If your apps are not locking, run four checks: Tonic still has Screen Time permission, the apps are still chosen in a ritual or limit, that ritual is not off or skipped for today, and Tonic itself is not paused. After changing any setting, restart Tonic so the change takes effect.
When the lock screen does not appear, it almost always comes down to one of four things: a permission that got switched off, an app that fell out of your ritual, a break you set on purpose, or a setting that has not taken effect yet. Work through these in order and one of them will be the cause.
Check 1: Tonic still has Screen Time permission
Tonic uses Apple's Screen Time permission to put the lock screen on your apps. If that permission gets turned off, in iOS Settings or after an update, nothing locks until you turn it back on. This is the most common cause.
- Open Tonic and go to Settings.Tap the gear.
- Find the Permissions section.It lists Notifications and Screen Time together.
- Re-grant Screen Time if it is not on.Tap to re-request, then choose Continue on the iOS prompt.
You can also check from the iOS side: open the iPhone Settings app, go to Screen Time, and confirm Tonic still has access.
Check 2: The apps are still chosen in your ritual or limit
Tonic only locks the apps you picked. If an app was removed from a ritual or limit, or was never added, it will open freely. Open the ritual or limit, look at the apps it covers, and add anything that is missing. See how to add or remove apps for the steps.
If you picked a whole category like Entertainment rather than naming each app, see what a category actually covers, since the set of apps can be different from what you expect.
Check 3: Nothing is off, paused, or skipped for today
Tonic lets you take a break on purpose, and during a break apps unlock by design. Check each of these:
- The ritual is on. A ritual set to Off does not lock anything until you turn it back on.
- The ritual is not skipped. A card that reads "Skipped today" or "Skipped, back Friday" is resting on purpose. You can end a skip early with Wake up.
- Tonic itself is not paused. If you see a "Tonic is paused" banner on the home screen, everything is unlocked until the pause ends. Tap Resume now to bring locks back.
- You are inside the ritual's window. If your ritual only runs during set hours, apps are free outside those hours.
The full guide to breaks is here: how to pause, skip, or delete a ritual.
Check 4: Restart Tonic after any change
iOS does not always pick up a permission or setting change while Tonic is open. After you change anything above, fully close Tonic (swipe it away in the app switcher) and open it again. Reopening puts the locks back in place. This one step resolves many "I fixed the setting but it still is not locking" cases.
A note on what locks and when
This article covers apps that never show the lock screen at all. If your apps did lock but stayed locked after you hit your goal, or unlocked a little late, that is a timing question covered separately in why apps stay locked after earning. And earn goals based on a workout, meditation, steps, or daylight depend on Apple Health recording the activity first, so if a goal is not registering, check Apple Health access.
Still stuck? Email [email protected].
Related: How do I give Tonic permission to use Screen Time, and is my data private? · Why are my apps still locked after I hit my goal? · How do I take a break, pause, or delete a ritual without losing everything?