What is a rule on Jomo?
Want to learn everything about Jomo's rules? This guide is for you!
Jomo’s blocking rules help you manage distractions on your phone or computer, so you can focus on what truly matters.
Jomo is currently one of the most advanced screen time apps in the world. That means you’ll find plenty of options and settings. But don’t worry: even if it seems complex, Jomo is still simple and easy to use!
This guide covers everything you need to know about Jomo’s rules. It will help you set up your Jomo to create effective rules that support you in the long run.
How a Jomo rule works
Add a rule
Add a rule template
Choose apps and websites to block
Breaks
Strict mode
Choose a timing
The “If” section (Limits/Actions)
Check if a rule is blocking
Edit a rule
Snooze a session
Delete a rule
⚙️ How a Jomo rule works
No matter what rule you want to set up, the system works the same way.
1. You choose the blocking conditions (3 types of rules)
Sessions: Block apps for a specific time period, such as 30 minutes, 7 days, or from 9 AM to 5 PM on weekdays.
Limits: Block apps after reaching a maximum usage time or a certain number of opens.
Actions: Block apps until you complete a specific action (e.g., walking, running, spending X minutes on another app).
2. You select the content to block (apps, websites, keywords)
3. You adjust the difficulty of the block
Breaks: Decide whether you can temporarily unlock the blocked apps and websites.
Strict Mode: If enabled, you won’t be able to modify or delete your rule.
➕ Add a rule
Everything related to app blocking can be found in the "Rules" tab. There, you'll see options to add new rules, view your existing ones (active or upcoming), and customize rule settings.
To add a new rule:
Tap the ➕ button in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Select a type of rule from the menu that appears.
Configure the rule according to your preferences.
Tap "Start" or "Schedule" to add the rule!
🗃️ Add a rule template
Rule templates allow you to save your configurations, making it easy to reuse them later. For example, you can create a template for a short blocking session that you can start with a single tap whenever you want to focus. Templates can also be used with Siri Shortcuts and Focus filters (Do Not Disturb, etc.).
To add a new rule template:
Go to the "Rules" tab.
In the "Templates" section at the bottom, tap the "+ Add" button next to the section title.
Set up the rule template according to your preferences.
Tap "Create template" to add the rule template!
💡 Jomo includes several default templates in the "Templates" section. Feel free to check them out!
Choose apps and websites to block
📱 iOS
With Jomo iOS, you can block any app, website, or category on your iPhone/iPad. To select what to block, tap “Apps & Websites” in the rule's detail screen.
Choose whether to block only certain apps/websites ("Only") or everything except the selected ones ("All Except").
Select apps and websites (Safari only) to block or exclude. This selector is managed by Apple, so we don't control the available options.
Use the blocked content of an existing app group. These groups are lists of apps and websites to block, reusable across multiple rules. Go to "Rules > Rule Settings > App Groups" to add or modify an app group.
Block websites across all browsers and access advanced options (e.g., block adult content, App Store purchases, app installation).
⚠️ You can select or exclude as many categories as you want. However, you can only select or exclude up to 49 individual apps and 49 websites. This limit applies across all your rules and is a technical restriction imposed by Apple (applicable to all third-party screen time apps).
To go further:
How to block websites on iPhone/iPad with Jomo?
How to block apps without Apple's Screen Time?
How to block the Settings app?
🖥️ Mac
With Jomo Mac, you can block any app or website on your Mac. To select what to block, tap “Apps & Websites” in the rule's detail screen.
Choose apps to block. You can block specific apps or everything except the selected ones.
Choose websites to block. Website blocking on Jomo Mac is really powerful, offering options like categories, wildcards, exceptions, and more. For more details, check out our dedicated article.
Choose keywords to block. If a keyword appears in the URL of a web page, it will be blocked.
Use the blocked content of an existing app group. These groups are lists of apps and websites to block, reusable across multiple rules. Go to "Rules > Rule Settings > App Groups" to add or modify an app group.
To go further:
How to block websites on Mac with Jomo?
How to exclude websites from blocking on your Mac using Jomo?
How to block keywords in your browser with Jomo?
How to grant permission to block websites on Jomo Mac?
