How do we prevent turning off 'Screen Time Access'? {SOLVED}

@FlowstateFrysian you are a hero :man_superhero: ! Thank you. Just updated the FAQ to make it clearer: Opal FAQ | How To Lock Opal's Screen Time Access (and removed the video for now).

Please note: Apple changed a lot of the UI of the Shortcuts app with iOS17 so things may look slightly different, but the guide should work regardless.

PS if anyone is interested in making a video tutorial happy to pay for it! (Lifetime sub?).

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Hello Kenneth!

Thank you for finally solving for this issue it has been an real stick in the mud for me. Iā€™ve been following this thread for sometime and it makes me so happy to see a solution has been found.

I would be certainly interested in creating the video for this, if youā€™ll have me. I donā€™t have professional experience doing so but Iā€™m confident in my abilities to produce a step by step tutorial and attach it below: let me know. A lifetime subscription would be incredible for me.

Ariana

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Turning off Opal access in screentime disables deep focus session and gives access to applications. This led to relapse. Please make opal to continue deep focus even if its turned off in apple screentime. Opal is doing a great job otherwise when compared to many app in the market. Thank you for your efforts in bringing up this app!

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Hey !
Moved your message to this topic that provides a solution for your feedback.
Hope that helps :slight_smile:

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Iā€™m interested in making the video. Can you email me with details?

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Thank you for your help!

This video is now published on our website!

Opal FAQ | How To Lock Opal's Screen Time Access

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Huge shoutout to @jcaudle for the video tutorial and @FlowstateFrysian for helping get this done. This now looks great. Opal FAQ | How To Lock Opalā€™s Screen Time Access

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please try this! Opal FAQ | How To Lock Opalā€™s Screen Time Access

Sometimes when I am in a deep focus and I feel the need to use an app that is blocked, I will go into settings on my phone, tap on Opal, and turn off where it says ā€œscreen time restrictionsā€. This changes the permissions of the app and unlocks any apps that were previously blocked. by the deep focus. Locking changes in the Opal app settings, similarly to the App Uninstall Protection feature, will help with focus and prevent kids from turning off their parentā€™s restrictions.

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Here there! please check this out

this will still allow you to access settings regardless because you can move back to settings once the opal app opens

Have it send a push notification with something along the lines of ā€œ(frends username) has disabled Opalā€ to the friends youā€™ve added in the app.

This would be a good option to have because it would have a real tangible consequence because your friends and family can hold you accountable.

It also would be beneficial from a business point of view because it creates a real incentive for people to convince their friends to download the app. where a portion of them would likely convert to users/customers themselves.

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Unfortunately, even the definitive guide on how to do lock Screen Time Access cannot avoid you from doing these two tricks to bypass it:

1Ā° Trick: Basically, your tutorial makes the ā€œsettingsā€ app forward to the Opal app. But this have a flaw: You have one second once you reach the settings BEFORE it redirects you to the Opal app. In that ONE SECOND you can go to screen time very quickly and deactivate Opal unfortunately.
ā†’ I solved this trick by creating a forwarder to a depth section on the ā€œsettingsā€ app first (keyboard section, which address is: settings ā†’ General ā†’ Keyboard), then it redirects me to the Opal App, then it sets a timer for 1 second that after expire locks my screen automatically.
ā†’ In short words, this automation does the same thing as your tutorial, but with harder ways to deactivate Opal in the settings screen time section because you canā€™t go to the screen time section in one second if you are in the keyboard section of the settings.
ā†’ It is almost impossible to deactivate the Opal in screentime IF YOU CLICK DIRECTLY INTO SETTINGS APP. Butā€¦there is a way to go to settings without clicking in the settings.

Screenshot of the automation:

==================================================================
2Ā° Trick (No solution found for that in the whole internet):
ā†’ The major flaw: If you swipe down the upper right corner of the Iphone, you get access to the control center (you canā€™t deactivate control center from HOME SCREEN, only LOCK SCREEN).

ā†’ From there, hold down Wifi (or bluetooth) icons.

ā†’ Hold down again Wifi (or bluetooth) icons until you find a list of wifi/bluetooth options.

ā†’ Then click on the wifi/bluetooth settings.

ā†’ This way you can go to the settings app through the wifi/bluetooth settings section, BUT WITHOUT TRIGGERING THE SHORTCUT AUTOMATION THAT WOULD FORWARD YOU TO THE OPAL APP.
ā†’ From there, you can go to screen time WITHOUT ANYTHING TO STOP YOU (You donā€™t have 1 second or something like that) and deactivate the Opal from screen time.

The 2Ā° Trick is only possible in the IOS 17 Update. In IOS 16 and earlier versions, even if you access Wifi/Bluetooth settings from the Control Center, the Shortcut automation would work as well.

In conclusion, there is no solution for the 2Ā° trick in IOS 17, so Opal can be easily deactivated at any circunstance, as well as any other app that blocks apps and sites using screen timeā€¦

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When in deep focus, you can get around it by going into settings, then into screen time and removing Opalā€™s access to screen time. Would love to see this one get fixed.

please see this! Opal FAQ | How To Lock Opal's Screen Time Access

thank you for the suggestion, I listed it from our FAQ for more people to test it

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Hi @kenneth , thanks for being on top of this.

To be honest I think this system still has a huge flaw: ( As mentioned above by [Jair_Santos_Junior])

You canā€™t get into settings anymore with this automation.

And while I may not even want to be able to turn off screen timeā€¦ I also canā€™t get into all the other settings I sometimes just really need sometimes!!

Because of settings being unavailable, I am forced into going into automation and turn off the block

Which results in not using the app consistently, because then I just forget to activate the automation.

It bugs me that there is no other way.

Would truly appreciate an update on this! :pray:

Best,

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Yes, there is an update needed in my opinion for this issue.

It is annoying to get into relapse because of this bug :exploding_head:

I also found you get around shortcuts by restarting your iPhone. There is time before the automation starts. I wish there is a way to have it run before unlocking.

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Thereā€™s a 5-10 second window to deactivate the protection, and all Opal users can do it!

All you have to do is start your phone and go to settings and deactivate the protection before the shortcut starts, which takes 10 to 15 seconds.

Iā€™m extremely disappointed with Opalā€™s customer service, because itā€™s been over 4 months since I told them about this bug and still nothing has been done.

Let me remind you that we pay a subscription fee of $99.99 per year for this app to fail to deliver on its promises and features.

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