How to Enable blocked permissions for Modded APKs on android 13+

 

So if you've recently sideloaded an app like CleanBrowsing and it's refusing to let you turn on Accessibility Services or Device Admin, don't worry; you're not doing anything wrong. Starting with Android 13, Google decided to block sideloaded apps (basically anything you install outside the Play Store) from using those sensitive permissions by default. It's a security thing, and honestly a fair one, but it definitely caught me off guard the first time I ran into it, lol.

The annoying part is that most guides online skip the actual trick to unlocking this option, which is exactly why I'm writing this out properly. So let me walk you through it, manufacturer by manufacturer, since every brand seems to hide this setting in a slightly different spot, because of course they do.

What Are Restricted Settings, Anyway?

Basically, Restricted Settings is a security feature Android introduced starting with version 13. It stops sideloaded apps from getting access to things like Accessibility Services and Device Admin, both of which are honestly pretty powerful permissions if they end up in the wrong hands.

For an app like CleanBrowsing, though, these permissions aren't being abused; they're actually essential. Accessibility Services is what lets it automatically configure your Android's Private DNS settings and stop unauthorized changes to your DNS filtering. Device Admin, on the other hand, just prevents the app from being uninstalled without your say-so.

This whole restriction only applies if you're running Android 13, 14, 15, or newer. If you're still on Android 12 or something older, congrats, you can skip this entire guide; this isn't your problem.

One important thing before we dive in: the "Allow restricted settings" option doesn't just show up automatically. You've gotta trigger it first, and this is genuinely the step most guides completely forget to mention.

Step 1: Trigger the Restriction

Before Android will even show you the override option, you need to attempt enabling the restricted permission first and let it block you. Sounds backwards, I know, but that's literally how Android registers that your app actually needs this override.

1. Open your phone's Settings app
2. Head into Accessibility
3. Look under Installed apps (sometimes labeled Downloaded apps or Installed services, depending on your device)
4. Find CleanBrowsing in that list and try toggling it on
5. You'll get hit with a message saying "Restricted setting — For your security, this setting is currently unavailable"
6. Just dismiss that dialog; this is actually what triggers Android to unlock the override option for you

Quick heads up: if CleanBrowsing doesn't even show up under "Installed apps" in your Accessibility settings, uninstall it and reinstall it by tapping the APK directly from your file manager, not through ADB. Android needs to properly register the app as sideloaded for this whole flow to actually work.

Step 2: Allow Restricted Settings

Now that you've triggered the restriction, you should finally be able to access the "Allow restricted settings" option from the App Info page.

1. Go to Settings > Apps (sometimes shown as Apps & notifications)
2. Find and tap on CleanBrowsing
3. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner
4. Select "Allow restricted settings"
5. Confirm it using your PIN, pattern, or fingerprint

If tapping through Settings feels like too many steps, there's a quicker route too: just long-press the CleanBrowsing icon on your home screen, tap "App info," and look for that same three-dot menu from there.

If you don't see this option at all, don't stress; just scroll down to your specific device brand below, since a few manufacturers hide this in different spots.

Step 3: Enable Accessibility and Device Admin

Once restricted settings are unlocked, go back and actually enable the permissions themselves.

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Installed apps
2. Find CleanBrowsing and toggle it on
3. Tap Allow when it prompts you
4. Press Back to return to the CleanBrowsing app

From there, the app should guide you through enabling Device Admin too. Here's something that trips a lot of people up, though: after toggling Device Admin on within your system settings, Android doesn't automatically send you back to the app. You have to manually press the Back button yourself. Once you do, CleanBrowsing will detect the permission was granted and move on to the next step on its own.

Samsung (One UI 5.x / 6.x / 7.x)

Samsung, being Samsung, has a few extra quirks depending on which One UI version you're running.

One UI 5.x (Android 13): Trigger the restriction through Settings > Accessibility > Installed apps, dismiss the dialog, then head to Settings > Apps > CleanBrowsing, tap the three-dot menu, and select "Allow restricted settings." Confirm with your fingerprint or PIN, then head back to Accessibility to finally enable it.

One UI 6.x (Android 14): On some builds here, there's no three-dot menu at all. Instead, just scroll down the App Info page directly, and you'll find "Allow restricted settings" sitting there as its own visible option.

One UI 6.1.1+ (Auto Blocker): If you're on a newer Galaxy device like the S24 or Z Fold6/Flip6, Samsung added something called Auto Blocker, which blocks sideloading entirely by default. You'll need to go into Settings > Security and privacy > Auto Blocker and turn it off first before any of the steps above will even work.

Samsung Battery Optimization: One more Samsung-specific gotcha: its battery optimization loves killing background services like CleanBrowsing's. To stop that from happening, go to Settings > Apps > CleanBrowsing > Battery, and select "Unrestricted."

Google Pixel (Stock Android 13-15)

Pixel devices are honestly the most predictable here, since they follow the standard Android flow pretty much exactly as intended.

1. Trigger: Settings > Accessibility > Downloaded apps, toggle CleanBrowsing, dismiss the dialog
2. Allow: Settings > Apps > See all apps > CleanBrowsing, tap the three-dot menu, select "Allow restricted settings," confirm with PIN or fingerprint
3. Enable: Head back to Accessibility > Downloaded apps and toggle it on

If you're running Android 15 specifically, you might notice a few extra confirmation prompts due to something called Enhanced Confirmation Mode, but don't worry, the overall flow still works the same way.

