Setup Guide
Lock In Squad is a free app blocker for iPhone and Android. To set it up on iPhone, give it Screen Time access and pick apps, categories or websites in Apple's picker. On Android, turn on Usage access and Display over other apps, then pick the apps to block. On both, the whitelist mode, which the app calls Allow only these apps, keeps only the apps you pick open.
iPhone Features
Block whole categories such as Social, Games and Entertainment, or single apps. Allow only these apps keeps up to 50 apps you pick open and blocks every other app and website.
Android Features
On the Block tab, choose Block these apps to block the apps you tap, or Allow only these apps to keep only the apps you need open. The Websites row blocks the websites you add, and the Browsers row blocks every browser in one tap.
iPhone setup steps
1Open Lock In Squad
Open Lock In Squad on your iPhone. The first screen, Choose apps to block, asks for one permission, Screen Time access. If you tapped Skip for now, the Block tab asks for it instead, under Enable app blocking.
2Allow Screen Time Access
Tap Continue on the first screen, or tap the Screen Time access card on the Block tab. Your iPhone asks whether Lock In Squad may use Screen Time. Allow it, then confirm with Face ID or Touch ID.
3Pick What to Block
Apple's picker, titled Select Apps to Block, opens next. On the Block tab, you open it with Select apps. Choose apps, whole categories such as Social, Games and Entertainment, or websites, then tap Done.
4Or Allow Only a Few Apps
To block everything except a few apps, open the Block tab, choose Allow only these apps and tap Select apps. Pick up to 50 single apps to keep open, since a whole category can't stay open. Every other app and website stays blocked while you're locked in. Phone, Settings and anything under Always Allowed in Screen Time stay open.
5Lock In
Go to the Lock In tab in the middle of the tab bar and tap the Lock In button. Your picks stay blocked until you hold Lock Out (Hold) for your lock out delay, which you set from 1 to 30 seconds in Settings, behind the gear on the You tab. New accounts start at 5 seconds. With VoiceOver, double tap Lock In to lock in. To lock out, double tap Lock Out. The hold then runs on its own and locks you out. Double tap again during the hold to stay locked in.
6Schedules
To block your picks at set times, open the Block tab and tap Add a schedule under Scheduled blocks. Name it and pick the days it repeats and its start and end times, such as weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM. Your picks are blocked at those times even with Lock In Squad closed, and you can have up to 5 schedules. To end a running block early, hold End early on the Lock In tab for your lock out delay.
You're All Set!
Your picks stay blocked every time you lock in. To change them, open the Block tab and tap Change selection. Clear selection removes them all.
Android setup steps
1Open Lock In Squad
Open Lock In Squad on your phone. The first screen, Choose apps to block, lists the two permissions blocking needs, Usage access and Display over other apps. If you tapped Skip for now, the Block tab lists them under Enable app blocking.
2Turn On Usage Access
Tap Usage access to open Android Settings. Find Lock In Squad, allow usage access, then go back to the app. This lets Lock In Squad see which app is open, so it can block the ones you picked.
3Turn On Display Over Other Apps
Tap Display over other apps, find Lock In Squad in the app list and switch it on. This lets Lock In Squad come to the front when you open a blocked app. Once both are on, the app shows All permissions granted.
4Pick Apps to Block
Tap Continue. On the next screen, Select apps to block, tap each app you want blocked, then tap Done. You can change the list any time on the Block tab.
5Or Allow Only a Few Apps
On the Block tab, choose Allow only these apps at the top and tap the apps to keep open. Every other app on the list is blocked while you're locked in, so keep your phone and messages apps allowed. In either mode, don't block overlay apps such as launchers and music players. The app warns that they'll trigger constant alerts.
6Add Websites to Block
On the Block tab, tap Websites at the top of the app list. Lock In Squad explains what website blocking reads. Agree opens Android's Accessibility settings, where you turn on Lock In Squad website blocking. Then come back and add websites, such as youtube.com, or pick from the suggestions. While you're locked in or a scheduled block is on, they're blocked in Chrome, Samsung Internet, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Opera, DuckDuckGo and Vivaldi. Websites that open inside another app, such as Instagram, TikTok or the Google app, can't be blocked. To block whole browsers, tap the Browsers row below Websites.
7Lock In
Go to the Lock In tab in the middle of the tab bar and tap the Lock In button. A notification titled Locked in stays up while the session runs. Your picks stay blocked until you hold Lock Out (Hold) for your lock out delay, which you set from 1 to 30 seconds in Settings, behind the gear on the You tab. New accounts start at 5 seconds. If you open a blocked app, Lock In Squad comes to the front, and a banner at the top names the app and says it's blocked. With TalkBack, double tap Lock In to lock in. To lock out, double tap Lock Out. The hold then runs on its own and locks you out. Double tap again during the hold to stay locked in.
8Schedules
To block the same apps and websites at set times, tap Add a schedule under Scheduled blocks on the Block tab. Name it and pick the days it repeats and its start and end times. When the app asks, allow Alarms & reminders so each block starts on time with Lock In Squad closed. You can have up to 5 schedules, and while a block runs with no lock-in, a notification names it. To end it early, hold End early on the Lock In tab for your lock out delay.
You're All Set!
The apps and websites you picked stay blocked until you hold Lock Out (Hold) to end the session. The App blocking section in Settings shows whether each permission is still on, Website blocking included.
After Setup, on iPhone and Android
1Set Your Week
Open the Your week card on the Block tab. Pick your focus days, which are the days your streak counts, and set a daily goal from 15 minutes to 8 hours. Your profile shows how close you are to today's goal. You can share your streak or your week as a card made for stories.
2Lock In With Friends
Make a free account, then open the Friends tab. Add friends by name or user ID, or share a link that adds you as a friend. Tap Start a group lock-in to lock in together with live standings. The weekly leaderboard ranks you and your friends by time locked in, and each week's winner wears a crown all the next week.
Questions
Can I block myself from an app?
Yes. Choose the app on Lock In Squad's Block tab, then tap Lock In to start a timer or stopwatch session. The app stays blocked until you hold the Lock Out button for the 1 to 30 seconds you set in Settings. The same hold ends a timer session after it reaches zero.
How do I block apps on Android for free?
Install Lock In Squad for free from Google Play, where it is listed as Lock In Squad: App Blocker. You can start as a guest. The first screen asks for Usage access and Display over other apps, then you pick the apps to block and tap Lock In to start a session. Whitelist mode, which the app calls Allow only these apps, flips the list so only the apps you pick stay open.
What permissions does Lock In Squad need?
On Android, it needs two: Usage access, so it can tell which app is open, and Display over other apps, so it can step in front of a blocked app. Blocking websites also takes Android's Accessibility service, which reads your browser's address bar while you're locked in or a scheduled block is on, and scheduled blocks ask for Alarms & reminders. On iPhone, it needs Screen Time access, which your iPhone asks you to confirm with Face ID or Touch ID, plus App Tracking Transparency only if you want personalized ads.
Does Lock In Squad need root or a jailbreak?
No. Lock In Squad uses only official tools: Apple's Screen Time framework on iPhones with iOS 16 or later, and standard Android permissions that you grant in Settings and can take back at any time. Nothing on the phone needs to be unlocked or modified.