Support Documentation
Overview
Block It Out automatically synchronizes calendar events across multiple accounts while protecting your privacy. Create “shadow events” that block out your time without revealing sensitive details.
How It Works
Core Functionality
When an event appears in your source calendar, the app creates a “shadow event” in your destination calendar(s). The shadow event blocks out the time but contains only generic information to protect your privacy.
This is all done in the app on your phone. There is no accompanying service to be attacked or fail.
Common Use Cases
Work-Life Balance
- Sync personal appointments to work calendar as “busy” blocks
- Maintain privacy while preventing scheduling conflicts
- Automatically block travel time and personal commitments
Work-Work Balance
- Sync your availability across competing clients
- Maintain clear availability across your multiple ventures, or your day job and your side hustle
- Give your EA access to availability across external commitments without divulging sensitive information
Multi-Calendar Management
- Keep client calendars updated without manual effort
- Synchronize between iCloud, Google, Exchange, and Outlook
- Manage availability across multiple business accounts
Team Coordination
- Share availability without exposing meeting details
- Coordinate schedules across different calendar systems
- Maintain professional boundaries with custom shadow titles
Subscription Tiers
- Free Tier
- 1 sync rule maximum
- 1 destination calendar specified in the rule
- Basic shadow event creation with “Block” title
- Background sync for automatic updates
- Essential Tier
- Up to 2 sync rules
- 1 destination calendar per rule
- Privacy filtering to selectively sync events marked private
- Custom shadow titles instead of the generic “Block”
- Advanced Tier
- Unlimited sync rules
- Multiple destination calendars per rule
- Advanced filtering with complex conditions
- Hierarchical logic (nested AND/OR groups) for sophisticated rules
- Custom shadow templates for shadow events
- Custom reminders & notifications for shadow events
- Transaction rollback system for selective undo operations
Setting Up Your First Rule
- Grant Calendar Access: Allow the app to read and write to your
calendars
- Choose Source Calendar: Select the calendar with events you want to
sync
- Choose Destination Calendar(s): Select where shadow events should
appear
- Configure Filtering (Essential/Advanced): Set conditions for which
events to sync
- Customize Shadow Events (Essential/Advanced): Set custom titles and
templates
- Save rule: Background Sync is automatic for all users
Advanced Features
Event Filtering
Create sophisticated rules to sync only specific events:
- Filter by event title (contains, equals, starts with, ends with)
- Filter by event duration (less than, exactly, more than X minutes)
- Combine conditions with nestable AND/OR logic
Background Synchronization
- Automatic syncing (when iOS allows)
- Real-time notifications when changes occur
- Works even when the app is closed
Troubleshooting
Background Sync Not Working
- Enable Background App Refresh in iOS Settings → Apps → Block It Out → Background App Refresh
Events Not Syncing
- Verify calendar permissions in iOS Settings → Apps → Block It Out → Calendar → Full Access
- Ensure source and destination calendars are accessible
- Check that your rule conditions aren’t too restrictive (consider using Dry Run to test changes)
- Try running Sync from the app, to validate the problem is not with the background refresh functionality
Shadow Events Missing Details
This is intentional for privacy. Upgrade to Essential or Advanced to
customize shadow event content.
Privacy & Security
- Your data stays on your device - no cloud storage of calendar data
- Source events are never modified - only shadow events are created
- Granular privacy controls - choose exactly what information to share
- Safe operations - transaction system prevents data loss
Support
Getting Help
- Email: support (at) block-it-out (dot) com
- In-App Logs: Use the logs viewer for detailed sync information (enable debug)
- Crashes: I should see crashes if you’re sending them to Apple, and I’ll do my best to fix them ASAP.
Feature Requests
I’m not just the author, I’m also a client. Block It Out was born from my own needs and I’m always interested in its improvement. If you have a feature you’d like to see, please send me a note with suggestions for new features or improvements. Things I’m working on:
- An in-app calendar view that ignores the shadows
- Padding before/after shadow events to configure time buffers in shadows around events
- Add custom notification settings for different shadow events, if you want them
- Implement template variables for fields in shadow events, like {originalTitle}, {shadowTitle}, etc.
Subscription Management
- Manage subscriptions through your Apple ID account settings
- Use “Restore Purchases” in the app if you’ve reinstalled
- Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled in accordance with AppStore rules
FAQ
Q: Can I sync events between Google Calendar and iCloud? How about Exchange?
A: Yes! As long as the calendars are accessible through the iPhone’s native Calendar app, Block It Out can sync between them.
Q: Will this work with recurring meetings?
A: Absolutely; recurring events maintain their recurrence patterns in the shadow calendar.
Q: If I move an event, will Block It Out notice?
A: Yes, the app keeps an identifier in the shadow which helps it know what’s been done without having to keep a massive database of all your events.
Q: Can I customize what information appears in shadow events?
A: With Essential or Advanced subscriptions, you can customize shadow titles.
Q: How often does background sync run?
A: With Essential or Advanced subscriptions, the app asks to sync every 5 minutes, but iOS controls the actual frequency based on your usage patterns, battery life, and other events.
Q: What happens if I delete a rule?
A: The app will offer to clean up all shadow events created by that rule, keeping your calendars organized.
Q: Will you build this for Android?
A: I have no plans to build this for Android, but someone should! These techniques are not magic. If you would like to develop this for Android and want to talk about it, I’m happy to help.
Q: Is my calendar data sent to any servers?
A: No. All synchronization happens on your device. No calendar data is transmitted by the app EVER, for any reason.
Q: Do you have the password to my account?
A: No. All access to calendars on the device happens without any need for passwords or other form of authentication.
Q: How is this different from other solution?
A: When I first built this app, I didn’t publish it. I wasn’t sure people needed it. But over the years, I watched other solutions appear. They all had one thing in common: cloud services storing your credentials to sync your calendars.
OneCal. FreeBusyIO. Reclaim AI. CalendarBridge. SyncGene. SyncThemCalendars. Zapier. Sync2 Cloud. Different names, same idea. Your private data lives on someone else’s server.
Many of them offer extras—scheduling tools, automation, integrations. But the moment a service collects credentials for thousands of calendars and inboxes, it becomes a target.
Hackers don’t sleep, especially the AI Agentic Swarming hackers of today. Defending against them takes more than luck. As Mr. Miyagi said, “Best block? No be there.”
That’s why I made Block It Out. If you want the sync without the risk-no servers, no middlemen-this app is for you.
Privacy Policy
Block It Out is committed to protecting your privacy. All data processing occurs entirely on your device - your calendar information is never collected, stored, or transmitted.
View Full Privacy Policy →
© 2025 Isaiah Weiner. All rights reserved.