Make overrides deliberate
The settings screen is where a blocker succeeds or quietly gives up. If turning it off is instant, it protects only on good days. If turning it off is impossible, it gets uninstalled. The aim is an override that exists, works, and asks for enough time that a passing urge can fade first.
Why an override has to exist
Blocklists make mistakes. A bank page, a news article about sport or a charity site can be caught by an overly broad rule. A blocker with no exit leaves the user stuck, and a stuck user removes the whole app, losing every protection at once. A slow, honest exit keeps the rest of the barrier in place while the mistake is sorted out.
The override also signals respect. The person who set the limit is an adult making a choice about their own life, and the design should treat their future self with the same respect.
Friction patterns that slow an impulse
Fixed delay
A request to unblock starts a waiting period that cannot be shortened from inside the app.
Commitment window
The user chooses a period during which settings cannot be loosened at all, only tightened.
Typed confirmation
Typing a short plain sentence takes longer than tapping and makes the choice explicit.
Opt-in partner
A trusted person, chosen by the user, is told that a change was requested, never what was browsed.
Scheduled changes
Loosening only takes effect at a set time, such as the next morning, rather than immediately.
Automatic restore
Any override is temporary and switches back without further action.
Build the override path in order
- Receive the request. Ask which domain or setting should change, so the override can be narrow rather than total.
- Show the effect. State in one sentence what will be unblocked and for how long.
- Start the wait. Record the start in a way that survives a restart, and do not trust the device clock alone.
- Confirm again after the wait. The person who requested it may no longer want it; make declining easy.
- Apply it temporarily. Unblock only what was asked for.
- Restore automatically. Return to the previous rules when the time is up.
- Keep a local note. A simple on-device history helps the user notice patterns, if they want to look.
Write words that don't shame
The block page is seen at a hard moment. It should say what happened, offer a next step and stay calm. Avoid moralising, warnings in alarming colours, countdowns that feel like a game and any image connected with betting. A short example of the tone:
This site is on your blocklist. If it was blocked by mistake, you can request a change in Settings; it will take effect after the waiting period you chose. If things feel difficult right now, support options are one tap away.
Respect autonomy and privacy
Accountability features must be chosen by the user and switchable only through the same slow path as other changes. A partner should learn that a change was requested, not which sites were visited. Keep logs on the device, let the user export or delete them, and never use them for anything except showing the user their own history.
Point toward support
A support screen reachable from every block page is part of the safeguard, not decoration. Keep it short: a reminder that gambling harm is common and nothing to be ashamed of, that free and confidential help exists, and in the UK that the National Gambling Helpline and a GP are places to start. Review the wording now and then so it stays accurate. A blocker is a tool for one moment; support helps with what lies behind those moments. None of this is personal or professional advice.