Apps aren't blocking? Try these fixes

If a locked app opens without a shield, the cause is almost always one of four things. Work through this list in order.

1. Check Screen Time permission

Descreened can only block apps while it has Screen Time access.

• Open the Restrict tab. If you see Screen Time Access Needed, tap Allow Screen Time.
• If access was denied before, the button reads Open Settings — re-enable Descreened's access there, then come back.

Descreened rechecks permission every time it becomes active, so the prompt appears whenever access is missing.

2. Check the app is actually locked right now

• Its schedule may be open at this hour, or set to Unlocked till you lock. Check the app's page on the Restrict tab.
• A temporary unlock may still be running — unlock windows last until their timer ends.
• An Emergency Unlock opens everything for 15 minutes.
• A Daily Limit only locks after you've used up today's minutes.

3. Restart your iPhone

Screen Time enforcement is run by iOS itself, and a restart can clear it if enforcement ever gets stuck. Your locks stay in place through the restart; afterward, open Descreened once so it can re-check and reapply them.

4. Re-add the app

If one specific app never blocks, remove it in Descreened and add it again from the picker. This refreshes the reference iOS uses to identify the app.

Tip: Still stuck? Contact us from Settings, then Contact Support — include which app and what you expected. See contact support.