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 your apps are not blocking as expected, here are a few things to try:
1) Reload
Tap "Help > Reload blocking".
If you are having to reload constantly please contact us!
2) Turn off "Share across devices" on ALL iOS devices
Open your "iOS Settings > Screen Time"
Turn off "Share Across Devices"
In some cases, we have seen this needs to be turned off on all devices. Due to limitations with "Apple Screen Time" this is required for using Roots. Learn how to turn off share across devices here.
3) Remove any blocking you have set up outside of Roots
If you have other app limits or downtimes please remove them. This applies to "iOS Screen Time", or other screen time apps.
Also, remove screen time permissions for other apps.
Go to "Help > Reload".
4) Check if Apple is reporting usage correctly
Open your "iOS Settings > Screen Time"
See if the app usage report is accurate
In some cases Apple may over or under report screen time leading to blocking issues
5) Update Roots app and iOS
Update to the latest version of Roots
Update to the latest iOS version
6) Force quit apps running in background
A lot of issues are related to memory issues on the Apple side. Swipe up and hold, and then close as many apps as possible. This will make the blocking run more smoothly. Click here if you don't know how to do that.
7) 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
8) Restart your phone
Restart your phone
Click here if you don't know how to do that
9) 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 may result in the loss of historical screen time data within the app.
10) Check if you have overlapping app blocks
Overlapping app blocks should not cause an issue. However, we have seen a pattern related to this. If you are having issues, please try the following:
Edit the times so they don't overlap, or stop and start at the same time
Then, tap "Help > Reload"
Here is an example:
Morning Block: 6:00am - 9:00am
Work Block: 9:01am - 5:00pm
11) Turn off "Low Power Mode"
Turn off "Low Power Mode" for better performance
12) Make a slight edit and re-save
Tap the edit icon on your app blocks
Make a slight edit to the time
Open the app selector, remove one, then save
Open the app selector, add it back, and save
Still having issues?
Get personal help from one of our founders here. We know this can be frustrating, and we appreciate your patience. We're happy to assist—and we’ll even reward you for your valuable time!