iPhone Screen Time limits not working?
You set an App Limit. Then you tapped through it. The limit was on, and you were still in the app.
Direct answer
A Screen Time limit you can dismiss is a reminder, not a lock. iOS shows Ignore Limit, and a Screen Time passcode you already know opens the rest of the day. brb uses that same Screen Time system differently: the apps you choose stay blocked until you hit a step goal. Strict Mode removes the ignore button. The ordinary way back in is to walk. Emergency Unlock is the exception, five minutes, once a day.
What to do now
- Name the apps you open when you meant to stop. Instagram, TikTok, Safari, YouTube, a game. Those are the ones to block, not every app on the phone.
- Set a step goal you can hit on an ordinary day. A goal you miss every day teaches you to look for a way around it.
- Turn on Strict Mode if you already know you will tap through a softer limit.
- If brb is installed and apps are still opening, remove conflicting App Limits and Downtime in iOS Settings, then check Screen Time permission for brb. The FAQ walks through that.
What not to rely on
- An App Limit with an Ignore Limit button.
- A Screen Time passcode that is the same one you type all day.
- Downtime that ends on a clock while you are still in bed.
- Deleting the app, if you are going to install it again tonight.
Why the limit lets you through
Screen Time App Limits are real. They also assume you will cooperate with yourself. When the limit hits, iOS can offer more time. If you know the Screen Time passcode, you can approve that extra time. The phone is doing what it was designed to do.
That design fails the moment the person who set the limit and the person who wants the app are the same person. The passcode is not a barrier. It is a speed bump you already know how to clear.
What brb changes
brb still uses Apple's Screen Time controls. The rule is different. You pick the apps. You pick a step count. Those apps stay blocked until Apple Health says you reached the goal.
Strict Mode is the piece that matters if Screen Time felt optional. It closes the casual way out while the apps are locked. Emergency Unlock remains for a real emergency: five minutes, once per day, from the Block Apps page. It is not an Ignore Limit button you can tap every fifteen minutes.
How brb does it
Block the apps
Pick the ones that take the time. brb can show them ranked by screen time.
Set the step goal
The apps stay locked until that number is real.
Walk to unlock
The ring fills as you move. Hit it and the apps open. Miss it and they stay locked.
Setup checklist
- Choose the apps that actually steal the time.
- Set a step goal you have hit before.
- Allow Screen Time and Health access when brb asks.
- Turn on Strict Mode.
- Remove old App Limits and Downtime schedules that fight with brb.
Questions
Why can I still ignore an iPhone App Limit?
App Limits are built so you, or a parent, can grant more time. If you know the Screen Time passcode, you can approve that time yourself. The limit did not fail. It asked, and you said yes.
Does brb replace Screen Time?
brb uses Screen Time to block and unblock apps. You do not need a separate App Limit for the same apps. Extra Downtime or App Limits in Settings can conflict with brb, so remove those if locking behaves strangely.
What if I need a locked app for a real emergency?
Open the Block Apps page and tap Emergency Unlock. Locked apps open for five minutes. You can do this once per day, and it resets at midnight.
Keep reading
Walk first. Then the apps.
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