Mamori / Guides

How to Block Apps on iPhone: Screen Time Limits and What They Cannot Do

Updated

On this page
  1. What each Screen Time tool does
  2. Step 1: Turn on Screen Time
  3. Step 2: Set an App Limit
  4. Step 3: Schedule Downtime
  5. Step 4: Choose what stays allowed
  6. Step 5: Switch off built-in apps with Content & Privacy Restrictions
  7. Step 6: Add a Screen Time passcode, and think about who holds it
  8. What Screen Time cannot do
  9. What changes in iOS 27
  10. FAQ
  11. Where Mamori fits

Short answer: Screen Time is the free, built-in way to block apps on an iPhone. App Limits cap daily time in an app or category, Downtime makes most apps unavailable at set hours, and Content & Privacy Restrictions can switch off built-in apps. Apple's iOS 26 page says limits can be ignored once reached by default, so, in our view, a Screen Time passcode, ideally held by someone else, is what gives them teeth.

Version note: Menu names below follow Apple's iPhone User Guide pages for iOS 18 and iOS 26, read on 8 Nov 2026. iOS 27 changes several of these menus, and we flag the differences in their own section.

What each Screen Time tool does

  • App Limits: a daily time limit for an app or a category such as Games or Social Networking.
  • Downtime: scheduled hours when, in Apple's words, "only calls, messages, and apps you choose to allow are available."
  • Always Allowed: apps and contacts that stay available even during downtime.
  • Content & Privacy Restrictions: switches for built-in apps and features, purchases and content ratings.
  • Screen Time passcode: a code that must be entered before you can change the settings you chose.

This guide is for blocking apps on your own iPhone. If you are setting up a child's device, Apple has separate pages for that, and the steps differ.

Step 1: Turn on Screen Time

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time.
  2. Tap App & Website Activity, then Turn On App & Website Activity if it is not already on.

Step 2: Set an App Limit

Apple's page (iOS 18 and iOS 26) gives these steps:

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time > App Limits, then tap Add Limit.
  2. Select one or more app categories. To limit single apps, tap the category name and select the apps inside it.
  3. Tap Next at the upper right, then set the amount of time allowed.
  4. To set a different time for each day, tap Customize Days.
  5. Tap Add (iOS 18) when you finish.

If you select several categories or apps, Apple says the time limit applies to all of them together.

On the iOS 26 page, Apple adds a note: "By default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached." To prevent that, the page points to Block at Downtime: open Settings > Screen Time, tap Downtime, then turn on Block at Downtime. Apple says this option is available if you set a Screen Time passcode, and that blocked apps then "appear dimmed with an hourglass icon" and cannot be opened during downtime.

Step 3: Schedule Downtime

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time > Downtime.
  2. Tap Turn On Downtime Until Tomorrow, or tap Scheduled to set it in advance.
  3. Choose Every Day or Customize Days, then set the start and end times.

Apple says a 5-minute reminder is sent before scheduled downtime begins, and that you can turn the schedule off by turning off Scheduled. Our guide on night-time use covers using Downtime for late-night habits: How to Stop Watching Porn at Night.

Step 4: Choose what stays allowed

Open Settings > Screen Time > Always Allowed to pick apps and contacts that stay available even during downtime. Apple's example is emergencies. In our view, keep this list short, because anything on it stays available during downtime.

Step 5: Switch off built-in apps with Content & Privacy Restrictions

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  2. Tap Allowed Apps & Features, then turn off the apps or features you want to restrict.

Apple's heading for this is "Turn built-in apps and features on or off", so it is aimed at built-in apps. Apple says a switched-off app is not deleted: "it's temporarily hidden from your Home Screen until you turn it back on."

For store purchases and redownloads, Apple's page tells you to tap iTunes & App Store Purchases on the same screen. We did not find an official page that lists that screen's options for your own iPhone, so check the options on your device.

Step 6: Add a Screen Time passcode, and think about who holds it

Apple says you can create a passcode that must be entered before changing Screen Time settings you selected for yourself.

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time.
  2. Scroll down and tap Lock Screen Time Settings.
  3. Enter a four-digit passcode, then enter it again to verify.

After setting a passcode for yourself, Apple says you can set up Screen Time Passcode Recovery, which lets you use your Apple Account to reset the passcode if you forget it.

