RootLock support
For help with RootLock, email hello@rootlock.app. The answers to the most common questions about setup, adding your child, billing and cancelling are on this page.
Updated October 27, 2026
Contact RootLock support
Email hello@rootlock.app. It helps to include:
- Your device model and iOS version (Settings, General, About).
- Whether the problem is on your phone or your child's phone.
- What you expected to happen and what happened instead. A screenshot helps.
Please never send us a password, your sign-out PIN, or payment details. We will never ask for them.
How to set up RootLock
- On your iPhone: download RootLock from the App Store, sign in with Apple, and tap Set up my family.
- Pick a plan: monthly ($9.99) or yearly ($44.99). Both start with a 14-day free trial.
- Invite your child: in the Family tab, create an invite. RootLock shows an 8-character code that expires after 48 hours.
- On your child's iPhone: install RootLock, tap I have an invite code, and enter the code.
- Allow the permissions: on your child's phone, allow Location (Always and Precise), Notifications, Motion and Fitness, and Screen Time. See below for what each one does.
- Choose your rules: back on your phone, open Protection to pick the apps and websites to block and set schedules, and add the places you care about.
To add a co-parent, create an invite for a parent in the Family tab. They get the same access you have.
Permissions RootLock asks for, and why
| Permission | What it powers |
|---|---|
| Location: Always and Precise | The family map, place arrival and departure alerts, and drive routes. With While Using or approximate location, alerts and drives can be missed. |
| Motion and Fitness | Detecting drives automatically. |
| Notifications | Arrivals, driving alerts, unlock requests, Lock Devices messages, and SOS alerts. |
| Screen Time | App blocking, web filtering and schedules on your child's device, through Apple's Family Controls. |
Screen Time access on your child's iPhone
App blocking uses Apple's Family Controls. On a child's device, Apple asks a parent to approve Screen Time access for RootLock. For that, Apple requires your child's iPhone to be signed in with a child Apple Account that is part of your Family Sharing group. If the Screen Time step fails, check this first in Settings, then your name, then Family.
App and website choices are made with Apple's own picker and stored as opaque tokens. RootLock's servers can't see which apps your family blocks.
Billing, trials and cancelling
- Billing is handled by Apple. We never see your card details.
- The 14-day trial turns into the plan you picked unless you cancel before it ends.
- To cancel or switch plans: Settings, then your name, then Subscriptions, then RootLock.
- One subscription covers every parent and child in your family. There is no per-child fee.
- Refunds for App Store purchases are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
Common fixes
Location isn't updating
On the phone that isn't updating, open Settings, then RootLock, then Location, and make sure it is set to Always with Precise Location on. Low Power Mode and turning off Background App Refresh can also delay updates.
Drives aren't showing up
Drive detection needs Location set to Always and Motion and Fitness allowed on the driver's phone.
Blocking isn't working on my child's phone
Open RootLock on your child's phone and check that Screen Time access is granted. If it was turned off, approve it again. Rules apply on your child's device, so it needs to be on and connected to receive changes.
My child reinstalled RootLock
Create a new invite in the Family tab and have them enter the code again.
Deleting your data
Removing a family member in the app permanently deletes their history from our servers, and deleting the family deletes everything. You can also email hello@rootlock.app to ask for your data or ask us to delete it. The privacy policy has the details.
Frequently asked questions
How do I contact RootLock?
Email hello@rootlock.app. Include your device model, iOS version, and what happened, and never send a password or PIN.
How do I cancel my RootLock subscription?
Subscriptions are billed through Apple. On your iPhone, open Settings, then your name, then Subscriptions, then RootLock, and tap Cancel Subscription. Cancel before the 14-day trial ends and you won't be charged.
Does my child need an Apple Account?
Not to sign in to RootLock, because the invite code you create is their sign-in. For app blocking, Apple requires your child's iPhone to be signed in with a child Apple Account in your Family Sharing group, and a parent approves Screen Time access on that phone.
Can I use RootLock on Android?
No. RootLock is for iPhone and iPad only and requires iOS 18.6 or later.
How long does an invite code last?
An invite code is 8 characters and expires after 48 hours. If it expires, create a new one in the Family tab.
$9.99 a month or $44.99 a year after the trial, for the whole family. iPhone and iPad, iOS 18.6 or later.