Is There an App Blocker You Can't Turn Off?

By Fred Smith, maker of Drill Sergeant / Updated October 19, 2026/ 7 min read

The short answer

No app blocker is truly impossible to turn off for the phone's owner: you can always delete it or take away its permission. What holds is a lock someone else has the key to. On iPhone that's a Screen Time passcode a friend sets, with app deletion blocked. On Android it's a strict mode like AppBlock's or Lock Me Out's, which protects the blocker's own settings and uninstall.

If you've searched for this, you already know the problem: you set a limit, then you switch it off at 11 pm. Here is why every blocker has an off switch, the setups that come closest to not having one, and what they cost you.

Why every blocker can be switched off

Apple and Google build phones so the owner stays in charge. On iPhone, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached unless you add a passcode^[2], and any blocker that uses Screen Time can be deleted like any other app. On Android, blockers work through the Accessibility permission, which you can switch off in Settings. So the question isn't which app can't be turned off. It's who holds the key.

The strongest setup on iPhone

Let someone else set your Screen Time passcode. A partner, a friend, a parent. You don't learn it.
Set your limits in Screen Time: App Limits on iOS 26 and earlier, Time Allowances on iOS 27.
Block app deletion. In Screen Time's Content & Privacy Restrictions, set Deleting Apps to Don't Allow^[1]. Now you can't delete the apps you're avoiding, or the blocker, without the passcode.
Optional: a blocker with a hard mode. Opal's Deep Focus sessions can't be ended early, a Pro feature^[7], and Apple notes that blockers like Opal and Freedom can stop app deletion themselves^[1].

The strongest setup on Android

AppBlock's Strict Mode can lock your block settings, stop you uninstalling AppBlock, and block the device settings where you'd switch off its permissions or Accessibility^[3]. You choose how it can be unlocked: a PIN, a charger, a timer, a schedule, or a trusted contact.
Lock Me Out offers password protection for entry, uninstall and tampering, and can lock everything except the apps you allow^[5].
Stay Focused has a Strict Mode too, and its listing is blunt about the idea: no shortcuts, no "just this once"^[6].
Digital Wellbeing (built in) lets you set an app limits PIN, which helps most if someone else sets it^[8].

The catch: locking yourself out

A lock that holds against you also holds when you need it. Calls keep working and you can allow essential apps, but plan your way out before you need one. AppBlock's help pages describe people who can't uninstall it because Strict Mode is on, and an emergency unblock code from support^[4]. Give the passcode to someone who'll answer the phone.

A lock you can pick is a suggestion. Make the scroll cost you something.

Another approach: make it cost something

Drill Sergeant isn't built as a prison, and we won't pretend it is: you can switch app blocking off in your phone's settings. It's built to make every scroll cost something. Open Instagram or TikTok and Captain Jack wants 10 push-ups or a report of an hour's work before the app opens. Most of the time you'll decide it isn't worth it and close the app, without ever needing a lock.

Want both? Use Drill Sergeant for the daily friction and a Screen Time passcode someone else holds for the hard limits. More on apps that lock until you do a task and the best app blockers for Android.

Questions people ask

Is there an app blocker you can't turn off?

Not one the phone's owner can never turn off: you can always delete an app or revoke its permission. What holds is a lock someone else controls, like a Screen Time passcode a friend sets on iPhone, or an Android blocker's strict mode that protects its own settings and uninstall.

How do I stop myself from deleting an app blocker on iPhone?

Set a Screen Time passcode that someone else chooses, then block app deletion in Screen Time's Content & Privacy Restrictions (Deleting Apps: Don't Allow). Without the passcode you can't delete the blocker or loosen your limits.

What is strict mode in an app blocker?

A mode that stops you from undoing your own blocks while it's on. AppBlock's Strict Mode on Android can lock your block settings, block uninstalling AppBlock, and block access to the device settings where you'd switch off its permissions.

What if there's an emergency?

That's the trade-off of a strict lock. Phone calls and the apps you allow keep working, and most strict modes have a way out, such as a PIN, a timer or a trusted contact. AppBlock's support can send a one-time code to unlock. Set up your way out before you need it.