From iOS 12, Apple helps you to curb your iPhone use. Are you too busy with your iPhone and do you want to do something about it? For example, iOS 12 Screen Time offers you a helping hand.
Be more aware of your iPhone usage with iOS 12 Screen Time
With iOS 12, Apple introduces a set of new features designed to make you aware of your iPhone usage. Without realizing it, we use the smartphone all day long, even if there is actually no reason to take the device out of your pocket and look at it.
Apple is doing this after a number of complaints from major investors, who say the company must take responsibility for fighting smartphone addiction.
Screen time
The main feature that makes you more aware of your iPhone usage is Screen Time. This new tool is installed by default with iOS 12 and records what you do on your iPhone or iPad all day long. To open Screen Time:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad with iOS 12 or higher;
- Tap ‘Screen Time’;
- In the next screen you will see the dashboard.
A lot of information comes to you on the first screen of this dashboard. At the top of the screen is an overview of the time you spent with your iPhone today, followed by four options and other settings. To begin with, we’ll focus on this chart as it contains the most valuable information about how you use your iPhone.
That’s how often you use your iPhone
If you tap on the overview, a new screen will open with an extensive report of your iPhone usage. Here you can see exactly how many hours your iPhone has been active per day and per week. Below this graph are your most used apps, divided into convenient categories. For example, apps such as Facebook and Twitter are bundled in ‘Social Networking’ and you also have a collection for Entertainment, Productivity and Health and Fitness.
If you scroll further, you will also get information about the number of times you picked up the device, including an average and the time of the day that you used the iPhone most intensively. Finally, this dashboard shows an overview of the notifications that apps send, with at what time of the day they are sent. A useful tool to see which app is sending a lot of notifications.
You want to reduce your iPhone usage: that’s how iOS 12 helps you
If, after viewing the screen time report above, you come to the conclusion that your iPhone usage can be reduced, Apple has a number of tools ready for you right away. Below we discuss how to set a limit on the use of an app, and how you do not have to pick up your iPhone at all for a fixed time of the day.
Downtime: a fixed time per day without an iPhone
Do you struggle to leave your iPhone at fixed times of the day? Then with Downtime you can ensure that your iPhone does this independently. You activate a Downtime period as follows:
- Open the Settings app;
- Go to ‘Screen Time’;
- Tap ‘Downtime’ and turn the switch to green;
- Choose a start and end time.
Once Downtime is triggered, your iPhone will block all notifications from apps unless you’ve excluded the app from doing so (more on that later). This way it is easier to leave your iPhone, because you will not be distracted by a glowing screen or the sound of a notification.
App limits: One hour of social media a day
Another way to restrict your iPhone usage is to set an app limit. For example, do you know about yourself that you cannot stop playing iOS games? Then you can set a daily limit that locks an app or app category after a certain time.
- Open the Settings app;
- Go to Screen Time;
- Tap App Limits.
As soon as you get close to your daily limit, a message will appear on the screen. Once you run out of time, the app is shielded by a new screen with the Screen Time logo on it. You can turn off the limit yourself at that point, although the function will lose its effect.
This option can also help parents to limit the time children spend with Apple devices. As a parent, they manage these app limits, and children cannot bypass or disable them themselves.
Always allowed: These apps should not be restricted
Being more aware of your iPhone usage is good, but there will always be a few apps you should keep using. Consider, for example, the Phone app for making calls, or an app that you often need during the day for medical reasons. You can exclude these apps from the above measures, so that they are not stopped when you activate Downtime.
- Open the Settings app;
- Tap ‘Screen Time’;
- Choose ‘Always Allowed’;
- Choose the apps you always allow by tapping the green plus sign.
In the same way, you can also revoke the permission by tapping the red minus in this window. Even as parents, it can be useful to allow apps here with which you can always reach them.
This is how you set device-free time
Downtime is a way to block all apps on an iPhone or iPad. You set a period on the day for this, so that all apps are stopped at the same time. In the settings you can give specific apps permission to work as an exception when the downtime is active. You set this as follows.
- Open the Settings app;
- Go to Screen Time;
- Tap Downtime.
You can then choose whether you want to activate this function every day or exclude certain days. Then you can enter a start and end time. At that point, all apps will be locked, except for the Phone app on your iPhone. Via the ‘Always allow’ menu you can add other apps to the list of exceptions yourself.
And what next?
With the above tools from Apple, it has become easier than ever to monitor and then restrict your iPhone usage. However, the responsibility still rests with you to keep your commitments.
After all, you can manually turn on notifications again, and secretly sit on your MacBook WhatsAppen so that your iPhone does not register it, of course, also not getting anywhere. To give you a hand further, we have listed a number of tips in an article to help you get rid of your iPhone addiction.