Block It Out

Troubleshooting

Solutions to common issues with Block It Out.

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Background Sync Not Working

Symptoms

• Shadow events don’t appear unless you open the app
• Sync only runs when the app is in the foreground

Solution

1. Enable Background App Refresh
   • Go to iOS Settings → Apps → Block It Out
   • Turn on Background App Refresh
2. Check Low Power Mode
   • Low Power Mode restricts background activity
   • Disable it in Settings → Battery if sync is critical
3. Understand iOS Limitations
   • iOS controls when apps can run in the background
   • Frequency depends on your usage patterns, battery, and system load
   • Opening the app more often “trains” iOS to allow more background time

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Events Not Syncing

Symptoms

• Some or all events aren’t creating shadow events
• Sync runs but nothing appears in destination calendar

Solutions

1. Check Calendar Permissions

• Go to iOS Settings → Apps → Block It Out → Calendars
• Ensure Full Access is enabled
• If set to “None” or limited, the app can’t read or write events

2. Verify Calendar Accessibility

• Open the native Calendar app
• Confirm both source and destination calendars are visible
• If a calendar doesn’t appear in iOS Calendar, Block It Out can’t access it

3. Review Filter Conditions

• If using Advanced filters, conditions may be too restrictive
• Use Dry Run to preview what would sync without the filters
• Try temporarily disabling filters to test

4. Check for Conflicting Rules

• Multiple rules targeting the same calendars can cause confusion
• Review all rules to ensure they don’t conflict

5. Run Manual Sync

• Open the app and trigger sync manually
• This confirms whether the issue is with background sync or sync itself

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Missing Calendars

Symptoms

• A calendar doesn’t appear in the source/destination picker
• Google, Exchange, or other accounts aren’t showing

Solution

Block It Out can only see calendars that iOS can see.

1. Add the Account to iOS
   • Go to iOS Settings → Calendar → Accounts
   • Tap Add Account and sign in to your calendar provider
2. Enable Calendar Access for the Account
   • In Settings → Calendar → Accounts → [Your Account]
   • Ensure Calendars is toggled on
3. Verify in iOS Calendar App
   • Open the native Calendar app
   • Tap Calendars at the bottom
   • Confirm your calendar appears in the list

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Shadow Events Missing Details

This Is Intentional

By default, shadow events contain minimal information for privacy:

• Generic title (“Block”)
• Time blocked
• Hidden identifier for sync tracking

Want More Detail?

Upgrade to Essential or Advanced tier to customize:

• Custom shadow titles
• Template variables (show original title, location, duration)
• And more

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Duplicate Shadow Events

Symptoms

• Multiple shadow events for the same source event
• Duplicates appearing after sync

Solutions

1. Use Built-in Cleanup

• Go to Settings → Maintenance → Clean Up Duplicates
• This scans all calendars and removes extra copies, keeping the most recent

2. Check for Multiple Rules

• Ensure you don’t have overlapping rules syncing the same events
• Each rule operates independently

3. Delete All and Re-sync

• Go to Settings → Maintenance → Delete All Shadows
• This removes ALL shadow events from all calendars
• Run sync again to recreate them cleanly

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Sync Is Slow

For Large Calendars

If you have hundreds or thousands of events:

• First sync takes longer as it processes everything
• Subsequent syncs are faster (only changes are processed)
• Consider using filters to reduce the number of events synced

Progress Tracking

• A progress banner shows sync status
• You can continue using the app while sync runs in the background
• Cancel button available for long operations

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App Crashes

What to Do

1. Restart the App
   • Force-quit and reopen
2. Update to Latest Version
   • Check the App Store for updates
3. Report the Issue
   • If crashes persist, email support (at) block-it-out (dot) com
   • Include what you were doing when it crashed
   • Crash reports sent to Apple help me identify and fix issues

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Subscription Issues

“Restore Purchases” Not Working

1. Ensure you’re signed into the same Apple ID used for the purchase
2. Check your subscription status in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions
3. Try signing out and back into your Apple ID

Features Not Unlocking

1. Go to the subscription screen in the app
2. Tap Restore Purchases
3. Wait for confirmation
4. Restart the app if needed

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Still Need Help?

Check the Logs

Block It Out includes detailed sync logs:

1. Go to the Logs tab in the app
2. Review recent sync activity
3. Look for error messages or warnings
4. Enable Debug mode for more detailed logging

Export Logs for Support

1. Go to Settings → Actions → Export Audit Logs
2. Share the exported file when contacting support

Contact Support

Email: support (at) block-it-out (dot) com

Include:

• Description of the issue
• Steps to reproduce
• iOS version
• App version
• Exported logs (if applicable)

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