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Why are apps not unblocking when I "Unblock"?

Updated yesterday

We're here to help.

First off, we know this can be frustrating. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and will make sure you're well taken care of.
If you have ongoing issues, we'll even offer you a free subscription.

  • Want hands on support? Click here to troubleshoot with one of our founders

  • If you need to unblock in an emergency, click here

Here are a few things to try:

1) Reload blocking

  • Tap "Help > Reload Blocking"

  • If you are having to reload constantly please contact us!

2) Are apps blocked in multiple places? (i.e. "Challenges")

  • Go to "Roots > Blocking"

  • Tap on each block you’ve created to check if the apps are being blocked in multiple places. If so, you’ll need to unblock them from each individual block.

  • Next, go to "Roots > Challenges" — you’ll also need to unblock the apps from here if they’re listed.

3) Restart your phone

  • Restart your phone, then tap "Help > Reload Blocking"

4) Force quit the Roots app

  • Force close Roots and open it again to reset the connection

  • Click here if you don't know how to do that

5) Update to the latest version of Roots

  • Update to version of the app here

6) Reset "Screen Time" permissions

  • Go to "Settings > Screen Time"

  • Scroll down and find "Roots"

  • Remove access, then re-open the Roots app

  • Give access to screen time permissions when prompted

  • Note: Reconnecting Screen Time access may lead to the loss of historical screen time data within the app.

Have an emergency?

If you need to unblock in an emergency, click here.

If the problem persists:

Please send us:

  • A screenshot of your "Roots > Blocking" page

  • A quick note on which steps of this guide you’ve already tried

  • Please contact us by tapping the chat bubble below

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