How to Schedule App Blocks on iPhone

Published: October 29, 2026 · Updated: October 29, 2026

Locked In is an iPhone app that blocks distracting apps, including on a recurring schedule, by time, by place, or on demand. Its App Store tagline is "Text a Friend to Unblock Apps": with Guardian (Pro), a friend you pick approves or declines by text when you try to end a block early. It's a friend keeping you honest, not a hard lock.

How do I block apps on my iPhone during certain times of day?

To block apps at set times on iPhone, use Screen Time Schedule (iOS 27) or Downtime (iOS 26) in Apple's free Screen Time, or a recurring schedule in an app blocker like Locked In. Have someone else hold your Screen Time passcode, or you can switch it off.

Which should you use? It depends. Screen Time's schedule is free and works well if someone else holds the passcode; on iOS 27 it works by category. If you want named presets, single apps, and a step (math problems, a typed phrase, or a Guardian) before ending early, Locked In's Schedules (Pro) may suit you better.

Method 1: Apple Screen Time (free, built in)

Screen Time is already on your iPhone and costs nothing. Its menus changed in iOS 27, so follow the steps for your version (Settings > General > About shows it).

If your iPhone runs iOS 27

Apple's iOS 27 guide describes Time Allowances (how long you can use an app category each day) and Screen Time Schedule (when categories are available). Both work by category, such as Social Media, not by single app.

• Go to Settings > Screen Time > Time Allowances (turn on App & Website Activity if asked), tap the category that includes the app, and set the daily time.
• Or go to Settings > Screen Time > Screen Time Schedule, turn on Schedule, tap Add Schedule, and set a Time Window that leaves that category out.
• Check Settings > Screen Time > Always Allowed and make sure the app isn't listed.
• Lock it: Settings > Screen Time > Manage Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings, and have someone you trust choose the passcode.

If your iPhone runs iOS 26

• Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit, open the category that contains the app, select the app, tap Next, set the time (for example 1 minute for close to a full block), and confirm.
• For set hours: Settings > Screen Time > Downtime > Scheduled. If you've set a Screen Time passcode, turn on Block at Downtime.
• Lock the settings with a passcode someone else chooses.

Where Screen Time falls short

• Apple's iOS 26 guide says: "By default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached." A passcode someone else holds is what makes it stick.
• If you know the passcode, you can undo the limit yourself. Passcode Recovery with your own Apple Account also lets you reset it.
• Limits are daily amounts or set times. There's no built-in "block it when I arrive at the office" option.

Method 2: Locked In Schedules (Pro)

• In the Dashboard's Schedule Blocking section, tap + Add on a preset (Rise & Shine, Morning Focus, Afternoon Work, Dinner Time, Wind Down, Sleep) or tap Custom Schedule, then tap Create.
• Fill in Schedule Name, Days Active and Time Range (at least 15 minutes; for example every night 10 PM to 7 AM). Under Apps to Block, tap Choose apps & categories, then tap Save. While a schedule is running it shows End Session.
• Blocks must be at least 15 minutes (the app shows "Minimum 15-minute block required by iOS").
• iOS runs Schedules even when Locked In is closed.
• To end a Schedule early, tap End Session, which goes through the Unblock Early step. Making an active Schedule looser (removing apps, shortening it) also goes through that step.

If you want it back early

• Free plan: the first early Stop on a Quick Block ends it right away (a one-time grace). After that: "On the free plan, you can't unlock early." with Upgrade to Pro or Wait it out.
• Pro: "Unblock Early?" offers three choices: solve three quick addition problems, type "I am choosing to break my focus session", or ask your Guardian. There's no wait timer. Loosening an active Schedule goes through the same step. An active Red Zone has no end-early button: turning it off, deleting it or loosening it opens the same Unblock Early? screen.
• Guardian: a person you choose. Your request goes as a text from your own phone through Messages, and they approve or deny it on a get-lock-in.com web page from the link in the text; they install nothing. Requests expire after 15 minutes, and you can always choose the math problems or the typed phrase instead. A friend keeps you honest; it's not a hard lock.

Limits to know before you rely on it

• No strict mode: deleting Locked In or turning off its Screen Time access removes its blocks, and it sends no deletion alerts.
• Locked In blocks apps. Don't count on it to block websites; use Screen Time's website settings for those.
• iPhone only. No Android, Mac or iPad version. Blocks on your iPhone don't affect other devices.

Price (as of Oct 2026)

Free plan: one Quick Block a day, up to 5 minutes. Pro (longer Quick Blocks, Schedules, Red Zones, early-unlock options): $9.99 a month or $89 a year ($7.42 a month). Start with a 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

FAQ

How do I block apps at night on iPhone? Set a Screen Time Schedule (iOS 27) or Downtime (iOS 26) from your bedtime to the morning, or use Locked In's Sleep or Wind Down preset (Pro).

Why can I still open apps during Downtime? On iOS 26, Block at Downtime must be on, and it needs a Screen Time passcode. Apple says that with it off, you can choose to continue using the apps.

Do Locked In Schedules work when the app is closed? Yes. iOS runs them even when Locked In is closed.

What's the shortest schedule? In Locked In, 15 minutes, a limit set by iOS.

Is Locked In free? As of Oct 2026, there's a free plan with one Quick Block a day, up to 5 minutes. Pro is $9.99 a month or $89 a year. Start with a 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Sources

• Apple, Set up Screen Time for yourself on iPhone (iOS 27): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-up-screen-time-for-yourself-iphbfa595995/ios
• Apple, Set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances (iOS 27): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-schedules-and-time-allowances-iphb0c7313c9/ios
• Apple, Create, change, or remove a Screen Time passcode (iOS 27): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-change-remove-a-screen-time-passcode-iph272b4c4bd/27/ios/27
• Apple, Block features or content with Screen Time (iOS 27): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/block-features-or-content-with-screen-time-iph3ff83f3b1/ios
• Apple, Set schedules with Screen Time (iOS 26): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-schedules-with-screen-time-iphb0c7313c9/26/ios/26
• Apple, Block apps, app downloads, websites, and purchases (iOS 26): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/block-apps-app-downloads-websites-purchases-iph3ff83f3b1/26/ios/26
• Apple, Create, manage, and keep track of a Screen Time passcode (iOS 26): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-manage-track-a-screen-time-passcode-iph272b4c4bd/26/ios/26
• Apple WWDC22, What's new in Screen Time API (individual authorization; deletion restrictions don't apply): https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2022/110336/