Usage limits do not work
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.
- 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.
