How to set a block
Five ways to block. They all use the same engine. The only difference is what ends the block: you, a timer, a trigger, or nothing.
The five ways
A Group, from Home
One tap. On until you turn it off.
A Focus session
A countdown. Ends when the timer does.
An Action
Starts and stops on a trigger you pick.
A widget
Block without opening the app.
A standalone block
One app, site or word on its own.
From Home
Under the hero is a row of the Groups you pinned. Tap one to see what it holds, tap Block to switch it on. While it is blocking, its footer offers Unblock.
A blocking Group cannot be removed from Home. A tile that vanished mid-block would leave you no way back to it. Tap Add group to pin more.
Standalone blocks
Three lists on Home that belong to no Group. Use them when you want one thing blocked.
| List | You add | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apps | Any installed app. | What happens depends on your block mode: internet cut, will not open, or both. |
| Websites | A domain or a pasted URL. | Blocked in every browser at once, including the ones inside other apps. You can also block a whole category: Social, Video, Gaming, Shopping, News, Dating, Gambling. |
| Keywords | A word, name, topic or /regex/. | Caught anywhere on screen, in any app and any language. Needs the Accessibility service. |
Keyword scanning always checks the whole screen. There is no mild mode. Starter packs cover Gambling, Addictive Substances, Violence and gore, and Profanity, and you can add your own on top.
Built a list worth keeping? Appcognito offers to save it as a Group, so it is one tap next time.
Focus sessions
Focus is a timer. Three choices when you start one:
- Till when. The duration. The end time is shown, so no arithmetic.
- Block what. A Group, or apps and sites picked on the spot.
- Start with lock. Hands the session to someone else's code, so you cannot end it early. Pro.
While it runs, Home shows the time left and what is blocked. Ending early is possible unless you locked it or Strict mode is on, and it breaks your streak for the day.
The usual? on the start screen replays your last duration and block list in one tap.
Actions
An Action blocks on its own: a trigger, a block list, a block mode. Time of day, arriving somewhere, joining a Wi-Fi network, plugging in, passing a usage limit, and 11 more. They work with the app closed and survive a reboot.
Full detail: Actions and all 16 triggers.
Widgets
Focus widget
Blocks for a set time, then ends itself. You pick the duration and list when you place it.
One-tap widget
Blocks until you stop it. Set it up once. Pro, though you can configure it before upgrading.
Anything a widget is blocking appears on Home under Active widgets, so a widget block is never running invisibly.
Internet, apps, or both
| Mode | What happens | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Block internet | The app opens but loads nothing. No feed, no videos, no messages. | Apps you still need offline. |
| Block apps | The app does not open. A full screen covers it and sends you back. | The strongest stop, and the only one that works on games. |
Both can run at once. The default is in Settings, Block settings, Blocking, and any Action can override it.
Website blocking is separate and always on for anything on a list. Because it runs on the device, a blocked site fails in every browser at once.
What you see when blocked
A full screen, carrying two things:
- The reason. Every block names the rule behind it, so you are never guessing.
- Your block message. One line you choose. 10 templates ship with the app, or write your own. Set once in Settings, not per rule.
Recent blocks are listed in Stats with their reasons attached.
Why it is still blocked
A block beats an allow. If two rules disagree, the app stays blocked. Otherwise an exception added in one place would quietly punch a hole in a block you set when you were thinking more clearly.
So turning one thing off does not always unblock. When that happens, the app names what is still holding it:
- An Action, with a Turn off action button.
- A Focus session, with End focus.
- A Group you have on from Home, or a widget.
It warns the other way too. Allow an app while another rule blocks it, and you are told it will stay blocked before you rely on it.
Turning blocking off
Four levels of friction, softest first.
- NothingBy default, off is one tap.
- The Unblock GateA quick mini-game or a 30 second breather first. A speed bump to interrupt the impulse, not a lock.
- Strict modeActions cannot be paused, stopped or deleted. Focus runs to its timer. A challenge runs to its last day. Leaving the mode takes 12 or 24 hours. Pro.
- A parental or partner lockSomeone else holds the code. You need their rotating 6 digit code to release a lock, and their master password to remove it. Pro.
Turn off all blocking in Settings stops everything at once. It warns you first: this counts as a break in your streak, and any running challenge ends with it. Parental-locked items stay on.
Intention mode
A different shape of block. With it on, every unlock asks you to pick up to three apps. Only those open until you lock the screen again. It is aimed at the unlock you did not really decide to make.
Favourite apps pins the ones you reach for to the top of the picker. Nothing is blocked or pre-picked, it is only easier to reach. Both live in Settings, Block settings, Blocking.