Hands-On With iOS 12's New Screen Time Feature With App Usage Stats, App Limits and More

The iOS 12 update introduces a comprehensive set of built-in features designed to help you focus, limit distraction, monitor your iOS device usage, and get a better understanding on how you're using your time throughout the day.

These new features are housed in the Screen Time section of the Settings app, which we decided to take a closer look at to give MacRumors readers eagerly awaiting the iOS 12 update an idea of what to expect from Apple's new monitoring features.


Apple designed Screen Time to be incredibly detailed, and it provides a surprising amount of information on how and when you're using your iPhones and iPads. With the main view, accessible in the Settings app, you can see just how much time you've spent on the iPhone each day.

A bar at the top lets you know which apps you've been using, separated by category or specific app, and a small arrow lets you know whether your daily usage is higher or lower than normal.

ios12screentime
Tapping into more specific details, there's a full breakdown on every app that you've used in the last 24 hours or across the last 7 days. This breakdown shows each individual app and it displays the websites that you've been viewing. You won't see specific content that was browsed, but it will, for example, note that you spent five minutes viewing MacRumors.com.

If you scroll down, you can see how many times you've picked up your phone per hour and how many total times you've picked up your phone during the day. There's also a measurement of how many notifications you've received and which apps are sending them most frequently.

ios12screentime2
A report is available each week with a summary of your device usage across the last seven days, and you can also quickly get a glimpse of how you're using your device through a Screen Time widget in the Today Center.

Apple makes no recommendations based on Screen Time information, with the company simply providing the data so you can decide for yourself if you're spending too much time on your devices and want to alter your usage habits. Screen Time collects data from every iOS device where you're logged into your Apple ID, but it does not include Mac data.

If you do want to cut down on app usage, Apple has included App Limits, which let you set a time limit on app categories. So, for example, if you want to spend less time on Instagram or playing games, you can set a time limit, with Apple delivering a notification when your time is up.

ios12downtime
Downtime similarly restricts access to content on the iPhone for when you'd like to be left alone to focus, while new notification control options and Do Not Disturb features also give you new ways to cut back.

ios12donotdisturb
All of these features are also available to parents, who can use them through Family Sharing to better monitor how their kids are spending time on their iOS devices and introduce necessary limitations.

ios12contentrestrictions
What do you think of Apple's new Screen Time features? For more details on how Screen Time, notifications, Do Not Disturb, and Downtime, and App Limits work together to give you more control over your devices, make sure to check out our iOS 12 roundup.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Top Rated Comments

dampsquid Avatar
76 months ago
Hate to make assumptions, but I am going to assume those here denigrating the feature aren't parents of young kids.
I for one am very happy to see this feature finally making an appearance!
One kid is quite good at tracking time on the iPad and self-limiting, the other is utterly hopeless. Being able to set unlimited use for say FaceTime and Sonos app, lots for the Kindle app, and a little for other brainless drivel they want to use is golden.
It will save me having to dish out blanket iPad bans and avoid the family drama the imposition of such bans brings.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
76 months ago
It is a shame that our society is evolving into one, where many cannot or will not take control of their own life and actions, and have to rely on a gadget to restrain them from themselves.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Small White Car Avatar
76 months ago
Adults needing this, pure sadness.
It is a shame that our society is evolving into one, where many cannot or will not take control of their own life and actions, and have to rely on a gadget to restrain them from themselves.
So do you think fitbits and apple watches are equally sad?

I found the sleep-tracking and step-counting information I gleaned to be fascinating data. You're saying I should have been ashamed of that? Why?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
synergize Avatar
76 months ago
Wait a sec, you're going to pickup the phone to see how much you are using it, okay got it!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cocky jeremy Avatar
76 months ago
I've got to turn this feature off. So far mine just says, "You use this phone way too much, put it down." :O
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NMBob Avatar
76 months ago
"Silly" comes to mind as a thought, except for maybe the kiddie controls. No one seems to be in control of their faculties.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....