StepLimit is a one-person project. We read every message and reply within 2 business days.
Frequently asked questions
The app I picked isn't actually getting blocked.
StepLimit blocks apps through Apple's Screen Time / FamilyControls system. A few things to check:
In iOS Settings → Screen Time, confirm Screen Time is turned on and that StepLimit appears under Apps with Screen Time access.
Open StepLimit → Settings → Apps to limit, and confirm the apps you picked still show up there. If you reinstalled the OS or restored from a backup, the app picker selection can be lost — re-pick them.
Check your remaining earned time. Apps stay available while your balance is positive and block again when it runs out.
If you have grace passes remaining, you can be opening the app through one without realizing — check the grace pass counter on the Home tab.
How do I block websites, including in Firefox?
In StepLimit 1.1.0 or later, open Settings → Website blocking. Add Reddit or Facebook with the quick picks, or enter your own domains. You can prepare and save your list on Free. Activating blocking requires Premium, including an active trial: turn on Follow app limits and tap Save.
Select at least one app, category, or website in the regular Screen Time picker first. Your chosen domains block when those app limits apply, and unlock with earned time or a grace pass. Choosing an app does not automatically add its website. Adding a domain here does not track time spent on that site.
The list supports up to 50 domains, such as reddit.com, without URLs, paths, ports, or wildcards. Browser support depends on iOS and the browser version. Reload the page or try a new tab when testing. If a site uses another address, add that address too.
While websites are blocked, Apple's filter disables Safari Private Browsing. Use Turn off now to remove this feature's filter; other Screen Time restrictions may still apply. Your list stays on-device. If Premium expires, filtering stops when the app or its background monitor next checks access, and your choices are kept for a future subscription.
My steps aren't updating, or the count looks wrong.
Step data comes from Apple HealthKit. StepLimit can only see what HealthKit reports.
Open the Health app → Browse → Activity → Steps. If the count there is wrong or stale, the issue is with iOS / your iPhone or Watch — not StepLimit.
In iOS Settings → Health → Data Access & Devices → StepLimit, make sure Steps is allowed.
If you carry your phone in a bag or only wear an Apple Watch, only Watch steps count — and they sync to HealthKit on a delay (sometimes 15+ minutes).
Force-quit StepLimit and reopen it. The widget refreshes on a schedule controlled by iOS, so widget counts can lag the main app briefly.
I subscribed to Premium but the app still says I'm on Free.
This is almost always a sync timing issue with the App Store:
Open StepLimit → Settings → tap Restore Purchases. This re-queries the App Store for your active subscriptions.
Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple ID that made the purchase (iOS Settings → your name at the top).
If you just subscribed, sandbox or family-sharing transactions can take a minute or two to propagate.
If Restore Purchases doesn't fix it, send us a message below with the email on your Apple ID and the approximate purchase time and we'll look into it.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Subscriptions are managed by Apple, not by us. To cancel:
Open iOS Settings → tap your name at the top.
Tap Subscriptions.
Tap StepLimit Premium → Cancel Subscription.
Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period — you keep Premium until then. We don't store payment info on our side, and we have no way to issue refunds; refund requests go through reportaproblem.apple.com.
My Apple Watch isn't syncing with StepLimit.
The Watch companion mirrors the iPhone app — it doesn't track steps independently. For the Watch tile to show today's progress:
The Watch app needs to be installed (iPhone → Watch app → Available Apps → StepLimit → Install).
Open StepLimit on the iPhone at least once after installing the Watch app, so initial state can sync.
If steps look stale on the Watch, swipe down on the Watch face to force a sync, or open the iPhone app briefly.
I accidentally denied a permission during onboarding — can I fix it?
Yes. Permissions are managed by iOS, not by StepLimit:
HealthKit (steps): iOS Settings → Health → Data Access & Devices → StepLimit.
Screen Time / FamilyControls (app blocking): iOS Settings → Screen Time → Apps with Screen Time access.
After re-enabling, open StepLimit and the affected features will pick the change up automatically.
How do I delete my data?
StepLimit doesn't have an account or server, so there's nothing for us to delete on our end. Everything is stored on-device through HealthKit, Screen Time, and the app's local database.
Delete the app from your iPhone. iOS automatically removes its local database and any Screen Time restrictions it had set.
Your HealthKit step data stays in the Health app and is owned by you — to remove it, use the Health app directly.
Crash diagnostics sent via Sentry (anonymous, no behavioral tracking) are retained for 90 days and then deleted automatically. See the Privacy Policy for details.
What are grace passes and how do they work?
A grace pass pauses your app restrictions and Premium website blocking until the next daily reset in the early morning. Free includes 3 passes per month; Premium includes 6. Unused passes do not roll over.
A pass does not change your step count.
Still need help?
Send us a message and we'll get back to you. We don't run an account system, so please include your Apple ID email if your question is about a purchase.