Confirm to end or Locked until end: which should you choose?

The practical answer

Confirm to end permits an ordinary early ending after review and confirmation. Locked until end, available with Pro, removes that ordinary path until the planned end; eligible Emergency access is separate. Choose based on the access your task may genuinely need, and test essential apps before using a longer Locked session.

A setup to try

1. Before starting, identify the apps you might genuinely need and confirm the Always Allowed list. Choose the duration and ending method together rather than treating strictness as an isolated setting.
2. Use Confirm for an initial test or a task with uncertain requirements. The confirmation screen makes an early change deliberate without removing the ordinary path.
3. Choose Locked only after checking the task, essential tools, and planned endpoint. Read its Emergency policy before starting rather than discovering it during an urgent interruption.
4. Review the actual session outcome afterward. A recorded early ending and a normal completion remain different outcomes even when either was reasonable for your day.

Can I stop a Free focus session before the timer finishes?

Yes, using Confirm to end and its review step. Free does not require the Pro Locked method to run a focus session. The early-ended interval remains part of history with its appropriate outcome rather than being relabeled as a completed session.

What exactly changes when I choose Locked until end?

Locked removes ordinary early-ending and weakening commands for the active protected run. The planned ending still applies. It is not simply a longer confirmation delay; a new Emergency release has its own Pro eligibility, allowance, and deliberate confirmation requirements under Settings → Protection.

Can I switch a running Locked session back to Confirm?

Changing a future preference does not replace the mode captured by the active run. The current Locked snapshot retains its original ending policy. Choose the method before starting, and use the permitted release process if the present session must end early.

Does Locked prevent me from leaving Lesscue to use an allowed app?

Lesscue’s internal navigation stays in the focus scene, while iOS remains the operating system you control. The app does not promise kiosk mode for the entire phone. The purpose is to shield selected distractions while preserving the essential apps you intentionally kept available.

Why are Home, Block, and Insights tabs hidden during an active focus session?

The active session is the dedicated root scene, so navigating around Lesscue is not another way to dilute the timer. Necessary settings open in a scoped sheet over that session. This interface choice is distinct from which external iPhone apps are allowed or blocked.

Does a Pro subscription expiring instantly unlock a running Locked session?

No. A started run keeps the ending method captured when it began. Entitlement changes affect eligibility for new Pro actions, not a rewrite of the existing snapshot into a weaker mode. Review the actual paid-through date before choosing a long Locked commitment.

What if a Confirm session overlaps a Locked routine?

Weakening an affected boundary uses the strongest relevant active mode. Ending the Confirm session alone should not imply the Locked routine disappears. Read the impact summary, because multiple protections can cover the same app and may have different original endpoints.

Is Locked the right choice when I do not know which work apps I will need?

Start with a short Confirm setup and test the workflow first. A stricter method is less useful when its app selection is poorly understood. Identify required authentication, reference, communication, and navigation tools before committing to a session without an ordinary early-ending path.

Does a normal planned ending require an extra confirmation?

No. The early-ending choice governs attempts to end or weaken protection before its planned endpoint. It does not add a review step to every normal completion. A separate overlapping restriction may still remain, so the outcome should not promise universal access afterward.

Can Locked guarantee that I cannot remove the app or revoke permission in iOS?

No. Lesscue’s individual authorization respects actions you take in iOS Settings and does not claim parental or device-management control over ownership of the phone. Locked describes ordinary in-app behavior, not an absolute restriction against operating-system permission changes or app removal.