Support

DIMLOCK

Answers to the questions people ask most. Can't find yours? Email mysecondwish11@gmail.com with your phone model and Android version, and we'll reply within two working days.

Getting started

How do I set it up? Open DimLock and tap Grant permission. Find DimLock in the list, switch on Allow display over other apps, and come back.

Tap Start. A round floating button appears over every app. Open YouTube or any video app, play something, and tap the floating button. To lock straight away from inside DimLock, tap Lock now.

Why does it need "Display over other apps"? The black screen has to sit on top of the video app so the video keeps playing underneath. That permission is what lets it draw there. DimLock cannot see or record what is on your screen.

What are the Listening, Kids and Pocket presets? Shortcuts that set several options in one tap. Listening shows a dim clock. Kids also blocks the volume buttons. Pocket keeps the screen fully dark. You can still change any setting afterwards.

Using the black screen

How do I unlock? Tap the Unlock button at the bottom of the black screen. If you chose Double-tap under Unlock with, double-tap anywhere instead. If you turned on Secure unlock (Pro), confirm with your fingerprint, face or PIN.

The buttons fade out after a few seconds so the screen stays dark. Touch the screen once and they come back.

I'm stuck and can't unlock. Tap the screen several times quickly: DimLock shows how to unlock. You can also swipe down from the top of the screen twice and tap Stop in the DimLock notification. As a last resort, restart the phone.

To always have that Stop button, allow notifications in the app (Lock tab, Finish setup).

The video stops when the screen goes black. Most video apps, including YouTube without Premium, stop when the phone itself goes to sleep. Keep Keep screen awake on (Lock tab, While locked) and don't press the power button: the black screen keeps the display on but dark.

The floating button disappeared. Some phones close apps in the background to save battery. In the app, use Finish setup › Keep it running and set DimLock to "Unrestricted" or "Don't optimise". On Samsung, also check Settings › Battery › Background usage limits.

If you switched off Show floating button (Style tab), lock from the notification, the Quick Settings tile or the app shortcut instead.

How do I add the Quick Settings tile? On Android 13 or newer, tap Add to Quick Settings in the Style tab. On older phones, swipe down twice, tap the pencil, and drag "DimLock" into your tiles.

Does it save battery? On phones with OLED screens, black pixels are switched off, so a black screen uses much less power, and DimLock also lowers the brightness. The Stats tab shows a rough estimate. On LCD screens the backlight stays on, so savings are smaller.

Kids

Can my child still get out? DimLock blocks taps, the back button and swipes from the middle of the screen edges, and can block the volume buttons. Android itself still lets anyone swipe up from the bottom to go home or pull down the notification shade twice. For young children, also turn on Android's App pinning (Settings › Security › App pinning), which locks the phone to one app.

Pro and billing

What does Pro add? The privacy filter, secure unlock, media buttons on the black screen, pocket auto-lock, extra clock fonts and colours, extra floating-button icons, and a one-tap "Black out" icon for your home screen.

How do I cancel my subscription? Open the Google Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Payments & subscriptions › Subscriptions, choose DimLock and tap Cancel subscription. Pro stays on until the end of the period you paid for.

I bought Pro but the app says I haven't. Make sure the Play Store is signed in to the Google account you bought it with, then open the upgrade page in DimLock and tap Restore purchases. A payment can also stay "pending" for a while with some payment methods.

Can I get a refund? Purchases are handled by Google Play. You can request a refund through Google Play within its refund window (see Google Play refund policy). If that doesn't work for you, email us and we'll look at it.

Your data

What does the app collect? No account. The free version shows a banner ad from Google AdMob (in the EEA and the UK you are asked first; change it under Stats › About › Ad privacy choices), and DimLock Pro removes it. Anonymous usage statistics (which features are used) go to Google Firebase only if you agree, and can be switched off under Stats › Share usage data. Details in the privacy policy and on Your data.

Still need help?

Email mysecondwish11@gmail.com. Tell us your phone model, Android version and DimLock version (in the app: Stats tab, About).