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Common Issues

Apps are not being paused or blocked (iPhone)

Resurface needs Screen Time access, which you allow when you first set it up. Check that Screen Time is turned on in Settings and that Resurface still has access. A session or schedule must be running for protection to apply. Pause and Focus use your Distraction list; Offline keeps your Essential apps open and blocks other apps where the system allows it. Schedules can have their own app selections, so check the running schedule too.

Apps are not being paused or blocked (Android)

Resurface needs Usage access and its Accessibility service. Open Settings › Accessibility and turn on Resurface under Installed apps, and allow Usage access for Resurface. Some phones stop apps in the background to save battery: set Resurface’s battery use to Unrestricted, and on Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, or Samsung phones also allow it to start automatically. A blocked app may show for a moment before the pause or shield screen appears.

Tapping Wait on the shield does nothing (iPhone)

In Resurface, Wait sends a notification that takes you to the waiting screen. Tap it to start your wait. When the countdown finishes, choose how long to unlock the app and tap “Open for”, then return to the app you wanted to use. Allow notifications for Resurface in Settings, and leave Time Sensitive notifications on so they can come through during a Focus mode. If notifications are off or you miss the notification, open Resurface yourself after tapping Wait to continue.

A whole category unlocks at once (iPhone)

When you add a category such as Social, iOS gives Resurface the category but not the apps in it, so waiting or unlocking applies to the whole category. To unlock one app at a time, add apps individually instead.

“Too many apps” (iPhone)

Resurface limits individual app selections to 49 to keep protection reliable. On your Distraction list, remove some apps or select whole categories instead. On your Essential list, selecting a category also selects its apps, and those apps still count toward the limit: reduce the selection to 49 apps or fewer. Apps added only to a schedule also count toward its limit.

My screen time looks different from Settings

Resurface counts only the apps on your Distraction list, in your device’s time zone, with weeks starting on Sunday. On iPhone, it counts this kind of device only: an iPhone counts iPhones, not an iPad signed in to the same Apple Account. If Share Across Devices is on for several iPhones, iOS combines their usage.

I can’t end Offline

Offline runs until its end time and keeps only your Essential apps open. If something urgent comes up, use an emergency exit on the home screen. You get 3 each week. Add any app you may need, such as Phone, Messages, or Maps, to your Essential list before starting Offline, and check the allowed apps in any Offline schedule. Emergency exits reset on Sunday. To use one, hold its button for 3 seconds. With VoiceOver, TalkBack, or a keyboard, activate the button twice instead: the first time readies the exit, the second uses it. System apps such as the phone or Settings may remain available even when they are not on your list, depending on your device.

I can’t delete apps (iPhone)

If you turned on Delete protection in Resurface’s Settings, iOS prevents app deletion, including deleting Resurface, while Pause, Focus, or Offline is running. This setting is available on the free plan too, and its switch cannot be changed while protection is running. Once all running sessions and schedules have ended, deletion is allowed again. You can then turn off Delete protection before starting another session. Offline can only be left early through an available emergency exit.

I passed my Daily goal, but apps are still open

Daily goal is a target for time spent on your Distraction list. Going over it does not block apps. Start Pause, Focus, or Offline, or set a schedule, to apply protection.

Videos on the free plan

Starting Focus or Offline manually, or turning on a Focus or Offline schedule, uses one reward. If you have an unused reward, you do not need another video to start. A video can also unlock Review’s month view for 24 hours. You can receive up to 5 rewards each local calendar day, and unused rewards carry over, up to a balance of 5. Pause does not need a reward.

Videos depend on ad availability, your connection, and your privacy choices. If no video can be served when you request a reward, Resurface grants the reward anyway; it still counts toward your daily limit. Closing a video before earning its reward does not grant one. Pro removes ads and the need for rewards.

Schedules on the free plan

On the free plan, one schedule can be on at a time. It runs once, at its next start, then switches off. A Pause schedule needs no video; turning on a Focus or Offline schedule uses one reward for that run. Pro lets schedules repeat on the days you pick and run several at once. If Pro ends, schedules the free plan can’t run are switched off the next time you open Resurface, and renewing Pro turns them back on. A schedule can select its own apps, so review what it blocks or leaves open before saving it.

Pro and purchases

If you already purchased Pro, open Settings in the app and tap Restore purchases. To cancel or change a subscription, use your Apple Account or Google Play subscription settings.

Privacy

Your screen time, your app lists, and your schedules stay on your phone and are never uploaded to our servers. On iPhone, Apple keeps even the names of the apps you choose private from Resurface.