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SUPPORT

Support

Action tracking, app limits, and backups. This guide covers version 1.0.4; some screens will differ until the update is available.

Your first five minutes: just 3 steps

  1. Open Action at the bottomWrite what you want to do. Setting a goal is optional.
  2. Start, then put your phone downBegin a short action or longer work. Longer actions can extend in 30-minute blocks.
  3. Return and record your progressRecord completion or save partial progress. Your record helps the town grow.

Drinking water, eating, or resting is enough. Not finishing within a chosen time is never treated as failure.

DAILY APP TIME

See the apps you use most, then set a time

Open Settings, choose App Limits & Opening Wait at the top, then Daily Limit. Nothing changes until you confirm your settings.

  1. 1
    View UsageReview your most-used apps and seven-day daily averages. Suggestions appear once enough history is available.
  2. 2
    Choose AppsUse “Choose from These” or “Choose Apps” to select targets in Apple’s picker.
  3. 3
    Set Daily TimeSet a combined limit or individual app limits. Scheduled hours can stay on too: apps pause when the limit is reached or the scheduled period begins.

Where is usage shown?Readable app names and exact times appear only inside Apple’s usage report view. They are not passed to the main DAYBREAK CITY app or developer, and are not included in JSON.

OPENING PAUSE

Pause for 5, 8, or 10 seconds before opening

This optional feature does not permanently lock an app. It lets you briefly choose between returning to town and opening the selected app this time. Stopping it never causes a penalty.

Begin inside DAYBREAK CITY

These four steps turn on the opening pause.

  1. 1
    Settings → App Limits & Opening WaitOpen the first card in Settings.
  2. 2
    ContinueThe first time, choose Continue, then allow Screen Time access in Apple's prompt. Action tracking and town building also work without permission.
  3. 3
    Open the opening-wait settingsChoose 5, 8, or 10 seconds.
  4. 4
    Check the apps and enable the pauseConfirm your target apps and duration, then turn it on.

When you open a selected app

Confirm, wait your selected 5, 8, or 10 seconds, then open.

  1. ConfirmTap “Open This Time”
  2. WaitWait for the countdown
  3. OpenTap the button that appears

Finishing the wait does not bypass a daily limit or scheduled restriction. The opening pause resets when you return to DAYBREAK CITY.

OPTIONAL EXTRA SETUP

For a pause between consecutive sessions, add one Shortcut

This resets the pause when you leave a selected app, without reopening DAYBREAK CITY first.

Only one automationSelect all apps togetherNormally set up once
  1. 1
    Open ShortcutsUse the “Open Shortcuts” button in DAYBREAK CITY’s guide.
  2. 2
    Automation → + → AppSelect all target apps together and choose “Is Closed.”
  3. 3
    Add “Reset Five-Second Pause”Add the DAYBREAK CITY action and save it with “Run Immediately.”

Why choose the apps again?Apple protects the selection made in DAYBREAK CITY so the app cannot pass readable app identities to Shortcuts. You normally select them in Shortcuts only once, and you do not need a separate automation for every app. If you later change the apps in DAYBREAK CITY, update the Shortcut’s app list as well.

If you do not set up the Shortcut

The feature still works. After using a selected app, the pause resets when you next return to DAYBREAK CITY.

If you selected only a category or website

In Shortcuts, choose the apps whose closing should reset the pause.

If you are unsure what to build

  • Build: choose buildings, roads, and terrain.
  • Construction plans: place a plan before all the budget and materials are ready, then complete it later.
  • Info: check construction materials, food, the next delivery, and what the town currently needs.

If you have not opened the app for a while

You never need to fill in the missing days. The town does not decay while you are away and never requires a streak. Continue from today.

Back up your town

Open Settings → Save or Share JSON to keep your town as a file. Before restoring, the app also moves your current town into its safety backup. Save a JSON copy before an important update.

Notifications and other app breaks

Notifications are optional. In addition to an end reminder, you can set a start reminder for a chosen time or after selected-app usage reaches a threshold. Tapping it opens free input. During-action breaks, daily limits, scheduled hours, and opening pauses have separate settings.

Readable app names and exact times shown in the usage report never leave that Apple report view. Ending or interrupting a break never harms your town.

If you find a problem

Email what happened and the action you took just before it. A screenshot is helpful when it can show the problem.

A JSON backup contains your town and action records. Check its contents and send only what is needed for the investigation.

Contact by email

For questions, bug reports, or suggestions about the public version, email:

daybreakcity1@gmail.com

For a bug report, include what happened, the previous action, your iPhone model, and your iOS version when possible. Never send passwords or other secrets.