The Ignore Limit bill

How often do you tap past a limit, and for how long? Nothing is sent anywhere.

—hours a week past the limit
—days a year, at that rate
—hours a week back if you Go Back at the rate you said, and the other opens become timed Passes that end on their own

Arithmetic, not a promise. The second figure assumes a Pass is the same length as your Ignore Limit visit; in the app you pick 5, 10 or 15 minutes and it relocks by itself.

Method vs method · updated November 2026

What to do when Ignore Limit wins again.

If you have typed “iphone screen time limits don’t work” into a search box at 11 pm, the problem is not the limit. It is that the limit asks you to stop and then offers a button that says you do not have to. Four methods compared, honestly, including ours.

Download FocusPass: App Blocker on the App StoreOpen FocusPass in the App Store · free tier

Four methods, one question each

The question is always the same: what happens at the moment you want the app? Swipe sideways.

Screen Time App Limits

At the moment you want the app
A limit screen with an ignore option, or a passcode prompt if one is set
Who holds the key
You, unless you give the passcode away
Cost
Free, built in
Best for
Awareness; a partner-held passcode

Deleting the app

At the moment you want the app
App Store, search, reinstall, sign in: about a minute
Who holds the key
You
Cost
Free
Best for
Apps you are actually done with

A Focus mode

At the moment you want the app
Nothing; Focus silences notifications, it does not block opening
Who holds the key
Nobody; there is no lock
Cost
Free, built in
Best for
Stopping the pull, not the push

FocusPass (ours)

At the moment you want the app
A native shield: Go Back, or Use a Pass of 5, 10 or 15 minutes with a reason; relock scheduled with iOS
Who holds the key
You; Turn Off All Protection always works
Cost
Free tier; Pro subscription optional
Best for
Keeping the app, losing the autopilot

Tuesday, 9:47 pm, made up but familiar

9:47 pmThumb on the icon before the thought arrives. The shield comes up: PROTECTED. You chose to protect this app. Two buttons.

9:47 pm, stillGo Back. One Focus Save. The app records the choice and nothing else; it does not guess what you did next, which was make tea.

10:20 pmYou actually need it: a reply to a friend. Use a Pass, 5 minutes, reason: Reply. The relock is already scheduled before the app opens.

10:25 pmLocked again, on its own. You did not have to decide to stop, which was always the hard part.

SundayWeekly Review: most of your Passes happen after 9 pm. The app offers an Evening Zone. You accept. That is the whole method.

Honest limits

It is a subscription for the full set.

Free is useful forever, per the listing: shields, Passes, relocking, one Wallet, one Zone, one Deep Focus a day. More of each is Pro, monthly or yearly.

You can switch it off.

On purpose. Turn Off All Protection is never locked behind anything. If you want a lock you cannot open, this is not it; a partner-held Screen Time passcode is.

No screen-time claims.

Focus Saves count a choice, not minutes saved. We have no study showing FocusPass reduces your usage, and the listing invents no minutes.

Apple's rules first.

Built on Screen Time frameworks; blocking happens on the iPhone (the Watch app shows status). If a parent or organisation manages Screen Time, their settings win.

Four things people believe. Tap to flip.

What it looks like

FocusPass home: Protected, today's Passes with 5 remaining at 10 minutes each, Use a Pass button, Start 25-min Focus
Home: Passes left today, one tap to a Deep Focus. Tap for colour.
FocusPass Distractions Pass screen: How long do you need, with Quick 5, Standard 10 and Extended 20 minute options and a Use 10-Minute Pass button
A Pass: pick the length, say why, it relocks on its own.
FocusPass Progress screen: a heatmap of when Passes happen by hour and day, Go Back count and a note that most Passes happen after 9 PM
The heatmap, and one pattern it points out.

Who should skip it

  • People who need a lock they cannot open. Use Screen Time with a passcode held by someone else. FocusPass keeps the off switch in your hands by design.
  • Anyone whose Screen Time is managed by a parent or employer. Their settings come first, per the listing.
  • People who want a blocker for Mac or Android. iPhone and iPad, iOS 18 or newer; the Watch shows status only.
  • Anyone expecting a usage-reduction promise. There is none here. It changes the moment of opening; what you do with that is yours.

Questions

Why don't iPhone Screen Time limits work for me?

Because the limit screen offers a way past it, and you know your own passcode. Apple's forums have threads going back years asking how to remove the extra-minute and ignore options. The limit is a reminder, not a wall, unless someone else holds the passcode.

What does a Pass actually do?

Per the listing: opening a protected app shows a native shield with two choices, Go Back or Use a Pass. A Pass is a length you pick (for example 5, 10 or 15 minutes) with an optional reason, and the relock is scheduled with iOS before the app opens, so protection resumes when the Pass ends even if FocusPass is closed.

Can I cheat it?

Yes, deliberately: Turn Off All Protection always works, by design. What you cannot do is cheat it by accident. The listing says Pro never sells a way around your own rules, and Task Access is capped at 3 minutes so it cannot become a loop.

Does it work with Apple's Screen Time or against it?

With it. FocusPass uses Apple's Screen Time frameworks and picker; Apple keeps your app selections opaque even to FocusPass. If a parent or organisation manages Screen Time, their settings come first.

What is free?

Native shields, Go Back and Focus Saves, timed Passes, automatic relocking, one Wallet, one Focus Zone, one Deep Focus session a day, 7-day insights, Momentum and missions. Pro is a monthly or yearly subscription for more Wallets, Zones, Free Windows, Task Access, Adaptive Resistance, unlimited Deep Focus and full history.

Is there an account or tracking?

No account, no ads, no analytics SDKs, per the listing; rules and history stay on the device. Purchases are validated through Apple and RevenueCat with an anonymous ID.

Open FocusPass in the App Store

FocusPass: App Blocker. Block the apps you choose; open them on purpose with a timed Pass that relocks by itself. No account, no ads. Free tier, Pro optional.

Download FocusPass: App Blocker on the App StoreBuilt on Apple’s Screen Time

Sources

  1. Apple Support, Screen Time (passcode and limits overview), and Apple Community thread How to disable the “one more minute” Screen Time limit (2022–2024; users report the option cannot be removed directly).
  2. FocusPass: App Blocker on the App Store, listing read 4 November 2026 (version 2.2): shield choices, Pass lengths, iOS-scheduled relock, Focus Saves, free tier and Pro, Turn Off All Protection, privacy.

The calculator above is arithmetic on numbers you typed. It makes no claim about what any method will do for you.

More from Focus & Screen Time