In our view, a passcode you chose and know is easy to undo in a weak moment. A common approach is to have someone you trust enter it, so you do not know it. Our guide on accountability partners explains how to ask: How to Find a Porn Accountability Partner (and Make It Work). Keep Passcode Recovery in mind when you plan this, because it uses your own Apple Account.

What Screen Time cannot do

This section uses Apple's wording where we can, and says so when it is our view.

  • Limits can be ignored by default. Apple's iOS 26 page says so, and offers Block at Downtime as the fix.
  • Turning Screen Time off turns the limits off. Apple's iOS 26 page says: "Turning off App and Website Activity turns off reporting, Downtime, App Limits, and Always Allowed." Apple says a Screen Time passcode must be entered before you can change the settings you chose, which is why, in our view, setting one matters.
  • Settings may be per device. Apple says that with Share Across Devices on, your limits and schedules apply to iPhone, iPad and Mac. If you turn it off, "each device maintains its own separate Screen Time settings."
  • They count time, not content. App Limits set time for an app or category. In our view, that is not the same as filtering what loads inside a browser. For websites, see How to Block Websites on iPhone: Screen Time Steps for Any Site.
  • Hiding is not blocking. Apple's page on removing apps says that to prevent an app's use you can use Screen Time settings.

What changes in iOS 27

Apple's iOS 27 pages describe a different layout, and they say the latest Screen Time features need iOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices. We could not verify every iOS 18 and iOS 26 step against iOS 27, so use what you see on screen.

  • iOS 27 describes Time Allowances and a Screen Time Schedule instead of App Limits and Downtime. Apple says Time Allowances set how long you use apps each day, and Schedules set when. Open Settings > Screen Time > Time Allowances or Settings > Screen Time > Screen Time Schedule.
  • Always Allowed: Settings > Screen Time > Always Allowed, then Add People or Add Apps.
  • Content & Privacy Restrictions: the iOS 27 page describes content restrictions and Other Features, such as AirDrop and Camera, and does not list iTunes & App Store Purchases or Allowed Apps & Features as it does for iOS 18 and iOS 26.
  • Passcode: Settings > Screen Time > Passcode & Management > Lock Screen Time Settings.

FAQ

Can I block an app without deleting it?

Yes. Use App Limits or Downtime for third-party apps. For built-in apps, Apple's Allowed Apps & Features switch hides an app without deleting it.

Why can I still open an app after my limit ends?

Apple's iOS 26 page says limits can be ignored once reached by default. Turn on Block at Downtime, and set a Screen Time passcode, which Apple says that option depends on.

Does blocking an app stop porn?

Not by itself. It only affects the apps you choose, and a browser can still open sites. See How to Block Porn on iPhone (and Adult Websites on iPad Too) for website steps.

Should I use this for my child's iPhone?

Apple has separate Screen Time pages for children, and those steps differ. This guide covers your own iPhone only.

Where Mamori fits

Screen Time works without any other app, and everything above is free. Its gap is that app time limits are not a website filter. Mamori is a newer app for iPhone, iPad and Android that blocks 2.5M+ adult sites across the whole phone, not just one browser. On iPhone and iPad it uses Apple's Screen Time web content filter plus its own blocklist. It can also block specific apps, and it has your own block list and allow list.

It locks before you can switch it off: a cooldown timer, a random phrase, or a PIN or passphrase, and a trusted person can hold the PIN. On iPhone, the uninstall guard works through Screen Time restrictions while protection is on. When protection is off, everything is off and Mamori can be uninstalled normally. That is deliberate: the friction is the lock you chose in advance.

Honest limits: no blocker replaces support from people or a professional, and Mamori has no accountability reports. It is built for adults blocking for themselves, so for a child's device use Screen Time as the base layer. There is a 7-day free trial on the monthly and annual plans, plus a one-time lifetime option.

Related guides

How to Block Explicit Content on iPhone: Music, Books, Apps, Siri and WebUse Content & Privacy Restrictions to limit explicit content on iPhone: web, apps by age rating, media, Siri and more, with Apple's exact menu names. Website Not Allowed on iPhone? What the Message Means and How to Change ItSeeing a website not allowed or restricted message on your iPhone? Learn what causes it and how to change it if you set it yourself. iOS 18, 26 and 27. Is There a Porn Blocker That Can't Be Turned Off?Honest answer: not on a phone you control. Here is what makes a porn blocker hard to undo: delay, a code someone else holds, uninstall protection.

Sources

Last checked 8 Nov 2026. This guide is general information, not medical advice.