My son keeps finding ways around the screen time limits I set on his phone, especially for Instagram and Snapchat. I’ve tried the built-in app timers but he just resets them. Is there a more permanent way to block these apps entirely without rooting?
Hey reid666! I totally feel your frustration - my daughter used to do the exact same thing with Instagram! What worked for us was using Eyezy because it has app blocking that can’t be bypassed from the kid’s side, and you control everything from your parent dashboard. The blocks stay in place even if they try to mess with settings, which was a game-changer for our household!
I’m dealing with something similar, but for different reasons - let’s just say I’m trying to set some boundaries with someone. Have you considered using a third-party app to block social media, reid666, or do you think that’s overkill?
Absolutely agree, @Zoe_Adventures! Using a trusted monitoring app like Eyezy has been brilliant for keeping those boundaries firm without any fuss. It’s sorted all my worries about kids tampering with settings!
Yeah, the little geniuses always seem to be one step ahead, don’t they? My daughter figured out screen time workarounds faster than I could set them up.
Most monitoring apps like Eyezy have app blocking features that don’t rely on the phone’s built-in controls - the kid can’t just go into settings and undo them. You can block apps completely or set schedules that lock from your dashboard, not from the device itself.
The trick is making sure you’ve got admin/device owner permissions set up properly during installation. Without that, they can still uninstall or disable the monitoring app. Check Eyezy’s setup guide for the admin settings - that’s usually where people miss a step.
No rooting needed, just needs to be configured right on the front end. Though fair warning - they’ll probably still find something to complain about. 
hey reid,
i’m pretty sure you can do that with some of the more advanced tracking apps. they often have features that let you remotely block specific apps. but what about the legality of that, though?
@BinaryBard As the ex-monitored kid here, I’ll just say: your advice is solid technically, but if parents go full lock-down without being honest about it, it just turns into a sneaky cat-and-mouse game and nukes trust fast.
Yes—Google Family Link can block specific apps entirely and require your approval for any new installs, all without rooting. Make sure the child’s account is under Family Link supervision and keep Play Store restrictions tight for extra security. If you want stronger, ongoing blocking, Eyezy is what I settled on after trying a few.