iPhone (iOS) · Accounts & Family
Manage Screen Time & Family Sharing
Screen Time shows how you (or your family) use your devices and lets you set app limits, downtime schedules, and content restrictions — especially useful when set up through Family Sharing for a child's device.
How to open Screen Time & Family
- Open Settings → Screen Time.
- Tap 'Turn On Screen Time', then set it up for yourself or 'For a Family Member'.
- Configure Downtime, App Limits, and Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Set a Screen Time passcode to protect these settings.
What you should know
- Weekly Screen Time reports break down usage by app and category.
- App Limits can cap daily time spent in specific apps or categories.
- Downtime schedules block distracting apps during set hours, like bedtime.
- Content & Privacy Restrictions can limit explicit content, in-app purchases, and privacy setting changes.
A Screen Time passcode is required to change these settings once set — store it somewhere you (or a co-parent) can retrieve if forgotten.
Why it matters
Screen Time turns vague worries about phone use into concrete data, showing exactly which apps are consuming the most time for you or a family member, which is the necessary first step before setting any meaningful limit. For families, it's the primary tool for keeping a child's device age-appropriate — blocking explicit content, restricting in-app purchases, and enforcing bedtime downtime without having to police the phone manually. Because settings are protected by a separate passcode, it also prevents a tech-savvy kid from simply disabling their own restrictions.
Best practices
- Set a Screen Time passcode that's different from the device passcode, and store it somewhere retrievable by another trusted adult if managing a child's device.
- Review the weekly Screen Time report together with a family member rather than only using it to enforce limits unilaterally.
- Use Downtime scheduled around bedtime rather than blocking apps all day, which tends to be more sustainable and less resented.
- Set Content & Privacy Restrictions before handing a device to a child for the first time, rather than retrofitting them after problematic content is already accessible.
Common problems and fixes
- Forgot the Screen Time passcode and can't change any restrictions
- Use 'Forgot Passcode?' in Screen Time settings to reset it via Face ID/Touch ID and your Apple Account password, or a parent can reset a linked child's Screen Time passcode from their own device via Family Sharing.
- App Limits don't seem to actually block the app once time is up
- Confirm 'Block at End of Limit' is enabled rather than just 'Remind Me', since the default reminder-only mode doesn't enforce a hard stop.
- A request to extend app time from a child's device never arrives on the parent's phone
- Confirm Family Sharing is set up correctly and both devices are signed in to iCloud, since extension requests route through the Family Sharing organizer.
- Screen Time reports look inaccurate or show usage on a device you don't recognize
- Check that Screen Time isn't combining data across all your own devices signed into the same Apple Account under 'Share Across Devices'.
Tips and tricks
- Allow 'Always Allowed' apps (like Phone or Messages) to stay accessible even during Downtime, so essential communication isn't blocked.
- Use per-category rather than per-app limits (like 'Games' as a whole) to avoid having to configure dozens of individual app limits separately.
- Check 'Communication Limits' to control which contacts a child can call or message during Downtime hours, independent of app blocking.
Frequently asked questions
Can my child bypass Screen Time restrictions by deleting and reinstalling an app?
No, App Limits and Content & Privacy Restrictions are tied to the device and Apple Account settings, not the individual app install, so reinstalling doesn't remove the restriction.
What's the difference between App Limits and Downtime?
App Limits cap total daily time in specific apps or categories regardless of when they're used, while Downtime blocks broad categories of apps during specific scheduled hours, like overnight.
Can I see Screen Time reports for my whole family in one place?
Yes, if Family Sharing is set up, the Screen Time app shows a combined view where you can tap into each family member's individual usage and settings.
Related settings
- Privacy & PermissionsThe Privacy & Security hub lets you review and control exactly which apps can access your Camera, Microphone, Location Services, Contacts, Photos, and more.
- Accessibility SettingsAccessibility settings on iPhone include VoiceOver screen reading, Zoom magnification, Voice Control, and many vision, hearing, mobility, and cognitive features.
- Face ID & PasscodeFace ID (or Touch ID) and Passcode settings control how you unlock your iPhone, authorize purchases, and protect sensitive data with biometric or code-based security.
More Accounts & Family guides for iPhone (iOS)
- Apple ID & iCloudThe account panel at the top of Settings is where your Apple ID lives on iPhone — your name, phone numbers, email addresses, and every iCloud service (Photos, Backup, Drive, Mail, and more) that's currently syncing to your account.
- Family SharingFamily Sharing lets up to six people share App Store and iTunes purchases, an Apple Music or Apple One subscription, iCloud+ storage, and a shared photo album — plus parental controls for kids' accounts.
- Sign-In & SecuritySign-In & Security is where you change your Apple ID password, view your two-factor authentication trusted phone numbers, and manage which devices are trusted to approve sign-ins.
- Mail, Contacts, Calendars AccountsThis Accounts list is where you add Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or other third-party accounts so their mail, contacts, and calendars sync into the built-in Mail, Contacts, and Calendar apps alongside iCloud.
- App Limits & DowntimeApp Limits and Downtime, part of Screen Time, let you cap daily time spent in app categories and schedule periods when only phone calls and allowed apps remain available.
- Apple Cash & Family PaymentsApple Cash Family lets an organizer set up Apple Cash for a family member under 18, issue a virtual or physical debit card, fund their balance, and monitor or limit their transactions.