How can I use a blocked app right now?
The right option depends on which block is running: take a Pause (a Break) if a Scheduled Block or Block Now is active and breaks are allowed, use Snooze if Auto Block hasn't fired yet, or, as a last resort, Urgent Unblock in Settings. Start with the gentlest option that fits your situation; Urgent Unblock is the emergency release, not the first move.
These are three different tools, not interchangeable: Pause interrupts one actively-running Scheduled Block or Block Now for a few minutes, Snooze holds Auto Block off before it fires, and Urgent Unblock ends every active block at once but only once every 24 hours per device. Pick by the block you're facing, below.
If you already know which one you need: Pause a running Scheduled Block or Block Now → see What are Breaks?. Pause Auto Block monitoring before it fires → see What is Snooze?. Release every block right now in a real emergency → see What is Urgent Unblock?. The opposite, making your blocks harder to escape → see How do I stop myself from getting around my own blocks?.
1. A Scheduled Block or Block Now is running: take a Pause
If the block currently on your apps is a Scheduled Block or Block Now and breaks are allowed on it, tap Pause on the My current block widget on the Detox home screen to use your app for a few minutes; the block resumes on its own afterward. Full steps: What are Breaks?.
2. Auto Block hasn't fired yet: use Snooze
If Auto Block is your active block and it hasn't triggered yet, open Detox and tap Snooze on the My current block widget before it fires, so you can use a monitored app without getting blocked. Snooze only works with Auto Block, and only before the block starts. Full steps: What is Snooze?.
3. Nothing above fits, or it's a real emergency: Urgent Unblock
If you're already blocked and neither a Pause nor a Snooze applies, and you genuinely can't wait, use Urgent Unblock in Detox → Settings, once every 24 hours per device. This is the last resort. Full steps: What is Urgent Unblock?.
If none of these applies
If you've already blocked yourself, breaks aren't allowed on that block, and Snooze no longer applies because Auto Block has already fired, the intended path is to wait the block out. Urgent Unblock is there for genuine emergencies, not routine access, and it's capped at one use every 24 hours per device.
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Updated on: 15/07/2026
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