iOS App Management - What Do the Shield Icons Mean?

This guide applies only to protected iPhones and iPads.
If you’re using Canopy on an Android device, these icons won’t appear.

When viewing apps in your Canopy Dashboard or the Canopy management app, you might see a red shield icon next to some apps, such as browsers and social networks apps.

These icons let you know how precisely Canopy is able to manage and filter each app on the protected device.

🔴 Red Shield icon

A red shield icon appears next to the Protection level of apps that require the Management permission for accurate detection and behavior.

Tap the red shield to enable Accurate app control, on the popup window:

Tap OK to proceed.

🟡 Gold Shield icon

When choosing Protection levels of apps for which the Management permission is recommended (but not required) a golden shield displayed at the bottom.

Canopy can only offer limited filtering (Unfiltered or Blocked) until the app is approved for precise identification.

Tap the yellow shield to begin the management request process.
Tap OK on the popup to Enable accurate app control.

“Pending” Status – Waiting for Approval

Once you tap a shield icon and begin the process:

The shield icon will disappear.
A “Pending” label will appear under the app name.

This means a management request was sent to the protected device.
The person using the device (your child or someone accountable) will now be asked to approve Canopy’s ability to manage this specific app.

Once the protected device user approves by tapping "Manage", Canopy can accurately identify and fully protect this app.

As long as the protected device hadn't approved, the request will remain awaiting approval.

Tip: Want to Approve All Apps at Once?

Instead of approving each app individually, you can install Removal Prevention on the protected device using a Windows or Mac computer.

This allows Canopy to manage and filter all apps automatically—with no further approvals needed.

👉 Learn How to Set It Up

This is the fastest and most effective way to enable full filtering across all apps on an iPhone or iPad.