Settings
Every switch in the app. If you are hunting for one, the search box at the top of Settings finds it by name.
How Settings is laid out
Settings opens on your plan and streak, then three rows that open pages of their own: App settings, Block settings, AI settings. Below them sit Subscription, Support, Community and Data.
Aurith streak
At the top of Settings, because it is adjusted most.
- Daily commitment goal. How much undisturbed time fills a day. 60 minutes by default.
- Daily reminder. An optional nudge from Aurith.
- Reminder time. Morning, midday or evening.
How the streak is scored is on the Habits page.
Blocking
| Setting | Plan | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Intention mode | Pro | Every unlock, pick up to 3 apps. Only those open until you lock the phone. |
| Favourite apps | Free | Pins apps to the top of the unlock picker. Nothing is blocked, just easier to reach. |
| Block mode | Pro for Strict | Lenient or Strict. See below. |
| Unblock Gate | Free | Off, Mini-game or Breathe. A small step before blocking turns off. |
| Block message | Free | The line on every block screen. 10 templates, or your own. |
| Block internet | Free | The global default. Blocked apps open but load nothing. |
| Block apps | Free | The global default. Blocked apps do not open at all. |
| Block new apps | Pro | Auto-block every app you install from now on. |
| Turn off all blocking | Free | Stops everything at once. Breaks your streak and ends any running challenge. |
Block internet and Block apps are the default for everything. Any Action can override them, and four triggers force app blocking on anyway. See internet, apps, or both.
The Permissions row, on App settings, is the one place that shows every permission at once.
Block mode: Lenient or Strict
Lenient Free
The default. Pause, stop or edit anything whenever you want.
Strict Pro
Blocks stop being reversible. Actions cannot be paused, stopped or deleted. Focus runs to its timer. A challenge runs to its last day. The screen break loses its SOS button.
Turning it on is deliberate. Turning it off, more so.
- You pick a 12 or 24 hour exit delay when switching it on, and it is frozen for the run. A delay you can shorten from inside is not a delay.
- A two minute grace window right after, so an instant change of mind is not punished.
- Starting the wait does not commit you. Cancel at any point and stay in Strict mode.
- Quick blocks and parental locks are exempt. They answer to something else already.
If Pro lapses, Strict collapses back to Lenient rather than trapping you in a mode you cannot manage.
Appearance and language
- Theme. Light, Dark or System.
- Vibration. The small buzz on taps and switches, off in one place for the whole app.
- Language. 24 languages, with full right-to-left layout for Arabic. Written natively per language, not machine-translated.
Security and lock
On the App settings page.
| Setting | Plan | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| App lock | Pro | A 4 digit PIN to open Appcognito. Locks on launch and on every return. |
| Unlock with fingerprint or face | Pro | Biometric unlock, with the PIN still working as a backup. |
| Uninstall protection | Pro | Makes Appcognito hard to delete. Survives a restart. |
Parental Lock
Its own group, on the Block settings page.
| Setting | Plan | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Parental lock: for me | Pro | Be parented. Scan their QR and hand them a Group, Action or Focus session. |
| Parental lock: for someone else | Free | Hold codes for someone you support. Free, because supporting someone should not cost anything. |
It works both ways: be held accountable, or hold the codes. Setup is a QR scan plus their current 6 digit code, which proves you both have the right lock. Releasing needs a code from them. Removing the lock needs their master password. Locking anything switches uninstall protection on automatically, because a lock you can uninstall is not a lock.
AI settings
Only the Off topic Action uses AI, and it uses your key, not ours.
- AI key. A free OpenRouter key, checked when you save it and stored encrypted on your device.
- AI model. Which model to use. A free one is available.
Without a key those Actions fall back to keyword matching rather than breaking. Removing the key is blocked if a parental-locked Action needs it. Free credits run out fast under constant monitoring, often in 15 to 30 minutes, so all-day use wants a little credit on the account.
Subscription, support and community
- Restore purchases. Re-checks your Google account. Bought on a different account? Switch to it in the Play Store first.
- Manage subscription. Opens Google Play, which is where billing actually lives.
- Help and support, Rate Appcognito, Send feedback, and links to the Terms and Privacy Policy.
- Community. The Discord, and the newsletter.
Data, export and reset
- Export account and Import account move your whole setup to another phone. Pro.
- Reset app data permanently clears your Groups, Actions, manually blocked apps, sites and keywords, and your name and preferences. All blocking turns off.
Reset refuses to run in two cases, both for your protection:
- Parental locks are active. The parent releases everything with their master password first.
- Uninstall protection is on. Otherwise you would be left with a locked app and wiped data.
Development builds also have a Developer group. It is stripped from release builds, so you will not see it.