3 Ways to Block Among Us

Among Us is the social deduction game that became a cultural phenomenon — and stayed. The premise is simple: work together on a spaceship while trying to identify who's secretly sabotaging the crew. Each round is short, but the social dynamics (lying, accusing, defending) make it impossible to play just one. Here's how to set limits.

Method 1: iOS Screen Time (Built-in)

Open Settings on your iPhone
Tap Screen Time → App Limits → Add Limit
Expand the Games category and select Among Us
Set your daily time limit (30 minutes covers 3-4 full rounds)
Tap Add and enable Block at End of Limit

For parents: Among Us is rated 9+ on the App Store, but the game involves deception, accusation, and elimination — themes that may not suit all children. Use Family Sharing to set limits on your child's device and keep the passcode private.

Method 2: Faith-Based App Blocker

Among Us is a social game — it's most fun with friends, and the group pressure to "play another round" is strong. A faith-based blocker creates a natural pause in that social momentum.

Apps like FaithLock, Bible Mode, or Sanctum place a verse between you and the game. For Among Us specifically, this works because the game is usually played in bursts with friends. That verse becomes a moment to ask: "Do I want to keep playing, or am I just going along with the group?" For Christians practicing intentionality, that's a valuable question.

Method 3: Delete and Keep the Social Connection

Among Us is a social activity more than a solo game. Nobody plays Among Us alone by choice. The real question isn't "how do I quit Among Us" but "how do I spend time with these friends differently?"

What to replace it with: The friends you play Among Us with want social time, not specifically Among Us. Suggest alternatives:

In-person board games that scratch the same social deduction itch (Werewolf, Mafia, Codenames, The Resistance)
A group chat where you plan non-gaming hangouts
Church small group or youth group activities that provide the same community feel

If you're playing Among Us with online strangers, the replacement is simpler: invest that time in local relationships instead.

Why Among Us Is Hard to Quit

Social deduction is inherently addictive. Trying to figure out who's lying activates deep social cognition circuits in your brain. Humans evolved to detect deception — it's one of our most fundamental social skills. Among Us gamifies this instinct. Every round is a new puzzle of reading behavior, building alliances, and testing trust. That cognitive engagement is far more stimulating than passive entertainment, which is why rounds feel so short and "one more" feels so natural.

The group dynamic creates pressure. Among Us is usually played with friends or online groups of 4-15 people. Leaving mid-session means the group has to reorganize. "Stay for one more round" from six friends is hard to refuse. The social obligation outweighs the individual desire to stop. This is different from single-player game addiction — you're not just fighting your own impulse, you're negotiating with a group.

Short rounds mask long sessions. Each Among Us round takes 5-10 minutes. That feels like nothing. But ten rounds takes an hour. Twenty rounds takes two hours. The short format makes each individual decision to continue feel trivial ("it's only 5 more minutes"), while the cumulative time adds up substantially. By the time someone says "okay, last round," you've been playing for two hours.

Among Us-Specific Tips

Set a round limit before you start. Before launching the game, tell your group: "I'm playing 5 rounds and then I'm done." Announce it publicly so there's social accountability. When round 5 ends, say goodbye and close the app. Don't negotiate.

Don't play with random strangers. Public lobbies extend your play time because there's always a new group willing to play. With friends, sessions end when people leave. With strangers, the lobby refills and the session continues indefinitely. Stick to private games with known groups.

Turn off Among Us notifications. The game sends notifications about friend invites, new content, and events. Settings → Notifications → Among Us → turn everything off. Without the prompt, you won't think about the game unless you intentionally choose to.

Use Among Us as a planned social event, not a default activity. Schedule "Among Us night" once a week instead of playing whenever someone sends an invite. "Wednesday at 8pm for an hour" is a social event. "Anytime someone's online" is a time sink. The distinction matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Among Us appropriate for my child? The game involves cartoon violence (crewmates are "eliminated" by an impostor) and deception (the impostor lies about their identity). There's no blood or graphic content, and it's rated 9+. The bigger concern for many parents is the public chat feature in online lobbies, where strangers can type messages. Using private lobbies with known friends eliminates this concern.

Will my child lose their skins and cosmetics if I delete the app? Purchased cosmetics are tied to the account. If your child logs back in on the same device or with the same Apple ID, purchases should restore. Free cosmetics earned through gameplay may not be recoverable. For most kids, cosmetics aren't worth keeping the game installed.

My youth group uses Among Us for virtual game nights. Should I still block it? If Among Us is a structured, time-limited youth group activity (one hour on Friday night), it's serving a community purpose. The concern is when it extends beyond that structure into daily solo or small-group play. Keep Among Us available for the youth group night and blocked the rest of the week using Screen Time's Downtime scheduling.

Is Among Us less addictive than other games since it requires a group? Yes and no. The group requirement means you can't play 24/7 (unlike single-player games). But when a group is available, the social pressure makes it harder to stop. It's addictive in bursts rather than continuously. For some people, this pattern is actually harder to manage because the intense sessions feel justified ("I'm being social").

What about the Among Us VR version? Among Us VR is a separate product for VR headsets, not available on iPhone. If your family has a VR headset, the same time-limit principles apply, but VR adds the concern of physical isolation — wearing a headset literally blocks out the real world.

Sources: Among Us Official, Among Us on the App Store

How to Block Among Us on iPhone