Articles on: Advanced features

What is Urgent Unblock?

Urgent Unblock is Detox's last-resort emergency release. It instantly ends every currently active block (Auto Block, Scheduled, or Block Now) in one tap. Limit: one use every 24 hours per device. You'll find it in Detox → Settings → Urgent Unblock.


Urgent Unblock is not the same as Snooze (which pauses Auto Block before it fires) or Pause/Breaks (which pause one actively-running block for a few minutes). Use Urgent Unblock only when you need every block off right now and can't wait out the duration.


If you meant something else: Pause Auto Block monitoring before a block fires → see What is Snooze?. Pause one running Scheduled Block or Block Now for a few minutes → see What are Breaks?.


How it works


When you trigger Urgent Unblock, Detox releases every currently active block in one shot. Your block configurations stay untouched, only the current occurrence is ended:


  • Scheduled Blocks come back on their next scheduled day.
  • Block Now sessions are terminated.
  • Auto Block monitoring continues normally; if it fired the current block, the counter resets and monitoring picks up from there.


Urgent Unblock works even when a Strict Mode block is active. Strict Mode is meant to keep you committed during normal life, but it's not designed to lock you out in a real emergency.


Using Urgent Unblock


  1. Open Detox and go to the Settings tab.
  2. Tap the Urgent Unblock card.
  3. The Urgent Unblock sheet opens. If you've used yours in the past 24 hours, the button is disabled and a countdown shows when the next one is available.
  4. If it's available, tap Unblock your apps.
  5. Confirm in the alert: Are you sure you want to unblock your apps? You can do it only once every 24 hours. Tap Unblock.
  6. Your apps unblock immediately and the sheet dismisses.


After use, the sheet shows: You've already used your emergency unblock. The next one will be available soon.


When you've already used today's


If you've used your 24-hour Urgent Unblock and you're still locked out, you can ask us through the in-app chat:


  1. Open Detox and go to the Settings tab.
  2. Tap Problems with Blocks?
  3. Tap Something else to open the chat.
  4. Tell us: "I've used my Urgent Unblock today and I'm still locked out."


We can release your apps remotely from our side. The remote unblock takes effect the next time you open Detox.


What Urgent Unblock doesn't do


  • It doesn't modify your block configurations. Your Auto Block threshold, Scheduled Blocks, and Monitored Apps are all unchanged.
  • It doesn't sync across your devices. If you have Detox on iPhone and iPad, each device has its own independent 24-hour cooldown.
  • It doesn't bypass Strict Mode permanently. Strict Mode still applies to future blocks; you've just released the current one.
  • It doesn't extend itself. There's no way to "save up" extra uses or use two in a row. The 24 hours start from your last use.
  • It isn't the right option for avoiding a block ahead of time. If you know you'll need a few minutes on a monitored app before Auto Block fires, use Snooze from the home screen instead. If you want to interrupt a running Scheduled Block or Block Now, use a Break (when breaks are allowed on that block).



  • What is Auto Block?
  • What are Scheduled Blocks?
  • What is Block Now?
  • What is Strict Mode?


Updated on: 23/05/2026

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