A daily limit controls how much selected apps can be used. A schedule controls when they are blocked. Use a limit for a daily allowance and a schedule for a context that deserves protection, such as work or bedtime.
A limit answers “how much?”
A daily limit lets you use selected apps until their allowance is reached. It suits a group of feeds that you want to check at different times, without giving those visits unlimited room in the day.
In Bouncer, the allowance starts counting when you first activate the Rule that day. On later days it starts at local midnight. The Rule blocks its selected apps when the allowance is reached. With Normal or High, requesting temporary access still requires the wait.
A schedule answers “when?”
A scheduled Rule blocks selected apps during a start-to-end window on the days you choose. You can protect a morning, an evening or a window that crosses midnight. The unused daily allowance of another Rule does not make this protected context available.
Choose a clear start and end that you can understand before activating the Rule. A window that crosses midnight belongs to its start day. For example, a Monday evening window ending Tuesday morning protects that overnight period.
Match the Rule to the situation
- Morning work: use a schedule to keep feeds out of that block of time.
- Social apps at different points in the day: use a daily limit if a shared allowance matches your intention.
- Scrolling in bed: use a schedule that covers your chosen phone-away hours.
- A protected study session: use a schedule, then choose the Level according to how you want exceptions to work.
Choose the Level separately
The trigger and the Level answer different questions. The trigger determines when blocking starts. The Level determines how you can request access while the Rule is on duty. Normal and High work with daily limits or schedules. Lockdown requires a schedule with an explicit end.
An active Lockdown cannot be edited or deactivated until the window ends, except through the limited Emergency Pass. It is not a daily allowance that automatically grants another short visit.
Avoid a Rule you cannot explain
One Bouncer Rule has one trigger. Start with a single Rule that you can describe in a sentence. Multiple Rules can cover the same apps, so granting access through one Rule may still leave another restriction in place.
When reviewing your setup, look at every Rule that includes the app. If you need both a daily allowance and a protected window, use separate Rules and check their overlap. Keep the result understandable enough that you know why an app is blocked.
A boundary you choose.
Start with a context you want to protect on your iPhone.
