> ## 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).

# Why are some of my app icons blank or white?

If some Home Screen icons turned into blank white squares (a faint grid pattern, or an icon that doesn't respond to taps) around the time a block started or ended, the apps themselves are fine and nothing was deleted. The fastest fix: long-press the broken icon, tap **Remove App**, then **Remove from Home Screen**, and drag the app back from the **App Library**. Restarting your iPhone also fixes it. The cause is a known iOS bug (iOS 26.2 and later) triggered when a **Strict Mode** block starts or ends. It is not Detox's block screen, and it is not related to which apps you block: it hits Apple's built-in apps (like Safari, Health, Camera or Clock) even when they are not in any of your groups.

> If you meant something else: **your apps aren't blocking when they should** → see [Detox isn't blocking my apps. How do I fix it?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/detox-isnt-blocking-my-apps-how-do-i-fix-it-1wtcxxr/). **Detox is blocking an app you didn't expect** → see [Detox is blocking an app I didn't mean to block. How do I fix it?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/detox-is-blocking-an-app-i-didnt-mean-to-block-how-do-i-fix-it-1i4yw1w/). **you can't delete Detox** → see [Why can't I uninstall Detox?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/why-cant-i-uninstall-detox-leo5tb/).

## What it looks like

One or more icons on your Home Screen turn into a white placeholder, and tapping them may do nothing. It is always Apple's built-in apps, and usually the same ones each time. The apps still work: you can open them from the **App Library** or from search. It tends to happen right when a **Scheduled Block** or **Block Now** session with **Strict Mode** starts or ends, and a restart fixes it until the next time.

## Why it happens

When a **Strict Mode** block starts, Detox asks iOS to prevent app deletion for the duration of the block, and releases that protection when the block ends. Since iOS 26.2, applying or releasing that protection makes iOS redraw the Home Screen, and that redraw sometimes breaks the icons of built-in Apple apps. This is an iOS bug, not something in your setup: it affects every screen time app that offers an uninstall lock, and it has been reported to Apple. Until Apple fixes it in an iOS update, the workarounds below are the only options.

Because this is not a blocking problem, **Reset your blocks** and **Reconnect Screen Time** won't help here. Your blocks keep working normally the whole time.

## How to fix a broken icon

1. **Re-add the icon.** Long-press the broken icon, tap **Remove App**, then **Remove from Home Screen** (not Delete App). Open the **App Library**, find the app, and drag it back to your Home Screen.
2. **Or restart your iPhone.** Icons come back to normal after a reboot.
3. **If it keeps coming back and bothers you**, turn off **Strict Mode** on the block that triggers it. Your block still runs normally; you lose the uninstall lock while it is active. See [What is Strict Mode?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/what-is-strict-mode-1xqv27s/) for what the toggle does.

## Related

- [What is Strict Mode?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/what-is-strict-mode-1xqv27s/)
- [Detox isn't blocking my apps. How do I fix it?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/detox-isnt-blocking-my-apps-how-do-i-fix-it-1wtcxxr/)
- [Why can't I uninstall Detox?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/why-cant-i-uninstall-detox-leo5tb/)
- [What are Scheduled Blocks?](https://help.detox.so/en/article/what-are-scheduled-blocks-1h4fbrr/)