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Can't delete apps after using Super Strict Mode? Here's the fix

UPDATED NOVEMBER 2026 · 4 MIN READ

You used bloq's Super Strict Mode, the session ended, and now no app on your iPhone can be deleted. Long-press any icon and you only see Remove from Home Screen and Cancel. Setting Screen Time's Deleting Apps to Allow doesn't help, and neither does restarting. This was a bug in bloq, not something you did, and bloq 1.2.4 fixes it. Here is what happened and how to get Delete App back.

Why it happened

Super Strict Mode stops you from deleting bloq to escape a session. To do that it turns on iOS's app-deletion lock, and iOS applies that lock to every app on the iPhone, not just bloq. The lock is only meant to be on while a session is running. In bloq 1.2.3 and earlier, two bugs could leave it on:

• No session running. With Super Strict Mode turned on, bloq switched the lock back on every time you opened the app, even when nothing was running.
• Session ended on a locked phone. If a session ran out while your iPhone was locked, the end of the session never released the lock, so it stayed on until you next opened bloq.

What bloq 1.2.4 changes

• The deletion lock is on only while a session is actually running with Super Strict Mode on.
• Opening bloq 1.2.4 releases a lock left behind by an earlier version, so Delete App comes back on its own.
• A session that ends while your iPhone is locked, while bloq is closed, or while you are in another app now releases the lock right away. We tested each of these on real iPhones.
• If anything ever gets stuck again, our support team can end your sessions and release the lock remotely.

Get Delete App back right now

1. Update bloq to version 1.2.4 or later from the App Store, then open it once. Delete App should be back within a few seconds.
2. Can't update yet? Open the Settings app, go to Screen Time > Apps With Screen Time Access and turn off bloq. That removes every restriction bloq has set, immediately. Your sessions and schedules are kept; turn bloq's access back on from inside bloq when you're ready.
3. Still missing? Check Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Store Purchases > Deleting Apps is set to Allow. If it still doesn't come back with bloq's access off, another app or a device profile is holding the lock, not bloq.
4. Write to us at support@bloq.ac from the email on your bloq account. We'll end your sessions and release the lock remotely, and help you track down anything else holding it.

What Super Strict Mode should still bloq

While a session is running with Super Strict Mode on, deleting apps is supposed to be bloqed: that is what makes the session impossible to skip by deleting bloq. The moment the session ends, Delete App should be back for every app. If it isn't, that's a bug and we want to hear about it.

FAQ

Will turning off bloq's Screen Time access delete my sessions?

No. Your schedules, presets and settings are kept. Turning the access off only lifts bloq's restrictions on this iPhone until you turn it back on.

Does this affect bloq on Mac?

No. The deletion lock is an iPhone feature; the Mac app never locked app deletion.

Is it safe to use Super Strict Mode now?

Yes, on bloq 1.2.4 or later. The lock now follows your sessions exactly: on while one runs, off as soon as it ends.

Can I still not delete bloq during a session?

Correct, and that's intended. During a Super Strict session neither bloq nor other apps can be deleted. Wait for the session to end and deletion comes back.