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Screen Time

How to set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances in Screen Time on iPhone

by Kevin Hollington

With Screen Time, you can use Time Allowances to set how long you use your apps each day, and Schedules to set when during the day you can use them.

For example, you can create schedules for weekdays and weekends with time windows for things like work, dinner, and the evening. You can also create Time Allowances for different categories like Entertainment, Games, or Social Media, and choose apps and contacts to allow at all times. You’ll need iOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices to use them.

Note: Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances need iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, or visionOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices. And in a Family Sharing group, every device needs to be upgraded to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, or visionOS 27 or later before you set these features up.

Set up a Screen Time Schedule for device use

With a custom schedule for your iPhone, you can control which apps you can use at different times of day. Icons in each time window show which Time Allowance categories are available, so at a glance, you’ll know what types of apps you can use at that point in your day.

The Screen Time Schedule screen showing an overview of a schedule, including Before work, During work, Dinner, and Evening.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Screen Time, tap Screen Time Schedule, and then turn on Schedule.
  3. Tap Add Schedule, tap the days of the week you want to create a schedule for, and tap the Done button.
  4. Tap the Time Window and then do any of the following:
    • Create a new name: Tap the current name and then enter the new name.
    • Change the start or stop time: Tap the time, then select a new value.
    • Select Time Allowance categories: Tap a category. If you don’t see any categories, you can create some.
    • View the apps and contacts that are always allowed: Tap Always Allowed.
    • Delete the time window: Tap Delete this Time Window.

Set how long you can use apps and websites

Time Allowances make it easier to manage the time you spend in apps across categories like Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. Apps in each category stay usable until they’ve reached either the category’s allowance or the daily total. And if an app declares an associated website, the Time Allowance applies to both.

A Time Allowances screen in Screen Time settings showing time allowed for categories like Games, Entertainment, and Productivity.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Screen Time, then tap Time Allowances.
  3. Do any of the following:
    • Use Time Allowances during certain times in your schedule: Turn on Match Screen Time Schedule.
    • View the Time Allowances you’ve set for different time windows: If you’ve added Time Allowances to windows in your Screen Time schedule, you can view them by tapping the name of the Time Window.
    • Increase or decrease the amount of time you can spend on your device: Drag the slider left or right or tap the Minus button or the Plus button.
    • Increase or decrease the amount of time you can spend in an app category: Under Time Allowances, tap a category and then drag the slider left or right or tap the Minus button or the Plus button.
    • Create a new Time Allowance category: Tap Manage Categories and tap the Add button, then select a category. If you have a Screen Time schedule, you can add the category to a time window.
    • View your average daily use of a category: Tap Manage Categories, then tap a category.
    • View your average daily use of apps within a category: Tap Manage Categories, tap a category, and then tap an app.

Choose apps and contacts to allow at all times

Apps and contacts you pick can stay available at all times, no matter which Screen Time schedules or Time Allowances you’ve set. You might add the Health app or family members to Always Allowed for emergencies, for example.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Screen Time, then tap Always Allowed.
  3. Do any of the following:
    • Add contacts or apps: Tap Add People or Add Apps.
    • Remove contacts or apps: Tap Edit. Tap the Remove button on the app or contact you want to remove.
Tag: Screen Time
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How to Turn off In-app Purchases on iPhone and iPad

by GeeksModo Staff

If you’ve downloaded any apps on your iOS device recently, then chances are it features in-app purchases, especially if it’s a game. What was once a rarity has turned into the norm, and apps are now full of opportunities to buy virtual goods that don’t exist outside of the game. From gems and extra lives to costumes and ammunition, if there is a way to charge money for it, a developer has probably done so. In this article, we’ll show you how to block in-app purchases on your or your child’s iPhone and iPad to prevent unwanted purchases.

Why disable in-app purchases on iPhone or iPad?

If you have a kid that uses your iPhone or iPad, and if you don’t want to get a bad surprise, it might be a good idea to restrict in-app purchases. This will ensure they don’t make these purchases accidentally, even if their fingerprint or Face ID is added to the device!

Plus, turning off in-app purchases on your iPhone or iPad will prevent you from making a purchase accidentally in the heat of the moment.

How to turn off in-app purchases on iPhone or iPad

To turn off in-app purchases, you will need to set up or change the Screen Time settings.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Go into Screen Time.
  3. Now, if you haven’t set up Screen Time yet:
    1. Choose Turn On Screen Time.
    2. Choose from This is My [iPhone]or This is My Child’s [iPhone].
    3. Follow any onscreen instructions. When you are prompted, tap on Use Screen Time Passcode or Parent Passcode, then create and verify a 4-digit passcode. Enter your Apple ID and password so that you can use it to reset your Screen Time passcode if you ever forget it.
  4. Now, with Screen Time set up, tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions. Next, toggle the switch next to Content & Privacy Restrictions slider so that it becomes green (i.e., so that it’s switched on).
  5. Tap the iTunes & App Store Purchases button.
  6. Tap In-app Purchases, then select Don’t Allow.
  7. If this is the child’s device, you may want to also disallow Installing Apps. If it is your own device, this may be too much trouble, as you will need to change the Screen Time settings anytime you want to install an app; you won’t even see the App Store icon on your device.

You may also consider using Ask to Buyon your child’s device. This is separate from Screen Time. Ask To Buy sends a request to the parent or guardian’s device anytime the child wishes to buy something. Then, the purchase can be allowed using either the parent or child’s device. In order to use Ask to Buy, you must first set up Family Sharing. You might use this instead of, or in addition to, using Screen Time restrictions.

Tag: Screen Time
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