How to Use iPhone Screen Time to Limit Phone Use for Kids or Yourself

Screen Time on iPhone lets you set daily limits for specific apps, block content, and see how much time you spend on your phone — here's how to set it up.

In this guide (4 steps):

1.Turn on Screen Time
2.Set app time limits
3.Set up Downtime to schedule phone-free hours
4.Manage a child's phone remotely with Family Sharing

Turn on Screen Time

~27s

Go to SettingsScreen TimeTurn On Screen Time. You will be asked whether you are setting this up for yourself or a child on their own device. For your own phone, tap "This is My iPhone." For a child's phone in Family Sharing, tap "This is My Child's iPhone." You can set a Screen Time passcode — a 4-digit code that prevents anyone (including the child) from changing the settings or ignoring limits. Keep this passcode different from your regular iPhone passcode.

Set app time limits

~39s

Go to SettingsScreen TimeApp LimitsAdd Limit. Choose a category (Social Networking, Games, Entertainment, etc.) or specific apps. Set how many minutes or hours per day are allowed. When the limit is reached, the app icon goes gray and a time-up screen appears. The person can request more time (which goes to the parent on a child's phone) or wait until midnight when the limit resets. On a personal phone, you can tap "Ignore Limit" to override — the limit is then a reminder, not a hard block.

Quick Tip

Setting limits by category (like "Social Networking") applies the limit across all social media apps combined — not 30 minutes per app, but 30 minutes total across all of them.

Set up Downtime to schedule phone-free hours

~23s

Downtime schedules a period each day when only apps you specifically allow (like Phone and Messages) work — all others are blocked. Go to SettingsScreen TimeDowntimeEvery Day or Customize Days. Set a start and end time. Many families use Downtime for overnight hours (like 9 PM to 7 AM) so children are not using phones when they should be sleeping.

Manage a child's phone remotely with Family Sharing

~23s

If you have set up Family Sharing (Settings → your name → Family Sharing), you can view and control a child's Screen Time from your own iPhone. Go to SettingsScreen Time → tap your child's name. From here you can see their daily phone report, add or adjust limits, and approve extension requests — all from your own phone without needing to physically have theirs.

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iPhone's Screen Time feature (introduced in iOS 12 and improved in every version since) gives you detailed reports on how you use your phone and lets you set time limits on specific app categories — like social media or games — that cut off access when the limit is reached. Parents can use it to manage children's phones remotely through Family Sharing, but it is also useful for adults who want to be more intentional about their own phone use.

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