Paradox
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Support

Paradox is made by one person. Write and you'll get a real answer, usually within two working days.

Email: support@tryparadox.app

Bug reports go much faster with your iOS version, your Paradox version (Profile tab, at the bottom), and what you expected to happen.

Requirements

Paradox runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 16 or later, and needs Screen Time (Family Controls) permission to block anything.

Common questions

Why does Paradox need Screen Time access?

It's the only way iOS lets an app hold another app back. Apple's Screen Time (Family Controls) permission is what lets Paradox put a shield in front of the apps you chose. Without it, Paradox can show you screens but can't block anything. The permission is granted by you, on your device, and can be withdrawn in iOS Settings at any time.

Does Paradox see what I do in other apps?

No. Apple hands per-app usage to a sandboxed extension that cannot pass it back to the app, and the apps you select arrive as opaque tokens with no name attached. Paradox knows a shield appeared; it does not know what was behind it.

I can just switch the block off. Isn't that the whole problem?

You can, and that's deliberate. A lock you can't open is a lock you'll delete the app to escape. Paradox is built to add friction and a few seconds of thought at the moment of impulse, not to take your phone away from you.

The block didn't fire.

Check three things, in order: Screen Time access is still granted in iOS Settings → Screen Time, the app is still in your selection under My Apps, and the schedule actually covers right now. If all three look right, write to us with your iOS version and we'll dig in.

Do I need an account?

No. Blocking, schedules, statistics and the Grow library all work signed out. Signing in with Google or Apple only exists so your history follows you to a new phone.

Is it free?

Yes, and the free tier is the product rather than a trial for it. There is no advertising. Paid customisation and reporting may come later; anything that costs money will say so before you pay.

How do I get my data deleted?

Delete the app and everything stored locally goes with it. If you signed in, ask us to close the account too — the process is on the Delete your account page.

How is this different from the Screen Time already on my iPhone?

Apple's Screen Time shows you a limit and an Ignore Limit button, which most people learn to tap without reading. Paradox uses the same underlying system, but what happens at the wall is different: you meet a guardian and a few seconds of quiet instead of a dismiss button, and if you really do need in, you choose how long and wait out a countdown that closes the pass by itself. And in the space that opens up it hands you something to read, which Screen Time never does.

Can Paradox block websites too, or only apps?

Both. A rule holds apps and websites together, and you type the sites into the rule yourself. Site blocking works in every browser on the phone rather than only Safari, because it happens in a system layer underneath them. One difference worth knowing: a blocked site shows Apple's own block screen instead of your guardian, and there is no temporary pass for it.

Can I block Instagram, TikTok or YouTube specifically?

Yes. You pick the individual apps you want held back, and whole categories at once if that is easier. Paradox itself never learns which ones you chose — iOS hands them over as anonymous tokens — so the selection stays on the phone.

Can I block apps only at certain times of day?

That is what rules are for. Each rule carries the hours it applies, and the wall goes up and comes down on that schedule on its own, even while Paradox is closed. Two rules are ready to use the moment you install: a working day from 9 to 5, and a 45-minute daily allowance. Both are yours to rewrite.

Is there an Android version?

Not yet. Paradox is on iPhone and iPad first. An Android version is being built and works the same way, but there is no date to give you and we would rather not invent one.

Also here