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Tasker Guides

How to Block Apps on iPhone

Screen Time can limit apps, but it is one tap away from “Ask For More Time.” Here is how to set a limit with Apple's built-in tools, and when you need a block you cannot talk yourself out of.

6 min read

Blocking apps with Apple's built-in tools (Screen Time)

  1. Open Settings → Screen Time

    On your iPhone, open Settings, then Screen Time. If this is your first time, tap “Turn On Screen Time.”

  2. Tap “App Limits”

    Tap App Limits → Add Limit. You'll see app categories (Social, Games, Entertainment, etc.) as well as individual apps.

  3. Select the apps you want to limit

    Pick specific apps or an entire category. You can select several at once, e.g. all social apps plus one game.

  4. Set a time and turn on Block at End of Limit

    Enter a daily limit (e.g. 30 minutes) and turn on Block At End Of Limit. Once the limit is used up, the app shows a lock screen instead of opening.

Where this block falls short

The Screen Time lock screen has an “Ask For More Time” button, and if you set up Screen Time on your own device (without a separate parental passcode held by someone else), you can grant yourself that extra time with a single tap. In practice the limit works as a reminder, not a block. It's trivially easy to dismiss at exactly the moment you're most tempted to.

For a lot of people that's enough. But if you know you'll tap “Ask For More Time” the moment temptation hits, you need a block you can't switch off yourself mid-session.

A block you can't dismiss with one tap

Tasker blocks chosen apps for the length of a focus session through Apple's Screen Time system (Family Controls), no “five more minutes” button.

Scan with your iPhone to install Tasker

View on the App Store

Frequently asked questions

Can Screen Time be made fully unbypassable?

Yes, but it requires a separate Screen Time passcode known only to someone else (e.g. via Family Sharing), or an app that uses Apple's Family Controls to enforce a block for a specific session, the way Tasker does.

Does Tasker's blocking work offline?

Yes. The block runs on Apple's system framework locally on your device, no internet connection or data upload required.

Can I block only specific apps instead of everything?

Yes, both in Screen Time and in Tasker you choose the specific apps or categories to block for the session.