Guide
How to block distracting apps while keeping essentials available
Build a small block list around one task. Keep the tools you need available, check notifications separately, and try the setup before a longer session.
Before choosing what to block, write down what you still need your phone to do. You might want a break from a video feed while keeping access to a family conversation, a train ticket, or a sign-in code.
Start with one task and a short list of distractions. Then try the setup while you have time to adjust it. An app being absent from your block list is a starting point; checking the actual task tells you whether the setup works for you.
Make two lists for the next session
Choose something concrete: reading a chapter, working through an assignment, or finishing a piece of admin. Think about that session rather than every possible use of your phone.
On paper or in a note, make two columns:
| Put on the block list | Keep available and check |
|---|---|
| The feed you open without a reason | The messaging app you need for a planned pickup |
| The game that interrupts your work | Your authenticator or password manager |
| The shopping app you keep browsing | The document, calendar, or reference you need for the task |
| A distracting website you regularly revisit | Any travel ticket or navigation app you expect to use afterward |
These are examples, not a universal list. A messaging app might be essential during one session and distracting during another. Name the specific thing you need to do in it: “reply about the pickup” is more useful than “keep all communication available.”
Select individual apps first
In TezBlock, you can select apps, app categories, and websites to block. For a first setup, choose individual distractions so you can account for each selection. TezBlock on the App Store
Before choosing a whole category, review what it includes. If you cannot tell whether an essential app is covered, leave the category out of this first trial. Add broader selections only after checking their effect on the tasks you need.
The same idea applies to websites. If a task needs a browser for a document or sign-in page, include that journey in your check before applying wider restrictions.
Give mixed-use apps a specific job
Sometimes the app you want to avoid is also where a useful message or resource lives. Decide what you need from it before starting.
You could finish that conversation first, note the information you need elsewhere, or choose a session when you do not need that app. If you keep it available, write down its job for the session. This is a suggested way to make the decision clearer, not a claim that the blocker separates useful content from feeds inside the same app.
Check notifications separately
Being able to open an app and noticing an incoming message are two different checks. If you also use an iPhone Focus, review which people and apps can notify you. Apple documents those choices under Settings → Focus, then the Focus you use, with People and Apps settings. Apple's Focus guide
Do not use a successful app-opening test as proof that a notification will reach you. If you are expecting an important message, check the relevant notification settings too. With someone's agreement, a normal test message can help you check the arrangement.
Try the tasks, not just the icons
Use a short trial when you are free to troubleshoot. Before starting, confirm how to end the selected mode and keep any required tag or code available. Our NFC, QR, and timer comparison can help you choose a starting point.
- Start the session and try opening one app you selected for blocking.
- Open the apps you intended to keep available. Try an ordinary task in each: find the ticket, open the document, or access the sign-in tool. Do not make a purchase or call an emergency number as a test.
- Check any browser page or notification you expect to rely on.
- End the session using its configured stop method and check access again.
If an essential task fails, resolve that before extending the session. Review your selections and any other restrictions already active on the phone; ask TezBlock Support if the cause is unclear.
After the trial, keep what worked and change one selection at a time. Your block list should fit the task you are doing today.