When you pick a category like Entertainment, Apple decides which apps belong to it, and Tonic can't see or change that list. It's also all or nothing: pushing past the pause on one app in a locked category can unlock the whole category at once. For precise control, pick apps individually instead.
Why you don't see the app list
This is one of iOS's genuinely confusing corners, so here is the honest version. When you choose a category like Entertainment or Social in the app picker, you are handing Tonic a category label, not a list of apps. Apple keeps the membership of each category private and decides it for you. Tonic never sees which apps land inside that category, and we can't add or remove apps from it.
That has two practical effects worth knowing before you set things up.
Category membership can surprise you
Because Apple assigns each app to a category, an app you expect to be covered might not be, and one you didn't think about might be. The category is a moving target we don't control: Apple can place an app wherever it sees fit, and the same app can sit in a category you wouldn't guess. If a specific app matters to you, that uncertainty is the thing to avoid.
Breaking through is all or nothing for a category
This is the bigger one. When apps are locked behind a category and you push past the pause on a single app, iOS only tells Tonic which category you tapped, not which app. So the only thing Tonic can lift is the whole category. Open one app in a locked category and the rest of that category can open too.
Category break-through is whole-category, app break-through is per-app
If you pick apps individually, this does not happen: pushing past the pause on one app frees only that app, and the others stay locked. The all or nothing behavior is specific to choosing a category. It comes from how iOS reports the tap to us, not a choice on our side.
Pick apps individually for precise control
If you want to know exactly which apps are covered, and you want each app to stay locked on its own, select the apps one by one instead of choosing a category.
- Open the ritual or limit you're setting up.Go to the screen where you choose the apps to earn or to limit.
- Tap individual apps, not the category row.In Apple's picker, select each app by name rather than tapping a category like Entertainment or Social.
- Save.Now each app you picked is covered on its own, and pushing past the pause on one leaves the rest locked.
You can mix the two if you like, but anywhere per-app accuracy matters, individual selection is the reliable choice.
Need to change a set later? See how to add or remove apps from a ritual or limit.
Still stuck? Email [email protected].
Related: How do I add or remove apps from a ritual or limit I already created? · Tonic isn't locking my apps. What should I check? · How does Tonic work? Earning your way into the apps you choose