AppBlock on iOS

We understand how confusing and frustrating it can be when AppBlock says your usage limits are reached, even though you haven’t used the app much or even at all. Let’s walk through what’s happening and what you can do.

❗ What’s happening?

There are currently known issues with how iOS reports app usage.

Starting with iOS 26 (and also affecting iOS 18 due to shared developer tools), the system may incorrectly report screen time. This means even minimal or no usage can sometimes be counted as reaching your limit.

AppBlock doesn’t have access to your actual usage data due to Apple’s privacy restrictions. Instead, we rely on system-provided information, and right now, that data may not always be accurate.

🔄 First, try refreshing your blocking

Before anything else, we recommend refreshing your blocking settings. This can sometimes resolve small timing mismatches in how usage is reported.

For AppBlock version 3.8.0 and newer:

1. Open AppBlock
2. Go to the Blocking tab
3. Tap the refresh icon in the top-right corner

For AppBlock version 3.7.0 and older:

1. Open AppBlock
2. Go to the Blocking tab
3. Pull down to refresh (you’ll see “Blocking refreshed”)

🛠 What else can you try?

If the issue continues, here are a few things that can help:

• Update the app
  Make sure you’re using the latest version (4.6.6 or newer), where we’ve already implemented improvements.
• Use only one usage limit at a time
  Multiple overlapping limits can increase the chance of incorrect triggering.
• Try the “Open Limit” feature
  This feature doesn’t rely on system-reported usage and is often more reliable in this situation.

⏳ What’s next?

We’re actively monitoring this issue, testing possible workarounds, and following updates from Apple. However, since this behavior comes from the system itself, a permanent fix will likely come from a future iOS update.

💬 Need help?

If this issue is affecting you and you’d like us to take a closer look, feel free to reach out to our support team. We’ll be happy to help you find the best solution for your specific setup.

If you’re using the same Apple ID, you should be able to restore your subscription. Simply go to AppBlock > Profile > Restore Purchase. After tapping that, AppBlock should recognize your premium status. If you don’t see “Profile,” you might be using an older version—go to AppBlock > More > Restore Purchase instead. We recommend updating to the latest version of AppBlock to enjoy all the new features.

If you encounter any issues, you can also try going to the premium buying page and tapping “Restore Purchases” under the “Other options” button.

If these steps don’t work, please follow the Apple Support Guide.

Blocking Screentime on devices with iOS17:

1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone. This native iOS app allows you to create a sequence of actions from different apps that can be triggered with a single tap.
2. Tap on ‘Automation’ at the bottom, then ‘New Automation’. 
3. Now, select ‘App’. This is where you’ll specify the application you wish to block (like Settings). Once selected, make sure ‘Is Closed‘ is marked, choose “Run Inmidiately” and confirm your choice tapping on Next.
4. Tap on ‘New Blank Automation’ and ‘Add Action’
5. Proceed to tap on ‘Scripting’, and then ‘Open App’.
6. In the ‘Open App’ window, tap on ‘App’, and select ‘Shortcuts’ from the list.
7. Your automation is ready! Hit ‘Done’ to save it.
8. The next step is to incorporate AppBlock. Navigate to the AppBlock app, add the Shortcuts app to your Quick Block blocklist, and activate the blocking.
9. Go to settings > Screen Time > When you try to turn off the Screen Time permissions for AppBlock, the Shortcut will navigate you to the blocking screen.
   
   Voluntary step: Activate Strict Mode in AppBlock. This ensures that the blocking remains active, eliminating any chance of bypassing it.  

You can also see these steps in this video

Blocking Settings on devices with iOS17:

1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone. This native iOS app allows you to create a sequence of actions from different apps that can be triggered with a single tap.
2. Tap on ‘Automation’ at the bottom, then ‘New Automation’. 
3. Now, select ‘App’. This is where you’ll specify the application you wish to block (like Settings). Once selected, make sure ‘Is Opened‘ is marked, choose “Run Inmidiately” and confirm your choice tapping on Next.
4. Tap on ‘New Blank Automation’ and ‘Add Action’
5. Proceed to tap on ‘Scripting’, and then ‘Open App’.
6. In the ‘Open App’ window, tap on ‘App’, and select ‘Shortcuts’ from the list.
7. Your automation is ready! Hit ‘Done’ to save it.
8. The next step is to incorporate AppBlock. Navigate to the AppBlock app, add the Shortcuts app to your Quick Block blocklist, and activate the blocking.
9. Go to Settings. Once you try to open it, the blocking screen will appear.
   
