Apple Screen Time: Parental Controls

Last verified: August 2026. Platforms change their menus often — visit this page for the latest version.

For all ages, on Apple devices

What is Screen Time?

Screen Time is Apple's built-in tool for managing device use, limiting apps, and filtering content on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It lets you set daily limits, block apps entirely, filter web content, and decide who your child can communicate with — all from your own phone.

Initial setup

On your child's device, go to Settings > Screen Time.
Tap "Turn On Screen Time" and select "This is My Child's Device".
Set a Screen Time passcode that only you know. Do not use the same code that unlocks the phone.
Turn on Family Sharing so you can manage everything from your own device.
Set up Communication Limits to control who your child can call, text, and FaceTime.

Essential settings checklist

Downtime: set screen-free hours (for example, 9 PM to 7 AM)
App Limits: daily limits by category (social media, games, entertainment)
Content & Privacy Restrictions: filter web content, apps, and purchases
Privacy: control which apps can access location, camera, and microphone
App Blocking: since iOS 26 you can block an app entirely, not just limit its time
Contact Approval: remotely approve your child's new contacts
Communication Limits: restrict who can call or message them, during both allowed hours and downtime

What's new in 2026

With iOS 18 and iOS 26, Apple expanded these controls considerably. Age ratings went from three categories to five (4+, 9+, 13+, 16+, and 18+), and protections that previously covered only children under 13 now extend through age 17. You also get a notification every time someone enters your Screen Time passcode on your child's device — which is the most common way limits get bypassed.

A new framework also lets you approve chat, follow, and friend requests inside third-party apps, and setting up a child account is now simpler, with safe defaults enabled from the start.

In June 2026, Apple previewed the next round, arriving with iOS 27 this fall: a redesigned Screen Time, time allowances by category, Ask to Browse in Safari, and expanded Communication Safety. We will update this guide when it ships.

Warning signs to watch for

Your child always knows the Screen Time passcode — they may have watched you enter it
Limits are constantly being overridden
You get no passcode-entry notifications: check that they are turned on
New apps appear that you did not approve

Important: if your child knows the Screen Time passcode, they can turn off every restriction in ten seconds. Use a different code than the device unlock, and turn on passcode-entry notifications.

Tip: set up Screen Time from YOUR device using Family Sharing. That way you manage everything without having to ask your child for their phone each time — which is what usually starts the argument.

Apple's official Screen Time guide →

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