With its new OS, Apple is launching a feature to help you get off your iPhone.
Do you also have trouble putting your iPhone on the bedside table in the evening before going to sleep to let yourself be carried away in the arms of Morpheus? Apple has understood this and intends to rectify the situation with its new function, Screen time, integrated in the iOS 12 update. Functioning as an activity tracker, the function knows everything, or almost, of what you are doing. made with your iPhone. The module can tell you the time spent in front of the screen, playing, or consulting social networks.
Screen Time even pushes up to show the total number of notifications received and the number of times you have activated the device screen during the day. If some results may seem frightening, the functionality especially allows you to become aware of the time spent on the iPhone and proposes to put an end to it by programming limits.
1. Access Screen Time
In iOS 12, Screen Time is not available as a standalone app, but integrates directly into system settings. To access it, open Settings, and enter the Screen Time menu.
At the top of the Screen Time window, a condensed report of your device usage is displayed. You will find the total time of use of the device since the start of the day, as well as the distribution of the time of use according to the categories of applications.
2. View the detailed report
Enter the summary of your usage report to access detailed information. Screen Time offers two tabs: the first presents the data for the day, while the second shows an average report over the last seven days.
In today’s report, you will find a graph showing the breakdown of your iPhone usage at different times of the day. You can thus know, hour by hour, how long you have used your device.
Further down, Screen time displays the most used applications (or categories) with the total time of use for each. For each application, the function again displays detailed data on their use at different times of the day, the number of notifications generated, etc.
Screen Time also knows how many times you activate the iPhone screen during the day. Whether it’s checking the time or viewing a notification, the feature records all your actions.
Finally, and this is arguably the scariest piece of data, Screen Time is able to tell you the total number of notifications you have received with an average breakdown per hour. If some numbers seem way too high, Screen Time lets you fix it in one tap by changing the notification settings for each app.
3. Program a downtime
Return to the main Screen Time window and enter the Downtime menu. This feature allows you to configure a time slot during which only certain applications and phone calls can be used.
Once Downtime is configured, iPhone displays an alert five minutes before the period begins, prompting you to put your device down. Beyond the configured time, a Time limit alert is displayed for each application affected by the limit.
By pressing Ignore Limit, it is possible to extend the limit by fifteen minutes, or to ignore the limit for the day again. Note that all applications affected by the Downtime limit can be identified by the hourglass icon displayed next to their name.
4. Limit the duration of use by application
Screen time also allows you to fine-tune the restrictions by setting a time limit for use only for certain applications. If you find that you spend too much time on social media or video games, the App limits menu allows you to manually add a limit to these categories.
With App Limits, it is not the time of day that will sign the lights out, but the total time spent on the applications concerned.
5. Allow exceptions
To make sure you’re always reachable, for example, Screen Time lets you choose which apps are always allowed, and therefore always accessible even when downtime is active.
6. Set up content restrictions
Previously offered in a dedicated menu, Restrictions have migrated to the Screen Time menu. If they have, a priori, no relation to screen time, they make it possible to limit access to certain functions of the device or to certain content.
It is from this menu that it is for example possible to prevent in-app purchases, to deactivate certain applications, or to authorize or not the modifications in the settings of the device.
7. Protect settings
If you have set Screen time to limit the use of certain applications by your children, for example, it is quite possible to protect your settings by configuring a protection code.
However, do not expect to completely block applications beyond the authorized limit, the code is only used to block changes to Screen Time settings.
Once the time limit is reached, the user can choose to extend it by 15 minutes, or simply remove it.
8. Apply limits to multiple devices
If you have several devices, it is possible to combine the screen time of each by activating the option Share between devices. All iPhone and iPad connected to the same iCloud account thus combine the accumulated overall screen time.
Finally, you can also apply Screen Time on all devices configured with Family Sharing.
