Screen Time
Keep your gadget addiction tempered and under control
Are you really aware of how many times a day you spend picking up your iPhone to check on things? A few minutes here and there soon adds up, and because you may be disinclined to log this use manually, Screen Time can do it for you.
This new feature enables those same devices to play a part in keeping gadget guilt in check. You can use it to: gain insights about your behavior; impose a soft limit that nudges you in the right direction when a daily quota runs out; and set a hardcore lockout that stops activity until a passcode is entered. Got a real gadget addiction? Get a friend to look after the code.
This feature can also be applied to other members of your Family Sharing group (see
bit.ly/mffmshr) — perfect to help your kids develop healthier technology habits.
1 Get started
Go to Settings > Screen Time and turn on the feature. You’ll be asked whether the device you’re setting up is yours or your child’s. We’ve written this advice as if setting up your own device, but you can apply the same methods, with different settings, to each family member by tapping their names beneath the Family heading on this page.
2 A simple overview
The top box shows how much of today you’ve spent using all your iOS 12 devices, breaking this down into major categories and how long you’ve spent on each. If it’s productivity apps that you spend significant time using you may not care, but could have a different view if you discover you’re spending a lot of time on social networking or games.
3 Collate your data
To get the big picture of usage across all iPhones and iPads that are signed in to your iCloud account, turn on Share Across Devices, lower down. The page then summarizes data from all your enrolled iOS devices. You’re still able to take a look at your use of individual devices, though: start by tapping All Devices in the top group.
4 Finer details
Initially, the next page shows data from all devices which you’ve turned on Screen Time, but only today’s. Use the tabs at the top to see daily usage and a total for the last week — this may inspire you to limit your activity. Rest a finger on a bar in the chart for info on that time period. Tap Devices to pick a single device whose data you want to see.