Why notifications and music stop when the screen locks

On iPhone and iPad, Best Accountability uses Screen Time to block apps whenever monitoring isn't running. That includes every time the screen locks, because iOS ends the monitoring broadcast when the screen turns off.

When iOS blocks an app, it also blocks that app's notifications and background audio. So by default, while your device is locked:

• Monitored apps won't show notifications on the Lock Screen.
• Music, podcast, and other audio apps stop playing in the background.

The Lock Screen Apps list is an exception list that fixes this. Apps on the list can still show notifications and play background audio from the Lock Screen while monitoring isn't running.

How to set up Lock Screen Apps

1. Open the Best Accountability app on the monitored device.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Under App & Website Lists, tap Lock Screen Apps.
4. Select the apps you wish to interact with from the Lock Screen. This includes apps you want notifications from, and apps you want to play audio in the background (music, podcasts, audiobooks, etc).

You can add up to 25 apps to this list. Changing the list triggers a tamper alert, just like changes to the Always Allowed list, so let your accountability partner know beforehand.

If the list can't be changed, block tamper is enabled for the device. Block tamper locks the Lock Screen Apps list along with the Always Allowed and Always Blocked lists. The account owner needs to turn it off from the device settings page, make the change, then turn it back on.

These apps still require monitoring to be used

The Lock Screen Apps list only covers notifications and background audio from the Lock Screen. To actually open and use one of these apps, start monitoring first, just like any other app.

If one of these apps is opened while monitoring is off, the phone blocks all apps on the Lock Screen Apps list for 15 minutes, or until monitoring is started again. Using the Lock Screen player controls (play, pause, skip) does not trigger this--only opening the app itself does.

If your notifications or music suddenly stop, this is most likely what happened. Start monitoring and they'll start working again right away. Otherwise they'll return on their own after 15 minutes.

Lock Screen Apps vs. Always Allowed

Both lists are found in the app's Settings, but they do very different things:

• Always Allowed - the app can be fully opened and used without monitoring running. Every app on this list is a potential loophole, so only use it for apps you truly need unmonitored access to (banking, healthcare, etc).
• Lock Screen Apps - the app can only send notifications and play background audio from the Lock Screen. Opening and using the app still requires monitoring.

If you previously added music or messaging apps to the Always Allowed list just so they'd keep working while the screen was locked, we recommend removing them from Always Allowed and adding them to Lock Screen Apps instead. You keep the notifications and the music, without leaving the app open to unmonitored use.

Before adding music apps to either list, please note that there is visual and audible pornography found in music apps.

Not getting notifications while monitoring is running?

That's a different setting. iOS hides notifications during screen sharing by default. Open the iOS Settings app, tap Notifications, tap Screen Sharing, then turn on Allow Notifications.

If you have any questions, open a ticket at app.bestaccountability.com/support.