Xiaomi (MIUI 14+ / HyperOS)

Xiaomi follows the same general flow, but throws in a couple of extra battery and overlay-related headaches.

1. Trigger: Settings > Additional settings > Accessibility > Downloaded apps, toggle CleanBrowsing on
2. Allow: Settings > Apps > Manage apps > CleanBrowsing, tap the three-dot menu, select "Allow restricted settings"
3. Enable: Head back into Accessibility and toggle it on

A couple of Xiaomi-specific issues worth knowing about:

• Full-screen gesture bug: If you get an "An overlapping app is blocking access to settings" message while trying to toggle accessibility, just temporarily switch to button navigation through Settings > Display > Full screen display > Buttons. You can switch back to gestures once you're done.
• Battery optimization: Xiaomi is notoriously aggressive about killing background apps. Go to Settings > Apps > Manage apps > CleanBrowsing > Battery saver, and select "No restrictions." Also, manually add CleanBrowsing to the Autostart list inside the Security app.
• HyperOS quirk: Some HyperOS updates silently disable accessibility permissions without telling you. If filtering just randomly stops working after an update, just re-enable the accessibility permission manually.

OnePlus (OxygenOS 13-15)

On OxygenOS 13 and 14, OnePlus sticks to the standard flow:

1. Trigger: Settings > Accessibility > Installed services, toggle CleanBrowsing on
2. Allow: Settings > Apps > App info > CleanBrowsing, tap the three-dot menu, select "Allow restricted settings"
3. Enable: Head back to Accessibility and toggle it on

But here's the annoying part: on OxygenOS 15, OnePlus removed the three-dot overflow menu entirely, which basically breaks the standard flow. The workaround here is to install a session-based installer app, something like SAI (Split APK Installer) from the Play Store, and use that to install the CleanBrowsing APK instead. This tricks the system into treating it like a Play Store install, which means the restricted settings limitation won't even apply, and you can enable accessibility completely normally afterward.

Oppo (ColorOS 13+)

Oppo follows the standard flow too, with a handy alternate path if the usual menu doesn't show up.

1. Trigger: Settings > Accessibility > Installed apps, toggle CleanBrowsing on
2. Allow: Settings > Apps > App management > CleanBrowsing, tap the three-dot menu, or just scroll down to find "Allow restricted settings" listed as its own direct option
3. Enable: Head back to Accessibility and toggle it on

For battery management, Oppo needs a couple of extra tweaks too. Go to Settings > Battery > App battery management > CleanBrowsing, and select "Allow background activity." While you're there, also disable "Auto-optimize" specifically for CleanBrowsing.

Motorola (Near-Stock Android)

Motorola keeps things simple since it runs near-stock Android, meaning the process is basically identical to what Pixel owners deal with.

1. Trigger: Settings > Accessibility > Downloaded apps, toggle CleanBrowsing on, dismiss the dialog
2. Allow: Settings > Apps > See all apps > CleanBrowsing, tap the three-dot menu, select "Allow restricted settings"
3. Enable: Head back to Accessibility and toggle it on

Honestly, out of every manufacturer on this list, Motorola gives you the least amount of extra hassle here: no weird sideloading blockers, no aggressive battery killers layered on top.

READ ALSO: How to Automatically Block Duplicate Job Notifications on Android

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"Allow restricted settings" isn't showing up in the three-dot menu: Make sure you actually triggered the restriction first in Step 1, since the option stays hidden until you attempt the permission and get blocked. If it's still not appearing, try opening CleanBrowsing, closing it, clearing it from your recent apps, then long-pressing the icon and selecting "App info" again. On Samsung One UI 6.x and above, remember it might be a direct menu item instead of hidden inside the three dots.

CleanBrowsing doesn't show up under Accessibility > Installed apps at all: Uninstall it and reinstall by tapping the APK directly from your file manager (My Files, Files app, whatever your device uses), since installing through ADB sometimes doesn't register properly. If you're on a newer Samsung device, also double-check whether Auto Blocker is turned on and disable it first.

The app doesn't return automatically after enabling Device Admin: This one's actually expected, not a bug. Android just doesn't navigate back on its own after you toggle Device Admin in system settings. Press Back manually, and CleanBrowsing will pick up right where it left off.

Filtering randomly stops working after a while: Nine times out of ten, this is your device's battery optimization quietly killing CleanBrowsing's background service. Head to Settings > Apps > CleanBrowsing > Battery and select "Unrestricted" or "No restrictions." If you're on Xiaomi, also double-check it's still on the Autostart list, and if you're on Oppo, make sure Auto-optimize is disabled.

A Quick Note on Huawei / HarmonyOS

Huawei's a bit of a different beast here since it doesn't follow the standard Android restricted settings flow at all. On older Huawei devices running HarmonyOS 3.x (which is still Android-based under the hood), permissions get managed through Settings > Apps > Apps > CleanBrowsing > Permissions instead. But if you're on HarmonyOS NEXT specifically, sideloading is blocked entirely, full stop, meaning apps can only be installed through the Huawei AppGallery; no workaround around that one, unfortunately.

READ ALSO: How to Extract App Package Names from Standalone Uninstalled APKs in Tasker

Look, I know this whole restricted settings thing feels like an unnecessary extra hoop to jump through, especially when you're just trying to get a legitimate app like CleanBrowsing working properly. But once you know the actual trigger-then-allow sequence, it genuinely takes like two minutes on most devices. Just find your manufacturer above, follow the steps in order, and you should be good to go.