The HomeGuard Application Blocker allows you to maintain healthy digital habits by restricting access to specific programs, such as games or web browsers. You can block software entirely or set detailed daily usage schedules.
Quick Navigation:
1. Block Individual Applications or a Group
Selecting an application to add to the block list
Individual Applications
To begin, click the "Add New" link located at the bottom of the block list (1). You can then select a program from the list of installed applications, view recently logged applications, or manually browse for an executable (.exe) file (2).
HomeGuard automatically populates the list of installed applications. However, if a program (such as a portable application) is not listed, you can find it under the "Logged Applications" tab if it has been run while HomeGuard was active. Alternatively, you can browse directly to the application's file. When adding complex software like games, it is recommended to add all related executable files in the program's folder to ensure complete coverage.
Groups of Applications
For easier management, you can set collective time restrictions for multiple programs (e.g., grouping all games or all web browsers together). To add programs to a group, simply type a new group name in the "Group" field, or select an existing group from the dropdown menu (3).
2. Set Time Restrictions for Applications or Groups
Configuring the daily usage schedule
First, select the target program from your list of blocked applications (1). If the program belongs to a group, any scheduling changes made here will apply to all applications within that group.
Next, uncheck the "Always block" option. In the timeframe grid, click and drag your mouse to select the specific hours and days you wish to block access (2). Finally, use the total time tab to establish a maximum daily allowance (e.g., allowing only 2 hours of usage per day, regardless of the schedule).
3. Managing and Unblocking Programs
To remove restrictions from a specific program, simply delete it from the blocking list. This will restore normal access immediately.
To modify an existing entry, such as renaming a program or moving it to a different group, click the "edit" link located to the right of the list control.
Applying the Settings
While all changes made in the settings menu are automatically saved, they will not take effect until you click the green "Apply Settings" button located in the top right corner of the interface, or if you restart the monitoring service from the main dashboard.