HOW TO
A Beginner’s Guide to Screen Time
Ever wonder how much time you spend each day on your iPhone and iPad perusing social media, playing games, or getting work done? Now you can find out, down to the minute.
New for iOS 12, Screen Time is a set of tools that shows you which apps and websites you use and how long you use them. Parents can check how much time their kids are spending in apps and games too.
Get the stats
‣ You’ll find Screen Time in the Settings app. Turn the feature on to see how often you pick up your device, the number of notifications you receive, the total time you spend in each app, plus your usage across various app categories.
You can even have Screen Time tally your usage across your iPhone and iPad—they just need to be signed in to the same Apple ID.
Screen Time includes optional tools that let you set daily time limits on apps or block specific types of content—like R-rated movies or explicit songs.
Parents can turn on Family Sharing to see their children’s reports and set content and app limits. Just tap the Set Up Screen Time for Families button to add your child’s account.
Take action
‣ If you spot an app that you’d like to use less, Screen Time can help. Tap the name of the app in a report, then tap Add Limit. To add a cap for an entire category of apps (like social media or games), tap App Limits on the main Screen Time screen.
And a tool called Downtime, also available on the main screen, encourages you to put your phone down after-hours.
Once you’ve exceeded the caps you set in App Limits or Downtime, apps will appear grayed out on the home screen. You’ll still be able to launch them, but you’ll see a prompt asking if you want to ignore the restriction.
If you turn on these features for your kids through Family Sharing, they won’t be able to use apps again until the next day, when the time limit resets.
There are two additional tools on the Screen Time main screen to explore. Always Allowed lets you specify apps to exclude from any limits you set. Content & Privacy Restrictions is where you can block content (music, books, movies, apps, and more) that you deem inappropriate for yourself or your kids.