   Voluntary step: Activate Strict Mode in AppBlock. This ensures that the blocking remains active, eliminating any chance of bypassing it.  

You can also see these steps in this video

If your scheduled blocks aren’t working as expected, you can refresh the blocking settings within the AppBlock app.

Here’s how:

On AppBlock version > 3.8.0:

• Open AppBlock: Launch the AppBlock application on your device.
• Navigate to the Blocking Tab: Tap on the “Blocking” tab within the app interface.
• Tap at the refresh icon: Simply tap at the icon in the top right corner to refresh the blockings.

On appBlock version 3.7.0 and older:

• Open AppBlock: Launch the AppBlock application on your device.
• Navigate to the Blocking Tab: Tap on the “Blocking” tab within the app interface.
• Pull to Refresh: Simply swipe down on the screen to initiate the refresh process.

Once completed, a notification stating “Blocking refreshed” will appear at the bottom of your screen.

This refresh feature ensures that your blocking settings are up to date and functioning correctly, resolving any issues with app access according to your schedules.

Figure out what’s blocking you:

• Schedule/Quick Block without active Strict Mode: Simply adjust or disable the schedule.
• Strict Mode is activated: Fulfill the deactivation condition:
  • Use a Charger, PIN Code, ask your Approval contact to deactivate SM for you or wait for the Timer/Follow schedules condition to expire (if no PIN/Charger/Approval deactivation method is set).

Urgent unblock (Strict Mode deactivation):

1. Open the AppBlock app and go to Contact support.
2. Type “Contact support” in the chat to skip the chatbot and access the support form.
3. Select “Emergency Unblocking” 
4. The first time you do this, you’ll be guided through a short emergency flow with a few questions.
   • Once completed, Strict Mode will be disabled once.
   • If you need to use it again in the future, you’ll be asked to rewrite a specific string at the end of the flow to prevent you from bypassing the Strict Mode easily.

If You’re Using an Older App Version (below 3.14.4):

If your version doesn’t include the emergency flow, we can help you manually.
We’ll send you a one-time unlock code to disable Strict Mode and remove the PIN (if one was set).

If you have any other problems, don’t be afraid to reach out to us.

Good news! You can now use your Premium subscription on both iOS and Android devices. To access your Premium features across platforms, simply ensure that you are logged into the same AppBlock account on both devices.

How to Activate Your Subscription on Another Device:

1. Sign in – Open AppBlock on your iOS device and log in using the same account you used to purchase the subscription. Then, use the same AppBlock account on your Android device.
2. Sync Your Subscription – Once logged in, your Premium access will automatically apply to the new device. No additional purchases are required. All the features of your subscription will now be available on both platforms.

If you experience any issues accessing your Premium subscription on a different device, please reach out to our support team for assistance.

We appreciate your support and are committed to making AppBlock even more convenient for you!

We understand how frustrating it is when the system screen crashes, preventing you from blocking apps. Unfortunately, these crashes are tied to the system’s Screen Time functionality and aren’t caused by our app.

To avoid this issue, we recommend using the search bar instead of the “Other” category to block apps and websites. If the screen crashes in the search bar as well, try typing an emoji before entering the app name to help prevent it. Once the app name is entered, you can delete the emoji and proceed.

We understand how frustrating it is when the search bar in AppBlock doesn’t work. This issue is often linked to the system’s Screen Time functionality, which our app relies on, and it affects other blocking apps as well.

As a workaround, try typing an emoji before entering the app name in the search bar to avoid the crash. Once the app name is entered, you can delete the emoji and proceed.

If apps that you did not block are being blocked, refreshing your blocking settings in the AppBlock app may resolve the issue.

