disable the Block recent apps option before reactivating Strict Mode.

Good to know

Block recent apps is available for Samsung, Xiaomi, Pixel, Motorola, and Poco devices. On other devices, the option won’t appear.

Ultra power saving mode restricts your phone to only a handful of essential apps. In this mode, AppBlock cannot run reliably in the background.

Why this happens

Ultra power saving mode is designed to extend battery life as long as possible by blocking almost all background activity. AppBlock needs to run in the background to monitor and enforce blocks — and this mode prevents that.

What this means in practice

• App blocking may stop working entirely.
• Website blocking will stop working.
• Scheduled blocks may not activate.

What you can do

• Avoid using ultra power saving mode if you need AppBlock to block reliably.
• If you need to save battery, use standard battery saver instead and exclude AppBlock from battery optimization — see “How to stop AppBlock turning off with low battery”.

Good to know

This is a platform limitation — AppBlock cannot override ultra power saving mode. It affects all third-party apps that rely on background services, not just AppBlock.

When your Android phone is in Safe Mode, all third-party apps — including AppBlock — are disabled. Blocking will not work while Safe Mode is active.

Why this happens

Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode that loads Android with only system apps. Because AppBlock is a third-party app, it cannot run in Safe Mode.

What to do

Restart your phone normally to exit Safe Mode. AppBlock will resume working once your device boots back into normal mode.

Good to know

If you didn’t intentionally enter Safe Mode, it may have been triggered accidentally — for example, by holding the power button in a certain way during restart. To exit, simply restart your phone normally.

If apps are still blocked after your schedule has ended or you’ve activated a pause, here’s what’s going on and how to fix it.

Why this happens

In some cases, a bug may prevent AppBlock from resuming normal activity after blocking has been paused or a schedule has ended. Our development team is aware of and actively investigating this issue.

Temporary fix

Restart your device. Restarting refreshes AppBlock’s system permissions and should unblock your apps.

Good to know

If this happens repeatedly, contact our support team and let us know — the more detail you can share (device model, Android version, and which schedule was involved), the faster we can investigate.

If your authenticator app (such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or similar) is being blocked even though you didn’t add it to a blocklist, the cause is almost certainly Block device settings being active in Strict Mode.

Why this happens

Authenticator apps need access to certain device settings to verify your identity. When Block device settings is enabled in Strict Mode, it restricts that access — which can make the authenticator appear blocked or broken, even though you never blocked it directly.

How to fix it

You’ll need to deactivate Strict Mode first:

1. Open AppBlock.
2. Go to Strict Mode.
3. Fulfill your access method (PIN, Charger, Timer, etc.).
4. Once Strict Mode is off, your authenticator should work again.

If you cannot deactivate Strict Mode on your own, go to Profile → Help → Contact support and select Emergency unblocking.

Good to know

If you regularly need your authenticator while Strict Mode is active, consider turning off the Block device settings option before reactivating Strict Mode — or use the Show Available Settings option (Profile → Customize → Blocking preferences → Show Available Settings), which lets some parts of Settings remain accessible.

Traveling to a different time zone can occasionally cause unexpected behavior in AppBlock — particularly with Strict Mode, where the blocking period may accidentally extend far beyond what you intended.

Why this happens

AppBlock’s schedules are based on your device’s local time. When the time zone changes (especially during travel), the app may miscalculate how long a blocking period should last. In severe cases, this has caused Strict Mode to appear active for 99+ days.

Important warning

We strongly advise against turning off or restarting your device while traveling across time zones, as this increases the chance of unexpected behavior.

How to fix it

1. Open AppBlock and go to Profile → Help → Contact support.
2. Select Emergency unblocking.
3. Follow the steps to deactivate Strict Mode.
4. Once Strict Mode is off, reinstall AppBlock to fully reset the state.
5. Set up your schedules again — make sure they account for your current time zone.

How to prevent it in the future

• Before traveling, check that your schedules are set up correctly for the time zone you’ll be in.
• If you travel frequently, consider deactivating Strict Mode temporarily before crossing time zones.

If you’ve installed a new app but can’t find it in AppBlock’s app picker, it usually just needs a moment to register.

How to fix it

Restart your device. After restarting, the newly installed app should appear in the list.

If you updated to version 7.7.0 and the app still doesn’t appear, try this instead:

1. Close AppBlock completely.
2. Remove it from recent apps.
3. Reopen AppBlock — the new app should now be visible.

When your phone’s battery gets low, Android may automatically restrict background apps — including AppBlock. Here’s how to prevent that.

