Use Screen Time on your iPhone or iPad

Screen Time shows you how much time you spend on apps, websites, and more. This way, you can make more informed decisions about how you use your devices. You can also set limits and restrictions for what you want to manage — on your own device or a child's device.

iPad screen showing a Time Sensitive alert for Screen Time, and iPhone screen showing the Screen Time settings

Turn on Screen Time

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.

  2. Tap App & Website Activity, then tap Turn On App & Website Activity.

After you enable Screen Time, you'll see a report showing how you use your device, apps, and websites. If it's your child's device, you can set up Screen Time and create settings on their device or you can use Family Sharing to configure your child’s device from your own device. After you set up your child’s device, you can also use Family Sharing to see reports and adjust settings from your device.

Learn how to use Parental Controls on your child's iPhone or iPad

Set a Screen Time passcode

You can set a passcode so that only you can change Screen Time settings, allow more time when app limits expire, and set content and privacy limitations on a child's device.

If you manage a child account using Family Sharing

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.

  2. Scroll down and choose the child's name under Family.

  3. Follow the onscreen instructions to set up the Screen Time settings that you want for the child.

  4. Enter a Screen Time passcode when prompted. Re-enter the passcode to confirm.

If you manage a child account using their device

  1. Make sure that you're on the device used by the child.

  2. Go to Settings > Screen Time.

  3. Follow the onscreen instructions to set up the Screen Time settings that you want for the child.

  4. Enter a Screen Time passcode when prompted. Re-enter the passcode to confirm.

Learn what to do if you forgot your Screen Time passcode

See your Screen Time report and set limits

Screen Time gives you a report showing how your device is used, apps you've opened, websites you've visited, and more. To see the report, go to Settings > Screen Time and tap See All App & Website Activity. From there, you can see your usage, set limits for your most used apps, and see how many times a device was picked up or received a notification.

If you have Share Across Devices turned on, you can view overall usage across all of your devices that are signed in with your Apple ID.

iPhone screen showing your Screen Time usage

Manage Screen Time settings

Go to Settings > Screen Time. Then tap See all Activity and select a category in the list below to set limits and restrictions.

Downtime

When you schedule downtime, only phone calls and apps that you choose to allow are available. Downtime applies to all of your Screen Time enabled devices, and you get a reminder five minutes before it starts. If you set a Screen Time passcode, Downtime includes an additional setting, Block At Downtime. When you choose this setting and you click Ask For More Time when Downtime starts, entering the passcode allows you to approve the app for 15 minutes, an hour, or all day. For child accounts, a user can click One More Minute once, or click Ask For More Time to send their request to the parent or guardian account for approval.

App Limits

You can set daily limits for app categories with App Limits. For example, you might want to see productivity apps while you're at work, but not social networking or games. App Limits refresh every day at midnight, and you can delete them any time.

Always Allowed

If you manage a child account, you can control who they can communicate with throughout the day and during downtime. These limits apply to Phone, FaceTime, Messages, and iCloud contacts. This is also where you can decide and manage which contacts are available on an Apple Watch paired through Family Setup. Communication to known emergency numbers identified by your iPhone or Apple Watch cellular carrier is always allowed. You need to have your iCloud contacts enabled to use this feature.

Screen Distance

Screen Distance give you prompts when it's recommended that you move your iPhone or iPad further away from your face to reduce eye strain, and the risk of myopia in children.

Communication Limits

Phone, Messages, FaceTime, and Maps are always allowed by default, but you can remove them. You can adjust your Communication Limits settings if you want to access certain apps, even if you have downtime enabled or if you set the All Apps & Categories app limit.

Communication Safety

The Communication Safety setting helps protect kids from sharing sensitive photos and videos, and provides guidance and age-appropriate resources to help them make safe choices. Apple doesn't have access to the photos or videos.

Learn more about Communication Safety on your Child's Apple device

Content & Privacy Restrictions

You decide the type of content that appears on your device or on a child's device that you manage. Block inappropriate content, purchases, and downloads, and set your privacy settings with Content & Privacy Restrictions.

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