AppBlock on iOS

If you’ve forgotten the PIN code that opens AppBlock, you can reset it with a one-time unlock code from our support team. Here’s how.

Step 1: Get the unlock code

1. Open AppBlock and go to Profile > Help > Contact support.
2. Select the “Other” category.
3. Type “Unblock me” and you should get an automatic message with instructions. Ignore those and only use the code in the message. (Check your Spam folder if you cannot find the email.)

Step 2: Enter the unlock code

1. Open AppBlock so you see the PIN entry screen.
2. Tap the AppBlock logo 5 times quickly, just above the PIN entry bar.
3. A pop-up window will appear.
4. Enter the unlock code you received from support.

This will reset your AppBlock launch PIN.

Good to know

The unlock code is one-time use only — it’s part of what keeps Strict Mode meaningful.

If the Insights screen is empty or unavailable, here are the usual reasons and fixes.

iOS version matters

Insights depend on which version of iOS you’re running. They’re currently supported on iOS 17.4 and higher. If your device is on an older version, Insights won’t appear in the app.

iOS compatibility overview

• ✅ Supported: iOS 17.4 and higher.
• ✗ Not supported: iOS 16, iOS 17.0, iOS 17.1, iOS 17.3.
• ⚠ No longer supported: iOS 17.2 (had to be removed in AppBlock 3.13.0 due to stability concerns).

What you can do

• Make sure your device is updated to iOS 17.4 or later.
• Confirm you’re on the latest version of AppBlock from the App Store.
• If both are up to date and Insights still aren’t showing, contact our support team and we’ll be happy to help.

Only seeing “Today” but not “Week” and “Trend”?

If Insights work for Today but not Week or Trend, that’s normal at first. AppBlock uses the iOS Screen Time API to collect statistics, and it can take a few days before there’s enough data to display weekly trends.

One thing to keep in mind: if you reinstall the app, previously collected trend data may be lost, since this information isn’t stored on a server.

Big iOS updates sometimes change how blocking, Screen Time, or location 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 iOS behavior as quickly as we can.
2. Restart your iPhone to refresh system permissions.
3. Refresh your blockings:
   • Open AppBlock.
   • Go to Profile > Help.
   • Tap Refresh blocking rules.
4. Re-check Screen Time permissions — major updates occasionally reset them (see “AppBlock cannot connect to Screen Time on iPhone”).
5. Re-check Location permissions if you use location schedules — make sure they’re still set to Always with Precise Location on.

Good to know

Some iOS changes affect what’s technically possible for blocking apps — for example, changes to Settings and Screen Time blocking on iOS 18 and iOS 26. If a feature stopped working entirely after an update, it may be due to an Apple change rather than a bug. See the Limitations section for what’s currently possible on each iOS version.

If a website you blocked still loads, the cause usually relates to how iOS handles web blocking, the browser you’re using, or keyword vs. domain blocking.

Quick fixes to try first

• Refresh your blocking — Open AppBlock → Profile → Help → tap Refresh blocking rules. Then reopen the site.
• Confirm the schedule is active and includes the website.
• Restart your iPhone.

Common reasons a site slips through

• You’re using an unsupported browser. Less common browsers may bypass website blocking entirely.
• You used a keyword in a non-Safari browser. Keyword blocking works only in Safari. In other browsers, block the full website address instead.
• The site briefly flashed before blocking. This is normal — the browser starts loading before Screen Time intercepts it.
• You added the site to a limit-based schedule. Websites and keywords can only be blocked with Time or Location schedules — not Open Limit or Usage Limit schedules.

For the full picture, see “How website blocking works in Safari.”

If a website you blocked still loads, the cause usually relates to how iOS handles web blocking, the browser you’re using, or If AppBlock is blocking more than you intended, it’s usually due to overlap between your rules or keyword blocking catching sites you didn’t expect. Here’s how to find the culprit.

Common causes

• Keyword blocking is too broad. A keyword like “bet” will also block words that contain it (like “better”). Try a more specific keyword or block the full website instead.
• Overlapping schedules. If two schedules are active, the strictest one wins — so a second schedule may be blocking something you forgot about.
• An active Allowlist. In Allowlist mode, AppBlock blocks everything except the apps you allowed.
• Category blocking. Blocking a category (like Social or Games) automatically covers every app iOS files under it — including ones you didn’t pick individually.

