Fella Support
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Screen Time &
Permissions
Fella runs on Apple's Screen Time frameworks. A locked passcode or a misconfigured permission is the most common reason blocking stops working.
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Choosing What
To Block
Pick the specific apps and categories that pull your attention away, and leave the ones you rely on for work or communication untouched.
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Blocking isn't working
Two things have to be true at the same time. Fella needs Screen Time permission, and the app or category needs to actually be selected inside it. Miss either one and nothing blocks. There's no third setting hiding somewhere.
The most common cause is a permission that got silently revoked. iOS sometimes resets Screen Time authorization after a major update, after restoring from backup, or after you've unenrolled and re-enrolled a device in Family Sharing. Fella keeps working with the old permission until the next block check, so it can look fine for a while before it quietly stops.
- Go to Settings, then Screen Time, and confirm Fella has permission.
- Inside Fella, confirm the apps you want gone are actually selected, not just browsed. Selecting a whole category doesn't automatically include apps you added to it later.
Both checked out and it's still not blocking? That's a real bug on our end, not a setup issue. Email us.
Emergency unlock
one 5-minute emergency unlock per session, once per session. When it runs out, Fella locks the selected apps again automatically. No snoozing it, no second window. A session ends when the 5 minutes run out or when you manually re-lock early, whichever happens first, and a new one becomes available the next time you need it. It doesn't reset on a fixed daily clock.
If the reset timing or the re-lock feels off on your device, the emergency unlock guide covers the edge cases, including what happens if you force quit Fella mid unlock.
Subscriptions and billing
Fella+ runs through Apple's billing, not ours. We never see your card, and we can't override a receipt on our side.
- For renewals, cancellations, or refunds, go to Settings, then your name, then Subscriptions, or use the App Store.
- Subscription active with Apple but Fella still shows locked? That's a sync issue we can fix directly. Email us with your Apple ID email.
Most access mismatches come down to Apple's own receipt delivery lag, which can take a few minutes after a purchase or renewal to reach Fella. If it's been longer than that, or if you cancelled during the trial but were still charged, send us the receipt from your Apple ID purchase history so we can confirm what Apple actually recorded on their end.
Screen Time and permissions
Fella has no blocking engine of its own. It's built entirely on Apple's Screen Time APIs. A locked Screen Time passcode or a quietly revoked permission is the single most common reason Fella stops working overnight with no warning. Forgot the passcode itself? Here's how to reset it.
Worth knowing if you're on Family Sharing: the Screen Time passcode is separate from your device passcode, and on a child account it's usually set by the organizer, not you. If Screen Time was ever turned off completely rather than just restricted, Fella has nothing to attach its blocks to, and reinstalling won't fix that on its own. Turning Screen Time back on and re-granting permission from inside Fella will.
Frequently asked questions
Check that Screen Time permissions are enabled for Fella in iOS Settings, then confirm the apps or categories you want blocked are actually selected inside Fella. Both have to be true for blocking to take effect.
Fella gives one 5-minute emergency unlock per session window per session, then locks the selected apps again automatically. If it isn't resetting daily or the window feels off, email support with your device model and iOS version.
Fella+ subscriptions are billed and managed through Apple. Check your Apple ID subscriptions in iOS Settings or the App Store for renewal, cancellation, and refund issues. Email support if you still need help with access after checking there.
Include your device model, iOS version, and exactly what you were trying to do when the issue happened. That's usually enough to diagnose the problem on the first reply.
Still stuck?
Email [email protected] with your device model, iOS version, and exactly what you were doing when it broke. That's enough for a real answer, not a form reply. For privacy requests or anything that isn't a support issue, use the contact page instead.