Screen Time — a new feature of iOS 12 — lets you know how much time you and your kids spend on apps, websites, and more. This way, you can make more informed decisions about how you use your devices, and set limits if you'd like to. Read on to learn how to turn on Screen Time, view your report and set limits, and manage a child's device.

 

Turn on Screen Time

  1. On your child's iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > Screen Time.
  2. Tap Turn On Screen Time.
  3. Tap Continue.
  4. Select This is My [device] or This is My Child's [device].

You can now get a report about how you use your device, apps, and websites, any time you want.

If it's your child's device, you can set up Screen Time and create settings right 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 view reports and adjust settings any time, right from your own device.

With Screen Time you can also create a dedicated passcode to secure settings, so only you can extend time or make changes.


Make sure to choose a passcode that's different from the passcode you use to unlock your device. To change or turn off the passcode on your child's device, tap Settings > Screen Time > [your child's name]. Then tap Change Screen Time Passcode or Turn Off Screen Time Passcode, and authenticate the change with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.


View your report and set limits

Screen Time gives you a detailed report about how your device is used, apps you've opened, and websites you've visited, any time that you want to see it. Just go to Settings > Screen Time and tap the graph. 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 turned on Share Across Devices, you can view overall usage across devices that are signed in with your Apple ID and password.

Here are the settings that you can manage:


Downtime
Think of this as a nap for your screen time. When you schedule Downtime in Settings, 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.

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 AllowedYou might want to access certain apps, even if it's Downtime or if you set the All Apps & Categories app limit. Phone, Messages, FaceTime, and Maps are Always Allowed by default, but you can remove them if you want.

Content & Privacy RestrictionsYou decide the type of content that appears on your device. Block inappropriate content, purchases, and downloads, and set your privacy settings with Content & Privacy Restrictions.


Use Screen Time with your family

With Family Sharing, you can share music, movies, apps, and more with family — and it now works with Screen Time. You can view reports and adjust settings for children in your family any time, right from your device.


If you're already in a family group, go to Settings > Screen Time, and tap your child's name. If you need to create an Apple ID for your child, go to Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing > Screen Time.


Or if you're new to Family Sharing, tap Set up Screen Time for Family and follow the instructions to add a child and set up your family. You can add family members any time from Family Sharing settings.


To use Screen Time with Family Sharing, you need to be the family organiser or parent/guardian in your family group, on iOS 12. Your child must be under age 18, in your family group with their own Apple ID, and on iOS 12.



Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch


With Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time, you can block or limit specific apps and features on your child's device. And restrict the settings on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch for explicit content, purchases and downloads, and privacy.


Set Content & Privacy Restrictions

  1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
  2. Tap Continue, then choose "This is My [Device]" or "This is My Child's [Device]."
    • If you're the parent or guardian of your device and want to prevent another family member from changing your settings, tap Use Screen Time Passcode to create a passcode. Then re-enter the passcode to confirm.
    • If you're setting up Screen Time on your child's device, follow the prompts until you get to Parent Passcode and enter a passcode. Re-enter the passcode to confirm. 
  3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode, then turn on Content & Privacy.


Make sure to choose a passcode that's different from the passcode you use to unlock your device. To change or turn off the passcode on your child's device, tap Settings > Screen Time > [your child's name]. Then tap Change Screen Time Passcode or Turn Off Screen Time Passcode, and authenticate the change with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.


Please do not restrict apps as there are a number of apps used in school that have to be rated as adult.


Prevent iTunes & App Store purchases

You can also prevent your child from being able to install or delete apps, make in-app purchases, and more. To prevent iTunes & App Store purchases or downloads:

  1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time. 
  2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode.
  3. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
  4. Choose a setting and set to Don't Allow.

You can also change your password settings for additional purchases from the iTunes & App Store or Book Store. Follow steps 1-3, then choose Always Require or Don't Require.



Allow built-in apps and features

You can restrict the use of built-in apps or features. If you turn off an app or feature, it won’t delete it, it’s just temporarily hidden from your Home screen. For example, if you turn off Mail, the Mail app won't appear on your Home Screen until you turn it back on.

