It is not broken. If a Tonic app locks again right after you open it, that is the limit you set doing its job: a short cooldown after a visit, a per-visit cap, a daily time budget, or a pause you tap through before going in. Each one clears at your daily reset.
Why it happens
When you set a limit on an app, you pick how it should feel to open: a quick pause, a cap on each visit, a daily budget, or a short wait between visits. So a screen that comes back is not Tonic glitching. It is the deal you made with yourself showing up at the moment it was meant to. The four screens below are the ones people see most, with the exact words they use.
The four "locked again" moments
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You were just here | A cooldown. After a visit ends, there is a short wait before you can come back in. | Tap OK and come back when the wait is up. The screen tells you how long is left. |
| Session's up or Time's up | A per-visit cap. Each time you open the app, you get a set stretch, then it locks. | Close it. Your next open starts a fresh visit (if you have time or visits left today). |
| Limit reached or Limit's up | Your daily budget for that app is used up for the day. | It comes back at your daily reset. If you set it to recharge slowly, the screen says how fast. |
| A pause you tap through | A moment of pause you set on every open, so the app is a choice, not a reflex. | Tap through it to go in. Tap "Not worth it" to step away. |
Cooldown vs. session cap (they feel similar)
These two get mixed up, so here is the difference in one line each:
- Session cap is how long you can stay in one visit.
- Cooldown is how long you wait before coming back after a visit ends.
An app can have both. You get your visit, it locks with "Session's up", and then a short cooldown holds the door before the next visit.
How to check what you set
- Open Tonic and find the app under your Limits.Each limit card shows the app and its allowance.
- Tap the limit to edit it.You will see the pause, the per-visit cap, the daily budget, and the cooldown, each on or off.
- Adjust the one that surprised you.Turn a cap off, soften the pause, or change the wait. Changes apply right away.
Two things worth knowing
Every limit clears at your daily reset, so a "used up" budget or "session's up" cap starts fresh the next day. And if Tonic re-locks an app while you are still inside it, iOS shows its own "Restricted" screen instead of the Tonic one. That is Apple's screen, not a bug. The next time you open the app from your home screen, you will see the regular Tonic screen again.
Still stuck? Email [email protected].
Related: How do I take a break, pause, or delete a ritual without losing everything? · How do I add or remove apps from a ritual or limit I already created? · How does Tonic work? Earning your way into the apps you choose