Once you're paired with your buddy, DLM walks you through setting up what to block and when. This is a one-time setup. Changes after this point need your buddy's approval.
Pick the apps
Tap Choose apps & sites. iOS shows Apple's standard Family Activity Picker — a list of every app on your phone plus website categories.
Pick the ones that pull you in. Categories work well too: blocking "Social Networking" catches the next Instagram clone that lands on your phone without you having to add it manually.
The list of apps you choose stays on your device. We never see it. Even your buddy doesn't see it — they only see your unblock requests.
Set the block window
Choose the hours each day the block is active. The default is 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but most users set it to cover the times when they're most likely to get pulled in (evenings, mornings before work).
You can do a full day block too: just set 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM.
Pick the active days
Tap the day labels (M T W T F S S) to toggle which days the block runs. Weekdays are the most common default; if you want it 7 days a week, toggle all of them on.
Lock it in
Tap Lock it in. Two things happen:
- The block window goes live — if you're inside it now, your chosen apps are already gone.
- Your blocks become locked from your side. Editing the window, days, or app list now needs your buddy's approval through the same cooldown + request flow as an unblock.
Changing it later
Open Settings, scroll to Blocks, and tap any row (block window, active days). You'll get a sheet to propose new values + a reason field. Your buddy decides on their phone. See Change your block window or days.
Note: changing the actual list of blocked apps isn't supported yet — that would need access to Apple's Family Activity Picker on your buddy's device. For now, app changes require switching to Key Holder (with buddy approval) and back.