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Screen Time and Digital Wellbeing

Set up Screen Time on iPhone or Digital Wellbeing on Android to track usage, set app limits, schedule downtime, and manage content restrictions for kids

If you want to track how much time you spend on your phone, limit time-wasting apps, or set up restrictions for a kid's device, both iPhone and Android have built-in tools for this. No third-party app needed.

Find your Screen Time settings:

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time
  2. If you have never used it before, tap Turn On Screen Time and follow the setup prompts
  3. Choose whether this is your own device or a child's device. The child option adds a passcode so the limits cannot be changed without your approval

Check your usage stats:

  1. In Settings > Screen Time, you will see your daily average usage at the top
  2. Tap See All App & Website Activity to see a detailed breakdown
  3. You can view usage by day or week, see your most-used apps, how many times you picked up your phone, and how many notifications you received
  4. Tap any app to see its daily usage and set a limit directly from that screen

Set app limits:

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits
  2. Tap Add Limit
  3. Select a category (like Social or Entertainment) or tap individual apps
  4. Set the time limit (for example, 1 hour per day) and tap Add
  5. When you hit the limit, the app dims and shows a time limit screen. You can choose to ignore it for one minute or the rest of the day, unless a passcode is set

To make limits harder to bypass, set a Screen Time passcode at Settings > Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings. This is especially important for kids' devices.

Schedule downtime:

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Downtime
  2. Turn it on and choose Every Day or Customize Days
  3. Set the start and end times (for example, 9 PM to 7 AM)
  4. During Downtime, only apps you put in the Always Allowed list and phone calls will work. Everything else is blocked

To set which apps are always available, go to Settings > Screen Time > Always Allowed and add essential apps like Phone, Messages, or Maps.

Set up content restrictions (for kids):

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions
  2. Turn it on
  3. Under Content Restrictions, you can:
    • Set age ratings for apps, movies, TV shows, and music
    • Block explicit content in web searches
    • Restrict web content to specific allowed websites only
  4. Under Store, Web, Siri & Game Center Content, control what can be installed and purchased
  5. Under Privacy, control which apps can access location, contacts, and other data

Set up Screen Time for a child's device remotely:

  1. If your child is in your Family Sharing group, go to Settings > Screen Time on your own device
  2. Tap your child's name under Family
  3. You can set all the same limits and restrictions remotely from your phone, and get weekly reports on their usage

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my kid bypass Screen Time or Digital Wellbeing limits?▾

On iPhone, Screen Time limits are enforced with a passcode. Without it, the child can tap "Ignore Limit" and keep using the app. Always set a Screen Time passcode that is different from the device unlock code. On Android, built-in app timers have no passcode and can be removed by the user. For real enforcement on Android, use Google Family Link, which requires parent approval to change.

Do Screen Time limits apply to phone calls and texting?▾

By default, Phone and Messages are in the "Always Allowed" list on iPhone and are not restricted during Downtime. You can remove them from Always Allowed if you want, but most parents keep communication apps available. On Android, Family Link lets you set a device bedtime that locks the entire device, but phone calls can still be made to emergency numbers.

Why does my Screen Time show more hours than I actually used my phone?▾

Screen Time counts any time the display is on and an app is in the foreground. This includes time when music is playing with the screen on, navigation apps showing directions, or a recipe displayed in the kitchen. It also counts across all devices signed into the same Apple ID. If you want per-device stats, tap the device name at the top of the Screen Time report.

Will app limits reset if I restart my phone?▾

Yes, limits are tied to the calendar day and reset at midnight regardless of restarts. Restarting your phone does not give you extra time or bypass limits. The timer picks up where it left off.

Can I set different limits for weekdays and weekends?▾

Yes on both platforms. On iPhone, when setting Downtime you can choose Customize Days and set different schedules for each day. App Limits apply daily but you can adjust them by day. On Android, Focus mode schedules can be set per day, and Family Link daily limits can be customized for each day of the week.