How to Use Screen Time Controls on iOS 12

The latest update includes a report of the time spent on your iPhone, app time limits, and new parental controls.
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The arrival of iOS 12 means you can now use Apple's long-awaited suite of Screen Time tools. The new features, which appear under Settings > Screen Time, are designed to give you a better idea of how you're spending time on your phone and limit the time you spend on certain apps.

It’s all part of a greater push by tech companies to mitigate the ways personal devices are engineered to be addictive, by creating all kinds of new “digital wellness” features. Similar features showed up on Facebook and Instagram this summer, and Android’s own set of screen time tools are currently in beta on Android Pie.

Looking to use your phone less? Scroll down—mindfully and purposefully!—to find out how to get the most out of Apple's Screen Time tools.

Audit Your Screen Time
Apple

The first thing you should do is check your Screen Time report, a bar graph that shows how much time you’ve spent on your phone in a day or in a week. (Tap the graph to see a more detailed review.) From here, you can see a breakdown of the time you're spending on specific apps and even see how many times you pick up your phone in an hour.

If you have multiple devices using iCloud, turn on “Share Across Devices” to see your combined screen time. This will also apply Screen Time settings—like app limits—across all devices.

Limit Time on Your Apps
Apple

Next, set daily time limits for apps. Want to curb social media scrolling to 30 minutes a day? Go to Screen Time _ App Limits _ Add Limit, then select "Social Networking" to create a time limit. Once the time is up on an app, you’ll receive a notification that you’ve reached the limit. The app icon will also appear dimmed on the home screen.

Here's the catch: You can only limit apps by categories. This means you have to set limits for all the apps that Apple categorizes as “Social Networking” apps, not just the one you spend too much time on. The logic can sometimes be perplexing. The "Social Networking" category, for example, includes Instagram and Facebook—but also WhatsApp. It’s also frustrating that you can’t tap the category to expand a full list of apps that are included in it.

You can bypass the app timers once you’ve added them. When the notification pops up to say you've reached your limit, you can select "Ignore Limit." You can choose to be reminded to get off the app in 15 minutes, or ignore the limit for the whole day.

If you want to set time limits for just a few specific apps, go to your Screen Time report, tap the bar graph, then scroll down to see your “Most Used” apps. Select the addictive app in question, scroll down, and select “Add Limit.” This allows you to limit specific apps without affecting the other apps in the same category. It takes more time, but we think it's worth it to differentiate the Diabolical Time Sucks from the Moderately Dangerous Brain Junk.

Designate Peace and Quiet

A feature called Downtime lets you mute most of your phone's notifications during specific times. By default, Apple turns on Downtime from 10 pm to 7 am. Only phone calls and apps you've designated as "Always Allowed" will show up on your screen.

To set your “Always Allowed” apps, navigate to Screen Time > Always Allowed and select the apps that are excluded from Downtime and App Limits. These might include benign or necessary apps, like Maps or Messages.

Screen Time also syncs with Bedtime, which can be set in the native Clock app. During Bedtime, all of your apps (except for your Always Allowed) will be muted while your notifications go straight to your notifications center. That means you won’t see anything on your lock screen until you wake up—even if you pick up your phone to check the time in the middle of the night. Brilliant.

Protect Your Time

If you really want to restrain yourself, you can also set a passcode to lock your Screen Time settings. Any time you try to change the settings, or get more time on apps past the limit, you’ll have to enter the passcode.

To set one, scroll down from Screen Time, select “Use Screen Time Passcode,” and enter a 4-digit passcode. You’ll be prompted to enter the passcode if you try to turn off Screen Time, or go into an app past the time limit. Once you’ve entered a passcode, you have the option of turning on “Block at End of Limit,” which will automatically block the app or apps when the time limit is reached.

If you’re setting the passcode on your own device, the prompt to enter the passcode might delay you enough to rethink your impulse. If you’re one of those hard-core people who uses SelfControl (you know who you are), you might ask a trusted friend to set the passcode and withhold it no matter how much you beg.

Parenting With Screen Time
Apple

Chances are, if you are a parent of a child with their own device, you’ve probably negotiated screen time limits for a while. Parents can now configure Screen Time on their children’s devices, either from their child’s device, or remotely.

When you open Screen Time for the first time, you can specify if you are a parent setting up an account for a child. Then you set a parent passcode that will be required to alter the Screen Time settings. From your device, you can also select “Set Up Screen Time for Family” to set up Screen Time with Family Sharing. You’ll be able to access your child’s Screen Time reports and set controls from your own device. When a child reaches the end of a time limit on the app, they can request more time; the request pops up as a notification on the parent’s device.

Finally, Screen Time allows parents to set restrictions on downloads, privacy, and other settings. By default, Apple won't set these restrictions, even if it knows it's a kid's phone. Parents will have to manually make these adjustments in Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.

Not Into Screen Time?

Maybe you’ve already nailed zen and the art of self-control. Or maybe you've just reconciled with your egregious phone use. That's cool, too. If the new screen time management tools don't work for you, just scroll to the bottom of Screen Time to turn it off, and enjoy your freedom.