⏸️ Breaks
Do you want to take a short break to access blocked apps without getting completely distracted? That’s exactly what breaks are for! They help you use your phone or computer consciously and intentionally.
Most Jomo rules allow you to take breaks. Simply enable the "Breaks" option in the rule’s detail screen.
You can adjust how breaks work to make it easy or hard to access blocked apps.
Choose the maximum number of breaks you can take.
Select a quick exercise to do before each break: waiting, writing an intention, scanning a tag, etc.
Limit the duration of each break.
Set a delay between consecutive breaks.
If your rule is blocking, there are two ways to start a break.
Open an app or site currently blocked by Jomo. If breaks are allowed, you'll see an "Unlock" button. Tap it to go to the break screen in Jomo.
Open the Jomo app on your iPhone or iPad. Go to the "Rules" tab. Find the rule you want and press "Pause". The break screen will pop up.
💡 On rare occasions, the "Unlock" button won’t show on the block screen. In that case, use method 2 to take a break.
🛡️ Strict Mode
Do you tend to bypass your blocking rules? If so, Strict Mode is made for you! When Strict Mode is active, you can’t change or delete your blocking rule. Check out our dedicated article to learn more.
🕘 Choose a timing
You can choose when your rules are active. You have three options, but they are not available for all Jomo rules.
Immediate: The rule will be active right away for the specified duration.
Scheduled: Choose the specific time and days of the week when your rule will be active.
Always on: The rule will remain active until you manually disable it.
💡 For sessions, all three options are available. For limits and actions, only the "Scheduled" option is available, and the time may not always be configurable.
✅ The "If" section (Limits/Actions)
If your blocking rule is a limit or an action, an "If" section will appear on the detail screen. In this section, you can configure all the settings related to your limit or action.
For example, in the case of a time limit, you can set the budget, reminders, and when your limit resets. If your rule is an action that unlocks your apps after a certain number of steps, you can define the step count and manage Apple Health permissions.
🔴 Check if a rule is blocking
One or more apps are blocked, but you don't know which rule is responsible? Here’s how to find out.
On Jomo
Open Jomo and go to "Rules".
If a rule is marked "Blocking", it means that it's actively blocking content.
On your blocked app
Open the currently blocked app.
Check the message at the bottom of the screen. It will tell you which rule is currently blocking the app.
⚠️ If you're unsure why an app or website is blocked, make sure it's Jomo that's blocking your content and not another screen time app.
👁️ Our blocking screens are easy to recognize: two emojis at the top with a sticker effect, a quote, and the blocking rule mentioned at the bottom. If that's not the case, check your other screen time apps and contact their support team.
🛠️ Having trouble with blocking? Check out our dedicated article.
✏️ Edit a rule
To modify an existing rule:
In the "Rules" tab, tap on the card corresponding to your rule.
Make your changes.
Tap "Save" in the top-right corner to validate.
💤 Snooze a session
Your schedule is changing or you are going on vacation? Don’t delete your session—just temporarily deactivate it. Here’s how:
In the "Rules" tab, tap on the card corresponding to your session.
Scroll to the bottom of the screen and wait for 5 seconds.
Tap on "Snooze".
You can snooze the session until the end of the current interval ("Just this once") or until you manually reactivate it ("Until I reactivate it").
💡 Want to avoid deactivating your session too easily? Go to "Rules > Rule Settings > Quotas" to limit the number of allowed snoozes.
❌ Delete a rule
Changed your mind and want to delete your rule? Don't worry, here's how:
In the "Rules" tab, tap the card corresponding to your rule.
Scroll to the bottom of the screen and wait for 5 seconds.
Tap "Delete".
In the alert, press "Yes, I want to delete it".
💡 Your rule is locked by Strict Mode? Use emergency mode to delete it.
👋 Got any feedback or questions for us?
Do you have feedback about blocking rules? No problem, our community feedback board is here for that. Vote, comment, or suggest ideas to improve Jomo!
If you have any questions about blocking rules, you can contact us directly through the app (Profile > Messages > Chat with us) or at hello@jomo.so.
Updated on: 17/10/2024
Thank you!