Apple Acknowledges Screen Time Bug, Promises Further Improvements

Apple has acknowledged a bug with its parental controls feature Screen Time on the iPhone and iPad, and promises it will take additional steps to remedy the situation, according to a report this weekend from The Wall Street Journal.

Screen Time iOS 16
Screen Time provides parents with settings to remotely manage a child's device, allowing them to restrict device usage to certain times, set time limits for apps, and block inappropriate content. However, some parents have complained that Screen Time settings sometimes reset or fail to sync across all devices within a Family Sharing group.

"We are aware that some users may be experiencing an issue where Screen Time settings are unexpectedly reset," an Apple spokesperson said, in a statement shared with The Wall Street Journal. "We take these reports very seriously and we have been, and will continue, making updates to improve the situation."

Apple already fixed an issue with Screen Time settings failing to stick with iOS 16.5, released in May, but the report claims that some parents have continued to experience the issue on devices updated to iOS 16.6 and the iOS 17 public beta. It's unclear when Apple plans to roll out additional improvements to Screen Time.

Screen Time launched in 2018 as part of iOS 12, providing parents with a built-in option for the type of controls that previously required third-party apps.

Top Rated Comments

tripsync Avatar
10 months ago
It's generally not a bug if screen time shows you're spending too much time arguing on MacRumors forums.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
g5powerbook Avatar
10 months ago
Honestly this has been an issue with screen time for a long time. Apple really doesn't want your kids off of their phones. Kids will always outsmart screen time anyways. Steve jobs didn't have these devices in his house for a reason. Take them physically away from them. Though i'm not one to talk so do as I say not as I can do for my own kids.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
richinaus Avatar
10 months ago

Honestly this has been an issue with screen time for a long time. Apple really doesn't want your kids off of their phones. Kids will always outsmart screen time anyways. Steve jobs didn't have these devices in his house for a reason. Take them physically away from them. Though i'm not one to talk so do as I say not as I can do for my own kids.
It's amazing to watch their mood and attitude change after a few days of no screens. Actual creativity happens.

Screen time is rubbish and is a bane of my life. No way will the kids tell you it has reset and they have unlimited access.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
longofest Avatar
10 months ago
I half expected this to be Apple recognizing screen time is essentially just one giant bug. It is a barely functional mess of a feature.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
10 months ago

This bug has been going on for almost a year. I expect a fix by the time iOS 17 rolls out.
I don't envy the position that Apple is in. They build something wonderful, and then users "expect" and "demand" perfection at all times. Software is hard, really hard. Let's appreciate the wonderful software that is working wonderfully well in this complex networked world.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
10 months ago
Bugs bugs bugs bugs bugs bugs bugs BUGS BUGS!!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Rumored to Add These 10 New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday April 24, 2024 2:05 pm PDT by
Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so the software update is a little over six weeks away from being announced. Below, we recap rumored features and changes planned for the iPhone with iOS 18. iOS 18 will reportedly be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, with new ChatGPT-inspired generative AI features, a more customizable Home Screen, and much more....
apple id account

Apple ID Accounts Logging Out Users and Requiring Password Reset

Saturday April 27, 2024 12:41 am PDT by
There are widespread reports of Apple users being locked out of their Apple ID overnight for no apparent reason, requiring a password reset before they can log in again. Users say the sudden inexplicable Apple ID sign-out is occurring across multiple devices. When they attempt to sign in again they are locked out of their account and asked to reset their password in order to regain access. ...
macos sonoma feature purple green

Apple's Regular Mac Base RAM Boosts Ended When Tim Cook Took Over

Friday April 26, 2024 6:34 am PDT by
Apple used to regularly increase the base memory of its Macs up until 2011, the same year Tim Cook was appointed CEO, charts posted on Mastodon by David Schaub show. Earlier this year, Schaub generated two charts: One showing the base memory capacities of Apple's all-in-one Macs from 1984 onwards, and a second depicting Apple's consumer laptop base RAM from 1999 onwards. Both charts were...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple's iPad Event Finally Announced!

Friday April 26, 2024 8:31 am PDT by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Let loose" event, where the company is widely expected to announce new iPad models and accessories. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's event invite shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Apple CEO Tim...
ipad pro 2022

Apple Event Rumors: iPad Pro With M4 Chip and New Apple Pencil With Haptic Feedback

Sunday April 28, 2024 6:19 am PDT by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman outlined some of the new products he expects Apple to announce at its "Let Loose" event on May 7. First, Gurman now believes there is a "strong possibility" that the upcoming iPad Pro models will be equipped with Apple's next-generation M4 chip, rather than the M3 chip that debuted in the MacBook Pro and iMac six months ago. He said a ...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...