How to fix it

• Review your active schedules one by one.
• Check whether any are in Allowlist mode.
• Narrow down broad categories or keywords.
• Refresh your blocking after making changes.
  • Open AppBlock.
  • Go to Profile > Help.
  • Tap Refresh blocking rules.
    

Special case 1: Messenger is blocked when Facebook is selected

Sometimes Messenger can be blocked even if you only intended to block Facebook.

This can happen when facebook.com or m.facebook.com is selected through the app picker. Because iOS recognizes a connection between Facebook and Messenger, blocking Facebook this way may also affect the Messenger app.

How to fix it

• Remove any Facebook-related websites selected through the app picker.
• Add facebook.com manually through the Websites picker instead.
• Keep Messenger unselected if you still want to use it.

This should let you block Facebook without unintentionally blocking Messenger.

Special case 2: Muse AI is blocked even though it’s not on your block list

If Muse AI is being blocked even though you haven’t added it to your block list, this may be related to its connection with Meta.

Because of this connection, blocking Facebook, Messenger, or Instagram may also cause iOS to block Muse AI unintentionally.

How to fix it

We recommend updating your device to iOS 27, as the improvements introduced by Apple are expected to help resolve this behaviour.

If you still can’t explain a block, contact support and we’ll help you trace it.

If your blocks suddenly start or end at the “wrong” time after traveling or a daylight saving time change, here’s why — and how to fix it.

Why this happens

Schedules in AppBlock are based on your device’s local time. When your time zone changes, iOS updates the clock, and your schedules follow the new local time. This can make a block appear to start or end an hour off, or at an unexpected time.

How to fix it

• Refresh your blocking — Open AppBlock → Profile → Help → tap Refresh blocking rules.
• If the times still look off, restart your iPhone so the system fully picks up the new time zone.
• Double-check the schedule’s start and end times now that you’re in the new zone, and adjust if needed.

Good to know

If you regularly cross time zones, it’s worth reviewing your schedules after you arrive to make sure they still match your routine.

Location schedules depend on iOS Location Services running reliably in the background. If yours aren’t activating, it usually comes down to permissions or background behavior.

Check your location permissions

For Location schedules to work, AppBlock needs the right access:

1. Open Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services.
2. Make sure Location Services is on.
3. Set AppBlock’s permission to Always.
4. Turn on Precise Location.

Try these fixes

• Toggle Location Services off and on again in your device settings.
• Recreate the schedule — delete the existing Location schedule and make a new one.
• Refresh your blocking.
  • Open AppBlock.
  • Go to Profile > Help.
  • Tap Refresh blocking rules.
• Restart your iPhone.

Known iOS behavior

Starting with iOS 18, Apple changed how background location works, which sometimes caused Location schedules to activate only after opening AppBlock. This has improved in iOS 26.3, but it can still misbehave on some devices.

If your schedules still won’t trigger, reach out to support and we’ll help.

AppBlock relies on Apple’s Screen Time to block apps and websites. If the connection fails, blocking won’t work — so let’s get it sorted.

Try these steps in order

• Restart your iPhone. This clears most temporary Screen Time connection issues.
• Check that Screen Time is enabled. Go to Settings → Screen Time and make sure it’s turned on.
• Re-grant permission in AppBlock. Open AppBlock and follow the prompt to connect Screen Time again, approving all requested permissions.
• Make sure you’re not signed into a restricted or child account. Screen Time behaves differently under Family Sharing limits.

If it still won’t connect

Sometimes removing and re-adding Screen Time access helps:

1. Restart your iPhone.
2. Open AppBlock and reconnect Screen Time from scratch.

If the connection keeps failing, contact our support team — let us know your exact iOS version and AppBlock version so we can help faster.

Here’s what’s going on and what you can do.

Why this happens

There are currently known issues with how iOS reports app usage. Starting with iOS 26 (and also affecting iOS 18), the system can report Screen Time incorrectly. That means even minimal or zero usage can sometimes be counted toward your limit.

