Block other apps too

Choose apps that pull you into scrolling, and limitd can block them on your iPhone. When you try to open one, you’ll see a blocking screen. For a quick look, return to limitd and spend 5 Focus Points to open your chosen apps for five minutes.

Focus Points are a daily allowance shared by your Instagram accounts and other app unlocks. The Focus Points guide explains how many you get.

limitd is on iPhone today. Android coming soon.

This blocks whole apps. To keep Instagram messages while blocking Reels, use Instagram inside limitd instead.

Choose which apps to block

  1. From the home screen, open Focus, where you manage points and blocking.
  2. Under App blocking, find Blocked apps and tap Set up.
  3. Your iPhone asks whether limitd can use Screen Time, Apple’s controls for limiting app use. Allow it to continue.
  4. Choose apps or groups of apps in Apple’s selection screen.
  5. Return to Focus and check your selection. Tap Edit beside Blocked apps to change it later.
App blocking with three apps selected, access window controls and emergency unlock.

You can turn this off again at any time in your iPhone Settings.

Open your apps for five minutes

Trying to open a blocked app doesn’t spend points. Start an unlock inside limitd:

  1. On Focus, find 5-minute unlock, marked Uses 5 Focus Points, and tap Unlock.
  2. Read Unlock your apps for 5 minutes? and tap Unlock to confirm.
  3. Your chosen apps open together for five minutes. You only spend points if the unlock starts.
  4. Tap End to block them again early, or let the timer run out.

You need at least 5 points. Other apps only have a five-minute option, even if your Focus Level, the setting for how strict limitd is, allows longer Instagram unlocks.

If an app stays open, check the setup below.

Need an emergency unlock?

An emergency unlock opens your chosen blocked apps and Instagram’s Reels, feed, Stories, Explore and profile suggestions for five minutes. It’s available once a day and doesn’t spend points.

On Focus, tap the emergency-unlock button. Read Use your emergency unlock?, then choose Use emergency unlock to continue or Keep blocked to cancel. You still need to have chosen which other apps to block and allowed limitd to block them.

Posts, profile grids and Reels and posts sent in chats stay blocked if you’ve chosen to block them. The Focus Points guide explains the full rules.

If blocking doesn’t work

App blocking needs iOS 16 or newer. If you don’t see it, update your iPhone.

Check that you’ve allowed limitd to use Screen Time and chosen apps to block. Choose which apps to block first means you still need to make that selection. Finish app blocking setup to unlock apps means setup isn’t complete.

If you see App blocking is not available on this device., the feature isn’t available there. If an unlock fails, check your permission and chosen apps before trying again.

For blocking just parts of Instagram, see Instagram without Reels. For a setup error, contact support with the message shown and your app and iPhone software versions. Remove private details from any picture you send.