Where to find Screen Time settings on your iPhone

Screen Time lives in the Settings app on your iPhone. Open Settings, then tap Screen Time — it's usually near the top of the menu, above Privacy. If you don't see it, your iPhone is running an older version of iOS and Screen Time may not be available.

Once you're in Screen Time, you'll see your usage broken down by app and category. The settings you can change are all on this main screen: daily limits, downtime schedules, and which apps are restricted. You don't need to go anywhere else to adjust them.

Key Takeaways

  • Screen Time settings are in Settings > Screen Time on any iPhone running iOS 12 or later.
  • You can set different daily limits for different app categories, or turn limits off entirely for specific apps.
  • Downtime blocks all apps except calls and emergency contacts during hours you choose — useful for sleep or family time.
  • If you set a Screen Time passcode, you'll need it to change limits later, so write it down somewhere safe.
  • Changes take effect when ready, but apps already open won't close until you switch away from them.

Setting daily app limits by category

Tap App Limits on the Screen Time screen. You'll see categories like Social Networking, Entertainment, and Productivity. Choose the category you want to limit — for example, Social Networking if you want to cap time on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook together.

Tap Add Limit, then set the number of hours and minutes you want to allow per day. The limit resets at midnight. Once you hit the limit, the app will show a warning and then become unusable until the next day. You can tap Ask for More Time to request an extra 15 minutes, but you can also just ignore the warning and keep using the app — Screen Time is a nudge, not a lock.

You can set limits on multiple categories at once. If you want to limit Social Networking to 2 hours and Entertainment to 1 hour, add both limits separately. Apps that don't fit a category won't be affected by any limit.

Turning off limits for specific apps you use often

If you set a limit on a category but want certain apps in that category to have no limit, tap the category again after you've created the limit. You'll see a list of apps in that category. Toggle off the apps you want to exclude — they'll stop counting toward the daily limit.

This is useful if you've limited Social Networking but need unlimited access to a messaging app for work, or if you've limited Entertainment but want to watch videos for a class without hitting the cap.

Setting downtime to block apps on a schedule

Tap Downtime on the Screen Time screen. Turn on the toggle, then set a start time and an end time — for example, 10 PM to 7 AM if you want to block apps during sleep hours. During downtime, only the Phone app and your emergency contacts will work. Everything else will be grayed out.

You can set downtime every day or only on weekdays. If you need to use an app during downtime, tap the app and select Ask for More Time, then choose 15 minutes, 1 hour, or Until Tomorrow. The app will unlock for that period, then lock again when the time expires.

Allowing or blocking specific apps

Scroll down to Always Allowed on the Screen Time screen. These apps will work even during downtime. By default, Phone, Messages, and FaceTime are always allowed. You can add more apps by tapping the plus sign, or remove apps by tapping the minus sign next to their name.

If you want to block an app entirely — not just limit its time, but make it unavailable — go back to the main Screen Time screen and look for App Limits. You can also use Restrictions (found under Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions) to block apps by age rating, but that requires a separate passcode.

Changing limits you've already set

To edit a limit you created, go to Screen Time > App Limits, tap the category, and tap Edit in the top right. You can change the time limit, add or remove apps from the exclusion list, or delete the limit entirely by tapping Delete Limit.

If you've set a Screen Time passcode, you'll need to enter it to change any limits. If you forgot the passcode, you'll need to reset your iPhone or use iCloud to remove it — there's no way to recover a forgotten Screen Time passcode.

Setting a passcode to prevent changes

If you want to prevent someone else (or yourself) from changing Screen Time limits, tap Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode, then tap Turn On Screen Time Passcode. Enter a four-digit code twice. From then on, anyone who tries to change a limit will need that code.

Write down your passcode and store it somewhere safe. If you lose it, you cannot retrieve it without resetting your iPhone. If you want to turn off the passcode later, go back to Change Screen Time Passcode and select Turn Off Screen Time Passcode — you'll need to enter the current code first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens when I hit my daily app limit?

The app will show a warning that your time is up. You can tap Ask for More Time to unlock it for 15 minutes, 1 hour, or until the next day. If you don't tap anything, the app becomes unusable, but you can still close it and open something else. The limit resets at midnight.

Can I set different limits for different days of the week?

App Limits explore every day and reset at midnight. You cannot set a 2-hour limit on weekdays and a 4-hour limit on weekends using the standard App Limits feature. Downtime can be set to weekdays only, but App Limits cannot.

Will changing Screen Time limits affect my family members' iPhones?

No. Screen Time settings are per device. If you share an Apple ID with someone else, you each still have separate Screen Time settings on your own phones. Family Sharing lets parents set limits on children's devices, but that's a different setup.

Can I remove Screen Time entirely if I don't want to use it?

Yes. Go to Settings > Screen Time and scroll to the bottom. Tap Turn Off Screen Time. If you set a passcode, you'll need to enter it. Once you turn it off, all limits and downtime schedules will stop working, but your usage history will still be visible if you turn it back on later.

Why can't I change my Screen Time settings?

You likely set a Screen Time passcode and forgot it. If you remember the code, enter it when prompted. If you don't, you'll need to reset your iPhone through Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings, or use iCloud to remove the passcode remotely.