Because of Apple’s privacy rules, AppBlock doesn’t have access to your real usage data. We rely on the information iOS provides, and right now that data isn’t always accurate.

What you can do

• Make sure your iOS is updated. Apple made improvements to Screen Time behaviour in recent versions so the latest iOS versions should work more reliably.
• Refresh your blocking settings first. This can clear up small timing mismatches in how usage is reported.
  • Open AppBlock.
  • Go to Profile > Help.
  • Tap Refresh blocking rules.
• Turn off Share Across Devices if you use multiple Apple devices. When this setting is enabled, Apple may combine Screen Time usage from all your connected devices. This means time spent on another iPhone or iPad could count toward your usage limit, even if AppBlock is only installed on one device.
  To turn it off:
  • Open your iPhone’s Settings.
  • Go to Screen Time.
  • Scroll down and turn off Share Across Devices. This helps ensure your usage limits are based on activity from your current device rather than combined usage across multiple devices.
• Update AppBlock. Make sure you’re on the latest version (especially 4.6.6 or newer), where we’ve already added improvements for this.
• Try the Open Limit feature instead. Open Limit doesn’t depend on system usage data, so it’s a reliable alternative while Apple works on a fix.

We’re continuing to improve this with every release. Thanks for bearing with us while Apple addresses it too.

You paused blocking or edited a schedule, but your apps are still locked? This is a known hiccup, and it’s easy to resolve.

Why this happens

When you pause or change a schedule, AppBlock has to tell iOS to update the blocks. Occasionally the system doesn’t apply the change straight away, so apps stay blocked a little longer than they should.

How to fix it

• Refresh your blocking — Open AppBlock → Profile → Help → tap Refresh blocking rules.
• If that doesn’t work, restart your iPhone — this is the most reliable fix for a stuck pause or schedule change.

Good to know

If Strict Mode is active, pausing and editing are intentionally restricted, so what looks like a glitch may actually be Strict Mode doing its job. In that case, you’ll need to fulfill your unlock condition first. See “How to use Strict Mode.

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

• Refresh your blocking first. Open AppBlock → Profile → Help → tap Refresh blocking rules. This alone fixes many cases.
• Check for an active Allowlist. If a schedule is set to Allowlist mode, AppBlock blocks everything except the apps you allowed. 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 it.

A note about apps grouped by iOS

Sometimes iOS groups related apps together, so blocking one can affect another (see “Why is AppBlock blocking websites or apps I did not expect?” for more on this).

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

If your schedules have ended (or you’ve paused blocking) but some apps stay blocked, here’s how to get things back to normal.

First, refresh your blocking

1. Open AppBlock.
2. Go to Profile > Help.
3. Tap Refresh blocking rules.

You’ll see a “Blocking refreshed” confirmation when it’s done.

If apps are still stuck, restart your iPhone

Sometimes a bug prevents AppBlock from fully resuming normal activity after a pause ends or a schedule finishes. If a refresh doesn’t release the blocks, restart your device — this refreshes AppBlock’s system permissions and usually clears the issue right away.

Our team is aware of this behavior and working on a permanent fix. If restarting doesn’t help, reach out to support and we’ll investigate with you.

If apps that should be blocked are still opening, the fix is almost always a quick refresh of your blocking settings.

Refresh your blocking

1. Open AppBlock.
2. Go to Profile > Help.
3. Tap Refresh blocking rules.

If the refresh doesn’t help

• Make sure the relevant schedule is active and set to block those exact apps.
• Check that Screen Time permissions are granted.
• Restart your iPhone and try again.

Still stuck?

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

If AppBlock isn’t blocking the way you expect, don’t worry — most issues come down to a few common causes, and they’re usually quick to fix. Work through the checklist below from top to bottom.

Start here: refresh your blocking

Most blocking issues are solved by a simple refresh:

1. Open AppBlock.
2. Go to Profile > Help.
3. Tap Refresh blocking rules.

This re-syncs your blocks with iOS and fixes most timing or activation glitches.

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 Screen Time permissions granted? AppBlock can’t block anything without them. See “AppBlock cannot connect to Screen Time on iPhone.”
• Are you on the latest version? Update AppBlock in the App Store — many issues are already fixed in newer releases.
• Restart your iPhone. 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.