Support for Cactus

TL;DR

Cactus blocks apps and websites on a schedule you set. It runs on your iPhone using Apple's Screen Time, even when the app is closed. Nothing leaves your device. No accounts, no tracking, no ads, no analytics, no notifications. Your rules and schedules stay local.

Questions? Email support@cactusblock.com.

FAQ

1. What does Cactus actually block?

Apps, websites, and categories you pick from Apple's system picker. Website blocking only works in Safari and other WebKit browsers. Chrome, Brave, and in-app browsers slip through.

2. Does the app need to be open for blocks to work?

No. Even if you force-quit Cactus, rules still fire on time.

3. Can I have more than one schedule per rule?

Yes. One rule can hold several time blocks, like weekdays 9 to 5 and weekends 10pm to 6am, sharing the same blocked apps.

4. What's a break budget?

A small daily pool of unlock minutes per rule. Default is 2, options are 0, 2, 5, 10, or 15. Unlocking starts the timer. Lock early and the leftover is saved for later that day. At 0 there's no way to unlock at all. Resets at midnight.

5. How does unlocking work?

Tap Unlock, then type the quote shown on screen (forgiving on caps and punctuation). The block lifts for whatever's left of your budget, then locks itself again. Same gate guards Delete and Unlock all.

6. Can I edit a rule while it's active?

You can add apps but not remove any until the rule goes inactive. Delete is also off-limits on an active rule, so you can't gut a rule mid-block.

7. What's Unlock all / Lock all?

A shortcut in the home screen menu. Unlock all pauses every active rule at once. Lock all re-locks everything and saves whatever budget is left.

8. What's the minimum schedule length?

15 minutes. Anything shorter won't save.

9. Does Cactus track me or send notifications?

No tracking, no ads, no notifications. Data stays on your device.

10. What iOS version do I need?

iOS 16 or newer. A bit of extra visual polish shows up on iOS 26.

Privacy

We don't collect your personal data, track you, or use analytics. Your schedules and block rules stay on your iPhone only. There's no account to create and no Cactus server for your data to land on.

Cactus uses Apple's Screen Time APIs (Family Controls, Managed Settings, Device Activity) to apply your blocks. You authorize access in Settings, and the apps, websites, and categories you pick are stored as system tokens on your device. Enforcement happens through iOS itself.

Your rules (what to block, which days, start and end times, optional names, pause state) live in shared local storage so the app and its background helpers can read the same schedule. This data is not synced anywhere. Removing Cactus removes that data from the app's container, subject to how iOS manages app data.

We have deliberately chosen not to integrate any analytics or crash reporting that phones home. No Firebase, no Mixpanel, no Amplitude. We've heavily tested Cactus and poured hours in making sure it works as intended. We trust that if something breaks, we learn about it from people who reach out.