Why this happens

Android’s battery saver and battery optimization features are designed to extend battery life by limiting what apps can do in the background. Unfortunately, this can stop AppBlock from blocking reliably.

What to do

1. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery optimization (exact path may vary by device).
2. Find AppBlock in the list.
3. Select Don’t optimize (or “Unrestricted” on some devices).

On some devices, you’ll also need to:

• Enable Autostart for AppBlock so it restarts automatically after being killed.
• Lock AppBlock in recent apps so the system doesn’t close it.
• Disable Adaptive battery or Power saving mode for AppBlock specifically.

Good to know

The exact steps vary depending on your phone manufacturer. Open AppBlock → Profile → Help → Troubleshooting for device-specific guidance.

If a website shows a preview before loading fully — for example, in some browsers or link previews — AppBlock may not block it at that stage.

Why this happens

AppBlock blocks websites by detecting their URL. During a preview, the URL can change dynamically or load in a way that AppBlock doesn’t catch in time.

What you can do

• Add the specific dynamic URL manually to your blocklist.
• Use keyword blocking to catch variations of the URL — this is more reliable for sites that change their URL structure during previews (see “How to block websites on Android” for details on keyword blocking).

Android updates can sometimes reset permissions or change how background services behave. If AppBlock started acting differently right after an update, work through this list.

Step-by-step

1. Update AppBlock to the latest version — we release updates to match new Android behavior as quickly as we can.
2. Restart your phone to refresh system permissions.
3. Check all permissions — go to Profile → Help → Troubleshooting and make sure everything is still granted:
   • Usage access
   • Accessibility service
   • Display over other apps
   • Battery optimization (excluded)
4. Re-enable Autostart if your device has it — updates sometimes reset this setting.
5. Check battery optimization — updates can reset this to “Optimize,” which restricts AppBlock in the background.

Good to know

Some Android updates change what’s technically possible for third-party apps. If a feature stopped working entirely after an update, it may be due to a system change rather than a bug. See the Device-specific limitations section for what’s currently possible on different Android versions and manufacturers.

AppBlock is designed to work across all Android devices, but some manufacturers customize Android in ways that can interfere with background services — including AppBlock’s blocking and Accessibility features. Below you’ll find specific steps for the most common brands.

If you can’t find your brand here, go to Profile → Help → Troubleshooting in AppBlock for general guidance, or visit Don’t Kill My App for device-specific tips.

How to find your brand on this page

• On desktop: use Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac) to search.
• On mobile: scroll to your brand or use your browser’s find function.

Huawei

Huawei devices are among the most challenging for background apps, as their custom software often ignores Android best practices for background task management.

Battery settings

• Settings → Battery → Power Plan → set to Performance.
• Settings → Battery → Protected apps → mark AppBlock as Protected.
• Settings → Apps → AppBlock → Battery → enable Power-intensive prompt and Keep running after screen off.

Ignore battery optimizations

Go to Settings → Apps → Special access → Ignore battery optimization → All apps → find AppBlock → set to Allow.

Device Admin

If problems persist, enable AppBlock as a device administrator: go to Profile → Help → Troubleshooting and follow the steps there.

For more detail, see the Don’t Kill My App guidance for Huawei.

Xiaomi / MIUI

Xiaomi’s MIUI software is known for aggressively killing background apps. The exact steps vary depending on your MIUI version.

Pin AppBlock in recent apps

1. Open the recent apps tray.
2. Drag AppBlock downward or tap the down arrow next to its name and select Lock.
3. Once pinned, it won’t be removed even if you clear recent apps.

Battery management

• Settings → Battery → Power Plan → set to Performance.
• Settings → Battery → App Battery Saver → AppBlock → set to No restriction.
• Settings → Additional Settings → Battery & Performance → Manage apps’ battery usage → switch power saving to Off → find AppBlock → set to No restrictions.

Autostart

Open the Security app → Permissions → Autostart → enable for AppBlock.

Device Admin

If all else fails, go to Profile → Help → Troubleshooting and enable device administrator mode for AppBlock.

Note: Avoid using Ultra Battery Saver mode on Xiaomi devices — it stops most background apps from functioning.

For more detail, see the Don’t Kill My App guidance for Xiaomi.

OnePlus

OnePlus devices may randomly reset battery optimization settings, which can cause AppBlock to stop working.

Battery optimization

Go to Settings → Apps → Special Access → Battery Optimization.

Find AppBlock and set to Don’t optimize.

Note: OnePlus phones may randomly revert this setting back to “Optimized.” Check it periodically if AppBlock stops working.

Auto-launch

Some OnePlus devices have an App Auto-Launch feature that prevents background apps — disable it for AppBlock.

