How to block apps on iPhone: 5 methods compared
October 12, 2026 · 3 min read
iPhone has four built-in ways to block or restrict apps, all under Settings → Screen Time and Settings → Focus. They differ mainly in how easy they are to bypass. Here is what each does and when to use it. Menu names can vary slightly between iOS versions.
The methods compared
| Method | What it does | How easy to bypass |
|---|---|---|
| App Limits | Daily time budget per app or category | Easy, unless a passcode is set |
| Downtime | Blocks everything except allowed apps on a schedule | Easy, unless a passcode is set |
| Focus | Silences notifications and hides apps from view | Very easy; apps still open |
| Content & Privacy Restrictions | Hides built-in apps, blocks installs and websites | Hard with a passcode |
| App blocker apps | Limits, schedules and instant blocks on top of Screen Time | Depends on the app's strict mode |
1. App Limits
Settings → Screen Time → App Limits → Add Limit. Choose an app or a whole category, set a daily amount and confirm. When time runs out the app greys out and shows a "Time Limit" screen. The details, including why the limit is so easy to ignore, are in iPhone app limits explained.
2. Downtime
Settings → Screen Time → Downtime. Pick a schedule, for example 22:00 to 07:00. During Downtime only phone calls and the apps under Always Allowed stay available. Useful for nights and for fixed work blocks.
3. Focus
Settings → Focus. A Focus mode silences notifications from everything except the people and apps you allow, and can show a simplified home screen. It reduces temptation but does not block anything: you can still open any app.
4. Content & Privacy Restrictions
Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions. Here you can switch off built-in apps such as Safari, prevent installing or deleting apps and limit adult websites. It is the strictest built-in tool, but it cannot put a time limit on a single third-party app.
The weak point: you hold the key
Every built-in block shows an "Ignore Limit" or "Ask for more time" option. With a Screen Time passcode you still know the code. Two workarounds help:
- Let a partner or friend set the passcode.
- Use a blocker with a strict mode that cannot be switched off until the day ends.
5. App blocker apps
Apps built on Apple's Screen Time API can block the same apps at system level, without a VPN or a configuration profile, and add what the built-in tools lack: one-tap instant blocks, limits that stay closed, schedules that are quick to change and motivation to keep going.
How Verge does it
In Verge you choose your distracting apps once. A daily limit blocks them for the rest of the day when it is reached, Quick Block shuts them immediately for a focus session, and scheduled blocks cover bedtime and work hours. Strict Mode is for the days you do not trust yourself. The apps you choose stay private: Verge uses Apple's Screen Time API and never sees which ones they are.