By Eli Young, founder of Lock In Squad · Published June 24, 2026 · Updated September 22, 2026

How to Block Apps on iPhone (3 Ways That Actually Work)

You can block apps on iPhone with Screen Time's App Limits (a daily cap) or Downtime (set hours), or with an app blocker that locks them for a session, while a Focus can only hide them. The steps below match iOS 26, and Apple's iOS 27 guide describes Time Allowances and a Screen Time Schedule in their place.

Menu names checked against Apple's iPhone User Guide for iOS 26 and iOS 27 on September 22, 2026.

1. Screen Time limits and Downtime (built in)

Go to Settings, then Screen Time, then App Limits, and tap Add Limit. Choose one or more categories, or tap a category to pick individual apps inside it, then tap Next and set the time allowed. Customize Days lets weekends have a different limit, and if you pick several apps or categories, Apple's guide says the limit "applies to all of them." When you reach it, a limit screen covers the app. On iOS 27, the closest setting is Settings, then Screen Time, then Time Allowances, which caps time for each category of apps.

Limits are worth setting. A 2020 experiment found that letting people set limits on their own future screen time substantially reduced their use. The catch is a default that Apple's guide states plainly, "By default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached." A Screen Time passcode, set under Settings, then Screen Time, then Lock Screen Time Settings, means more time after a limit needs that code.

For hours when apps should stay shut, use Downtime instead. Go to Settings, then Screen Time, then Downtime, tap Scheduled, choose Every Day or Customize Days, and set the start and end times. Apple sends a reminder five minutes before it begins. Once you have a passcode, turn on Block at Downtime so you cannot simply carry on past that reminder, and add any app you need during those hours under Always Allowed.

2. Focus (built in)

A Focus can silence notifications from the apps you choose and switch your iPhone to a Home Screen page without them. Go to Settings, then Focus, pick one such as Work, choose its Home Screen page, and tap Add Schedule if you want it to turn on at set times. A Focus never stops you from opening an app, since apps left off that page are still in search and the App Library, so it helps most when notifications were the main problem.

3. A dedicated app blocker (the one that sticks)

A dedicated blocker adds the friction Apple's tools lack, at the moment you reach for the app. Lock In Squad uses Apple's own Screen Time picker, so you choose apps or whole categories the same way, then start a timer or stopwatch. Those apps stay blocked until you hold a button for the 1 to 10 seconds you set, which ends the session early or after the timer reaches zero.

In a 2023 study of 280 people using the one sec app, which puts a pop-up with a short wait in front of a chosen app, people backed out of 36% of their attempts to open it, and after six weeks they opened those apps 57% less.

Lock In Squad also turns focusing into a habit, which is the part Screen Time never gives you. Streaks count on the days you choose, and you earn minutes for the time you stay locked in, which you can spend on cosmetics, so there is a reason to come back tomorrow.

The simplest setup

1. Install Lock In Squad from the App Store, where it is still listed as Lock In - App Blocker.
2. Tap Grant Screen Time Access and allow it.
3. Choose the apps or categories that derail you most.
4. Set a timer, or use the stopwatch, and tap Lock In.
5. Keep the streak going on the days you picked.