I can’t block Screen Time with Shortcuts on iOS 18

Starting with iOS 18, Apple changed how the Shortcuts app handles automation, which broke the method previously used to block Screen Time.

What changed

On iOS 17 and earlier, AppBlock used a Shortcut to intercept when you opened Screen Time and redirect you to AppBlock instead. This no longer works reliably on iOS 18.

What still works on iOS 18

• Blocking the Settings app via Shortcuts still works on iOS 18 (not Screen Time).
• Blocking apps and websites still works fully.
• All other AppBlock features are unaffected.

What you can do instead

Since iOS 26.4, Apple has added the option to set up a Screen Time Passcode that’s separate from your iPhone passcode. If a trusted friend sets that passcode for you, you won’t be able to easily disable Screen Time permissions for AppBlock from Settings.

See “How to block Settings or Screen Time on iPhone” for the full setup.