To change your Allowed Apps:

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
  2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  3. Enter your Screen Time passcode. 
  4. Tap Allowed Apps. 
  5. Select the apps that you want to allow.

Prevent explicit content and content ratings

You can also prevent the playback of music with explicit content and movies or TV shows with specific ratings. Apps also have ratings that can be configured using content restrictions.

To restrict explicit content and content ratings:

  1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
  2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Content Restrictions.
  3. Choose the settings you want for each feature or setting under Allowed Store Content.

Here are the types of content that you can restrict:

  • Ratings For: Select the country or region in the ratings section to automatically apply the appropriate content ratings for that region
  • Music, Podcasts & News: Prevent the playback of music, music videos, podcasts, and news containing explicit content
  • Music Profiles & Posts: Prevent sharing what you're listening to with friends and seeing what they're listening to
  • Movies: Prevent movies with specific ratings
  • TV shows: Prevent TV shows with specific ratings
  • Books: Prevent content with specific ratings
  • Apps: Prevent apps with specific ratings - Please do not restrict apps as there are a number of apps used in school that have to be rated as adult.

Restrict Siri web search

To restrict Siri features: 

  1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
  2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Content Restrictions.
  3. Scroll down to Siri, then choose your settings.

You can restrict these Siri features: 

  • Web Search Content: Prevent Siri from searching the web when you ask a question
  • Explicit Language: Prevent Siri from displaying explicit language

Restrict Game Center

To restrict Game Center features:

  1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
  2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Content Restrictions.
  3. Scroll down to Game Center, then choose your settings.

You can restrict these Game Center features:

  • Multiplayer Games: Prevent the ability to play multiplayer games
  • Adding Friends: Prevent the ability to add friends to Game Center
  • Screen Recording: Prevent the ability to capture the screen and sound

web content

Prevent web content

iOS can automatically filter website content to limit access to adult content in Safari and apps on your device. You can also add specific websites to an approved or blocked list, or you can limit access to only approved websites. Follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
  2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and enter your Screen Time passcode. 
  3. Tap Content Restrictions, then tap Web Content.
  4. Choose Unrestricted Access, Limit Adult Websites, or Allowed Websites Only. 

Depending on the access you allow, you might need to add information, like the website that you want to restrict.

Allow changes to privacy settings

The privacy settings on your device give you control over which apps have access to information stored on your device or the hardware features. For example, you can allow a social-networking app to request access to use the camera, which allows you to take and upload pictures.

To allow changes to privacy settings:

  1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
  2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode.
  3. Tap Privacy, then choose the settings you want to restrict.

Here are the things you can restrict:

  • Location Services: Lock the settings to allow apps and websites to use location
  • Contacts: Prevent apps from accessing your Contacts
  • Calendars: Prevent apps from accessing your Calendar
  • Reminders: Prevent apps from accessing your Reminders
  • Photos: Prevent apps from requesting access to your photos
  • Bluetooth sharing: Prevent devices and apps from sharing data through Bluetooth
  • Share My Location: Lock the settings for location sharing in Messages and Find My Friends
  • Microphone: Prevent apps from requesting access to your microphone
  • Speech Recognition: Prevent apps from accessing Speech Recognition or Dictation
  • Advertising: Prevent changes to advertising settings
  • Media & Apple Music: Prevent apps from accessing your photos, videos, or music library


Allow changes to other settings and features

You can allow changes to other settings and features, the same way you can allow changes to privacy settings.

  1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
  2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode.
  3. Under Allow Changes, select the features or settings you want to allow changes to and choose Allow or Don't Allow. 

Here are some features and settings you can allow changes for:

  • Passcode Changes: Prevent changes to your passcode.
  • Account Changes: Prevent changes to settings for Accounts & Passwords
  • Cellular Data Changes: Prevent changes to cellular data settings
  • Volume Limit: Prevent changes to volume settings for safe listening
  • Do Not Disturb While Driving: Prevent changes to Do Not Disturb While Driving
  • TV Provider: Prevent changes to TV provider settings
  • Background App Activities: Prevent changes to whether or not apps run in the background.