Set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances with Screen Time on Mac
Screen Time helps you manage when and how you use your Mac. You can use Time Allowances to set how long you use your apps each day, and Schedules to set when during the day you can use them. For example, you can create schedules for weekdays and weekends with time windows for things like work, dinner, and the evening. You can also create Time Allowances for different categories like Entertainment, Games, or Social Media and allow them during different times of your schedule.
Before you can set up Time Allowances, you need to turn on Screen Time. See Set up Screen Time for yourself.
Note: To use all the latest Screen Time features, you need iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, or visionOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices. If you’re setting up these features within a Family Sharing group, all devices in your family must be upgraded to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, or visionOS 27 or later. Learn how to update your Apple devices.
If you want to set up Screen Time Schedules, Time Allowances, or parental control features for your child, see Apple Devices for Kids and Families. | |||||||||||
Set up a Screen Time schedule for device use
You can create a custom schedule for your Mac to manage which apps you can use at different times of the day. Each block in your schedule shows icons for the Time Allowance categories that are available, so you can quickly see which types of apps you can use during that part of your day.
Go to the System Settings app
on your Mac.
Click Screen Time
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Turn on Schedule, then do any of the following:
Create a new schedule for device use: Click Add New Schedule, select the days you want to create a schedule for, then click Done.
Change the days you selected for your schedule: Click Edit Days, select the days you want to apply to your schedule, then click Done.
Add a new time window to your schedule: Click Add Time Window, then enter a name and select a start and stop time. If you’ve created Time Allowances, you can allow categories of apps, like Entertainment and Games. When you’re done, click Add Time Window.
Remove a time window from your schedule: Click a Time Window in your schedule, then click Delete Time Window.
Add Time Allowance categories to certain times in your schedule: Click a Time Window in your schedule, select the Time Allowance categories you want to apply, then click Done.
Set how long you can use apps with Time Allowances
Go to the System Settings app
Click Screen Time
Click Time Allowances, then turn on Match Screen Time Schedule, if you’d like to apply your Time Allowances to your Screen Time Schedule.
Click Manage Categories, click Add, then select a category, like Entertainment, Games, or Social Media.
Select a Time Window in your Screen Time schedule that you’d like to apply the Time Allowance to, then click Continue.
Do any of the following:
Set your Time Allowance to a daily limit: Turn on Include in Shared Time Allowance.
Increase or decrease the amount of time in your daily limit: Click
or the
.
Click Done, then click Done again.