> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.detox.so/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# What are App Groups?

App Groups let you save more than one set of apps and websites, so different blocks can cover different apps. You create and manage them in the **Settings** tab, under **Monitored Apps**. Each group is a named set with its own emoji, and when you start a Scheduled Block or a Block Now, you choose which group it blocks.

An App Group is a set of apps, **not a block on its own**. You still create an **Auto Block**, a **Scheduled Block**, or a **Block Now**; App Groups just let each one target a different set of apps instead of every block sharing one list. It is also not the same as a **category** (like Social or Games), which is a single item you can add inside a group from Apple's picker.

> If you meant something else: a recurring time-window block → see [What are Scheduled Blocks?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/what-are-scheduled-blocks-1h4fbrr/). Block apps right now for a set time → see [What is Block Now?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/what-is-block-now-1ik0nma/). The always-on background block → see [What is Auto Block?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/what-is-auto-block-1t86axm/).

## Your initial group

Before App Groups, you had one list of monitored apps. That list is now your **initial group**, shown as "Your initial group" (or "My apps" if you have not named it). Nothing changed about what it blocks. It is simply the first group, and your **Auto Block** uses it.

Your initial group cannot be deleted for now. That limit is temporary and will change in a later update. You can rename it and edit its apps at any time; you just cannot remove it yet.

## Creating a group

1. Open Detox and go to the **Settings** tab.
2. Tap the **Monitored Apps** card. This opens your list of groups.
3. Tap **New Group**.
4. Give it an emoji and a name, like 🎮 Games or 📱 Social.
5. Add what it should block:
   - **Apps, categories, and websites** through Apple's picker, the same picker you already use for monitored apps.
   - **Custom Websites** you type in yourself.
   - The **Block Adult Websites** toggle, which now applies per group.
6. Save. A group needs at least one app, category, or website before you can save it.

Each group keeps its own apps, custom websites, and adult-filter setting. Editing your initial group's apps takes effect right away on any block currently using it.

## Choosing a group when you block

When you create a **Scheduled Block** or a **Block Now**, Detox asks **Which apps?** and you pick one of:

- **A group** you have created, or
- **Just these apps**, a one-off selection for that single block that is not saved as a group.

You have to choose before you can save or start the block. Your **Auto Block** always uses your initial group, so to change what Auto Block watches, edit that group.

Choosing a different group per schedule is what lets you block different apps at different times. See [Can I block different apps at different times?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/can-i-block-different-apps-at-different-times-44r15s/) for a full walk-through.

## Limits to know

- You can have up to **10 blocks total** across your Auto Block and your Scheduled Blocks. Block Now and screen-time tracking do not count toward that number.
- You have **one Auto Block**, tied to your initial group. More Auto Blocks are marked **Coming Soon** in the app and are not available yet.
- Deleting a group also deletes the Scheduled Blocks and the Auto Block attached to it. Detox warns you and names how many before you confirm. Your initial group cannot be deleted (see above).

## Screen time with more than one group

With a single group, screen-time tracking stays tied to your Auto Block, the same as before. Once you create a second group, a separate **Screen Time** section appears in your **Settings** tab, so tracking is no longer pinned to one group. See [How does Screen Time tracking work?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/how-does-screen-time-tracking-work-r8724j/) for the details.

## What App Groups don't do

- They don't give you more than one Auto Block yet. The Auto Block stays single and tied to your initial group.
- They don't show per-group time. Detox reports your overall screen time, not a breakdown of how long you spent on each group.
- They don't sync between devices. Groups, like the rest of your block setup, are configured per device.

## Related

- [How do I block specific apps and websites?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/how-do-i-block-specific-apps-and-websites-ia7co5/)
- [What are Scheduled Blocks?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/what-are-scheduled-blocks-1h4fbrr/)
- [What is Block Now?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/what-is-block-now-1ik0nma/)
- [What is Auto Block?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/what-is-auto-block-1t86axm/)
- [Can I block different apps at different times?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/can-i-block-different-apps-at-different-times-44r15s/)