We rely on our phones a lot, and often send inordinate amounts of time starting at that small blue screen. As Coronavirus lockdowns have limited our options for things to so we have all been spending longer on our phones. So much screen usage can affect our eyesight and concentration and can’t always be thought of as “quality time”.
Apple’s Screen Time feature tracks the number of hours you spend using all the apps apps and features on your iPhone. It tracks all apps, whether they are pre-installed or downloaded from the app store. It helps you stay in control of the time you spend on your screen, or at least keep you informed about how much time you spend on your iPhone or iPad.
On the first day of the week you’ll receive a detailed report with all your usage and tips on how to enrich your mobile experience. Once you know how much you are spending you can use Screen Time to set goals and limits, and track your success over time.
Switch off for a few hours with Downtime
Navigate to Settings > Screen Time.
From here you can manage one-off or scheduled quiet times which limit how you use your phone.
Limiting specific apps
Navigate to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits
The Screen Time tool can also stop you using certain apps for too long. On your iPhone or iPad, you may set up several settings to block particular apps or restrict the amount of time you spend with them. The function is cloud-based so it can track how much time you spend across all of your iOS devices. That means you can’t hop between your iPhone and iPad to beat the system!
Protect Children with Screen Time
if your Apple device has iOS 13.3 or above you can also control who may contact you or your children through phone calls, FaceTime, or messaging. You can receive weekly reports summarising your childrens app and screen use, and because it is delivered from the cloud you don’t need to be in front of the phone to check things over.
What about emergency calls?
Don’t worry, regardless of how you have restriced your phone, you will always be able to call emergency services from the home or lock screen.