Here’s how:

For AppBlock version 3.8.0 and newer:

1. Open AppBlock: Launch the AppBlock app on your device.
2. Navigate to the Blocking Tab: Tap on the “Blocking” tab.
3. Tap the Refresh Icon: Tap the refresh icon in the top right corner to update your blockings.

For AppBlock version 3.7.0 and older:

1. Open AppBlock: Launch the AppBlock app on your device.
2. Navigate to the Blocking Tab: Tap on the “Blocking” tab.
3. Pull to Refresh: Swipe down on the screen to refresh. A “Blocking refreshed” notification will appear at the bottom once completed.

Refreshing the settings helps ensure that only the apps you’ve selected are being blocked, correcting any unintended blockages.

If refreshing the settings doesn’t resolve the issue, please feel free to contact our support team for further assistance.

If your apps should be blocked but you can still access them, please refresh the blocking settings within the AppBlock app to resolve the issue.

Here’s how:
For AppBlock version 3.8.0 and newer:

1. Open AppBlock: Launch the AppBlock app on your device.
2. Navigate to the Blocking Tab: Tap on the “Blocking” tab.
3. Tap the Refresh Icon: Tap the refresh icon in the top right corner to update your blockings.

For AppBlock version 3.7.0 and older:

1. Open AppBlock: Launch the AppBlock app on your device.
2. Navigate to the Blocking Tab: Tap on the “Blocking” tab.
3. Pull to Refresh: Swipe down on the screen to refresh. A “Blocking refreshed” notification will appear at the bottom once completed.

This refresh process should help enforce the blocking settings, ensuring that apps are properly blocked according to your schedules. If the refresh does not resolve the issue, please contact our support and send us a short video (max 20MB) showing your blocking settings, so we can assist you further.

❗Is it possible to block Settings directly?

Blocking device settings directly is not technically possible on iOS. Apple does not allow any third-party app to fully block access to system settings.

🔄 Workaround using Shortcuts (iOS 16–18)

On iOS 16, 17, and 18, you can still limit access to Settings using Apple’s Shortcuts automation as a workaround.

For detailed instructions on how to do this, please refer to the following guides:

• How to Block Settings on iOS 16 and older with AppBlock
• How to Block Settings on iOS 17 with AppBlock
• How to Block Settings on iOS 18 with AppBlock

These guides will walk you through the steps to block settings effectively using Shortcuts on your device.

On iOS 16 and 17 you can also block only Screen Time permissions with Shortcuts:

• How to Block Screen Time on iOS 16 and older with AppBlock
• How to Block Screen Time on iOS 17 with AppBlock

We understand that blocking access to device settings can be important for staying focused and avoiding distractions. Let’s clarify what’s possible on iOS and how to approach it.

⚠️ Important change in iOS 26

Starting with iOS 26, Apple introduced changes that make Shortcuts-based blocking no longer effective for blocking device settings.

This means:

• The previous workaround using Shortcuts does not work reliably anymore
• There is currently no alternative method to block Settings on iOS 26

This is a system-level limitation, and unfortunately, it’s outside of AppBlock’s control.

⏳ What’s next?

We’re continuously monitoring changes in iOS and exploring any new possibilities. If Apple introduces new ways to manage access to system settings, we’ll make sure to support them.

If you’re experiencing issues when trying to save your usage limit schedule after selecting apps or categories and tapping “Continue,” this issue is related to a recent change in iOS 18.4. This happens due to a change in Apple’s internal system picker, which is causing the app to unexpectedly close at this stage of the process.

Our team is aware of the issue and fixed this bug in version 3.13.2. In case you are experiencing these issues, please make sure to update AppBlock app.

In case you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out.

If your Location schedules only activate after opening AppBlock, this is likely related to iOS system behavior.

Starting with iOS 18, Apple introduced background location changes that caused location triggers to work unreliably. As a result, schedules sometimes didn’t activate until the app was opened.

The good news:
Apple appears to have improved this in iOS 26.3, and location schedules now work more reliably. However, it can unfortunately still misbehave on some devices. We’ll try to monitor this closely and update the app immediately whenever a new iOS update changes for the better.

What you can try to do:

Please update your device to iOS 26.3 or newer:

Settings → General → Software Update

We apologize for the trouble.