Doze mode (if needed)

Some users have reported needing to disable Doze mode in Developer Options.

For OnePlus 5 specifically:

Go to Settings → Battery → Battery optimization → three dots → Enhanced/Advanced optimization → disable.

For more detail, see the Don’t Kill My App guidance for OnePlus.

Samsung

App Power Monitor

Samsung’s App Power Monitor can interfere with AppBlock. To whitelist AppBlock:

1. Go to Settings → Device Maintenance → Battery.
2. Scroll to the bottom → tap Unmonitored apps.
3. Tap the three-dot menu → add AppBlock to unmonitored apps.

Battery optimization (alternative path)

Go to Settings → Apps → three-dot menu → Special Access → Optimize Battery Usage.

Find AppBlock and make sure it is not selected.

Accessibility permission issue

If AppBlock is greyed out in Accessibility settings, see “How to give accessibility permission if restricted?” above.

Edge Lighting

If Edge Lighting is enabled for AppBlock, it may prevent the block screen from appearing correctly. Remove AppBlock from the Edge Lighting apps list if you experience this.

For more detail, see the Don’t Kill My App guidance for Samsung.

Oppo

Oppo devices often aggressively kill background and Accessibility services.

Pin AppBlock in recent apps

1. Open the recent apps tray.
2. Tap the down arrow next to AppBlock.
3. Select the Lock icon.

Battery optimizations

Long-press the AppBlock icon → App Info → Battery Usage → enable Run in the Background.

Auto-launch

Go to Settings → App Management → Auto-launch apps → find AppBlock and toggle to Allow.

For more detail, see the Don’t Kill My App guidance for Oppo.

Vivo

Pin AppBlock in recent apps

1. Open the recent apps tray.
2. Tap the down arrow next to AppBlock → select the Lock icon.

Disable battery optimizations

Long-press AppBlock → App Info → Battery Usage → set to Unrestricted.

Note: Avoid Ultra Battery Saver mode on Vivo devices.

For more detail, see the Don’t Kill My App guidance for Vivo.

Realme

Pin AppBlock in recent apps

1. Open the recent apps tray.
2. Tap the down arrow next to AppBlock → select the Lock icon.

Battery management

• Settings → Battery → App battery management → AppBlock → allow Background activity, Foreground activity, and Auto-launch.
• Settings → Battery → Power saver options → disable Sleep standby optimization.

For more detail, see the Don’t Kill My App guidance for Realme.

Sony

Sony’s Stamina Mode significantly limits third-party background apps.

Battery optimization

Go to Settings → Battery → three dots → Battery optimization → Apps → AppBlock → disable optimization.

Note: Stamina Mode cannot be worked around from AppBlock’s side — you’ll need to disable it or whitelist AppBlock in your Sony battery settings.

For more detail, see the Don’t Kill My App guidance for Sony.

Nokia

Under some circumstances, Nokia devices place AppBlock on a background restrictions list.

Battery management

Go to Settings → Apps → Battery → AppBlock → make sure no restrictions are applied.

For more detail, see the Don’t Kill My App guidance for HMD Global devices.

Meizu

Meizu devices, like some other Chinese brands, often ignore Android best practices for background tasks.

Battery management

• Settings → Advanced Settings → Battery Manager → Power Plan → set to Performance.
• Settings → Advanced Settings → Battery Manager → Protected apps → mark AppBlock as Protected.
• Settings → Apps → AppBlock → Battery → enable Power-intensive prompt and Keep running after screen off.

For more detail, see the Don’t Kill My App guidance for Meizu.

Since Android 17, Android includes a security feature called Advanced Protection. On supported devices, this feature can restrict or disable Accessibility access for apps.

AppBlock relies on the Accessibility permission to detect what is happening on your device and apply blocking reliably.

Because of this, if Advanced Protection is enabled, AppBlock may lose access to Accessibility or may not be able to use it correctly. This can cause blocking to work inconsistently or stop working as expected.

How to fix it

If AppBlock is not blocking reliably and you have Advanced Protection enabled, try turning off Device protection:

1. Open your device’s Settings.
2. Go to Security & privacy.
3. Open Advanced Protection.
4. Turn off Device protection.
5. Confirm the change if requested.
6. Restart your device if Android asks you to.

You may also find this setting under:

Settings → Google → All services → Personal and device safety → Advanced Protection

After turning it off, open AppBlock and make sure the Accessibility permission is enabled again.

Why is Accessibility important?

Accessibility allows AppBlock to detect when blocked apps or settings are opened and react immediately.

Without this permission, AppBlock cannot provide the same level of reliable blocking, so some blocked content or device settings may remain accessible.