The quick way: Screen Time Downtime
If one schedule is enough, iOS already has it:
- Open Settings > Screen Time > Downtime.
- Turn on Scheduled and choose Every Day or Customize Days.
- Set the start and end times.
- In Screen Time’s Always Allowed list, pick the apps that stay available.
During Downtime, everything not on the allowed list is blocked. That works well for a simple “phone off at night” rule.
Where Downtime runs out
- One rule for everything. Downtime blocks the same apps at night as during your afternoon focus block. You cannot say “block games at work, block everything at bedtime.”
- Allow list, not block list. You choose what stays open, so to block just social media you have to allow almost everything else.
- No location. Downtime cannot react to where you are.
Scheduling app blocks with Fokus Zone
Fokus Zone uses Apple’s Screen Time framework to run as many schedules as you need, each blocking its own set of apps:
- Block apps during work, study or bedtime, each as a separate rule.
- Different schedules for different days, so weekdays and weekends behave differently.
- Recurring rules that repeat every week without you touching them.
- Single apps or whole categories, for example just TikTok, or all of Social.
- Multiple restriction profiles, so a “deep work” profile and a “wind down” profile can block different things.
When a rule’s time arrives, the restriction switches on. When it ends, the apps come back.
Schedules that work in real life
| Goal | Schedule | Block | Leave open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning without scrolling | Daily, wake-up to 09:00 | Social media, news | Calendar, messages, music |
| Focus at work | Weekdays, 09:00 to 12:00 | Social, games, video | Mail, work chat, docs |
| Study block | Weeknights, 19:00 to 21:00 | Social, video, games | Notes, reference apps |
| Bedtime | Daily, 22:30 to 07:00 | Everything non-essential | Alarm, phone, sleep sounds |
| Weekend reset | Saturday, all day | Work mail and chat | Everything else |
The last row is a good example of why separate rules matter: on a weekend you might want to block work apps, the opposite of what your weekday rule does.
Tips for building a schedule you will keep
- Start with one block. A two-hour morning focus block you keep beats a full-day schedule you turn off by Wednesday.
- Block categories, not just apps. Block one social app and you will find another. Categories close that gap.
- Keep essential tools open. Maps, banking and two-factor authentication apps should stay available.
- Match the schedule to your real week. If Thursday is meetings all day, do not schedule deep work on Thursday.
- Review it after two weeks. Look at your usage trends in the app’s statistics and move the blocks to where the distraction actually happens.
Time plus place
Some habits are about when, others about where. A bedtime rule is pure time. “No social media at the office” is pure place. “No phones at dinner” is both: at home, in the evening. Fokus Zone handles location-based restrictions too, which are covered in how to block apps by location. Professionals can see how this fits a workday in app blocker for work.
When you really need an app
Schedules should be firm but not a trap. Fokus Zone offers temporary access for urgent moments, so you can open a blocked app briefly when you have a real reason. For apps you never want to see during a block, you can block completely instead. Be honest with yourself about which one you need: the goal is fewer mindless opens, not a phone that fights you when something matters.
Free and Premium
Fokus Zone is free on iPhone with iOS 18 or later. An optional Premium subscription unlocks unlimited restrictions, advanced scheduling and detailed analytics. All data stays on your device.
