Apple allows a screen time app like Roots to block up to 50 individually selected apps at the same time.
This limit counts across all the blocks that are running at that moment, not per block. When your running blocks together include more than 50 different apps, iOS stops blocking the individually selected apps, without any warning.
The good news: as soon as the total drops back to 50 or fewer, blocking comes back on its own. No reload needed.
What counts toward the 50-app limit?
Only apps you’ve selected one by one
An app that’s in several blocks only counts once
Categories (like “Social” or “Games”) and websites don’t count, and keep blocking as normal
“All except” blocks have a separate limit of their own
Example
You have a “Work” block with 40 apps and a “Sleep” block with 30 apps. 20 of those apps are in both blocks.
Together, they include 50 different apps, so everything works.
If you add one more different app to either block, then while both blocks are running, none of the individually selected apps will be blocked.
How do I know if this is happening? (Roots 2.23 and later)
You’ll see a “Blocking over 50 apps” card at the top of the “Blocking” tab while your running blocks are over the limit
Tap the card to see which blocks are running right now, how many individual apps each one includes, and your total against the limit
After you tap “Got it” or “Learn more”, the card moves to the Help Center (tap “Help” on the “Blocking” tab) and stays there while you’re still over the limit
The card goes away on its own once you’re back within the limit
How do I fix it?
Select fewer individual apps in the blocks that run at the same time
Or select a whole category instead of many apps from it, since each category counts as just one item
Use the card’s details to see which blocks are involved and how many apps each one has
You don’t need to reload blocking or reinstall Roots. Blocking returns as soon as your total is 50 or fewer.
Seeing the card, but your blocks are still working?
That’s expected if your blocks use categories. Categories keep blocking no matter how many individual apps are selected.
Important note about the “Social” category
If you select Apple’s “Social” category, it will block ALL apps in that category, including communication apps like WhatsApp and Messages. Since this is Apple’s categorization, we can’t control which apps are grouped together.
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