How to Check and Limit Screen Time on iPhone and Android

You can limit screen time on iPhone and Android with free settings already on the phone. Screen Time on iPhone and Digital Wellbeing on Android phones that have it show your daily use, and both can set limits for apps.

They suit anyone who wants a number to look at and a nudge to stop, but a limit you set yourself is a limit you can dismiss. This is the lightest way to pause a phone, and the best minimalist launchers are the next step up. How to make your phone less distracting puts every step after that in order.

How to check screen time on iPhone

The steps below are for Screen Time on iOS 26. Apple released iOS 27 on September 14, 2026, and the names differ there.

1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
2. Tap App & Website Activity, then tap Turn On App & Website Activity.
3. Then tap See All App & Website Activity.
4. Tap Day or Week, and swipe left or right for earlier days.

The report covers time in certain kinds of apps, how often you pick up your iPhone, and which apps send the most notifications. Tap Devices to pick which device to view. A Screen Time widget on the Home Screen shows a summary, and a Weekly Report notification opens the same report.

On iOS 27, tap Screen Time, then Daily Average, and scroll to Pickups and Notifications. Checking costs nothing, but it changes nothing: the report measures your use and does not stop it.

How to check screen time on Android

On Android, the tool is Digital Wellbeing, on Android phones in general and on Pixel phones and tablets. Some steps vary by device, and only some phones have it.

1. Open Settings and tap Digital Wellbeing.
2. Set up your profile the first time you open it.
3. Tap the chart, which shows your use today.

Tapping the chart shows views such as Screen time, Times opened, and Notifications received. Times opened counts device unlocks and app opens, and Notifications received counts alerts by app.

Tap an app for more detail. To see time on websites in Chrome, tap the chart, tap Chrome, then tap Show sites.

Each maker words the menus a little differently. For example, some phones label the entry Digital Wellbeing & parental controls, and Family Link uses that label too.

On Samsung Galaxy phones with One UI 5, the Settings path is the same. Samsung also adds a Screen time goal and a weekly report icon at the top right.

How to set app limits on iPhone

Every path starts at Settings, then Screen Time, and these steps are for iOS 26.

• App Limits. Tap App Limits, then Add Limit. Pick categories or single apps, tap Next, and set the time. One limit applies to all the categories or apps you pick, and Customize Days sets a time for each day.
• Downtime. Tap Downtime, then Scheduled, and set start and end times. Only calls, messages, and apps you allow work during downtime, and a reminder comes five minutes before it starts.
• Always Allowed. Tap Always Allowed to choose apps and contacts that stay available during downtime and after you reach a limit. Every app you add here sits outside your limits.
• Content & Privacy Restrictions. Turn it on, then tap Allowed Apps & Features. A built-in app you switch off leaves the Home Screen but stays on the phone.
• Screen Time passcode. Scroll down, tap Lock Screen Time Settings, and enter a four-digit code. From then on, you must enter it before changing the settings you chose.

On iOS 27, Time Allowances and Screen Time Schedule replace App Limits and Downtime. To limit a category, tap Screen Time, then Time Allowances, tap the category, and drag the slider. Always Allowed stays, and the passcode sits under Manage Screen Time.

How to limit screen time on Android

Everything starts at Settings, then Digital Wellbeing.

• App timers. Tap App timers, tap Set timer next to an app, choose the time, and tap OK. When time runs out, the app closes and its icon dims, and timers reset at midnight. Some work and school accounts might not work with them.
• Focus mode. Tap Focus mode and pick the apps to pause. While it is on, you cannot use them and get no notifications from them. Tap Set a schedule to start it automatically.
• Bedtime mode. Tap Bedtime mode, then Bedtime routine, and choose a schedule or Turn on while charging. Grayscale, one option, changes the screen to black and white. Bedtime also sits under Settings, then Modes, but some of those steps need Android 14 or later.
• App limits PIN. Tap App limits, then App limits PIN, and turn on PIN for app time limits. That way, only you can change the app limits on the device.

On Samsung, tap App timers, then Apps and app categories, then Add schedule for days, hours, and minutes.

On Pixel, Pause Point started on the Pixel 11 series and is rolling out to Pixel 6 and newer phones with the September 2026 update. Turn it on under Settings, Digital Wellbeing, Ways to disconnect, Pause Point, then pick the apps. Pause Point on Android covers what it does before an app opens and which Pixels have it.

Why built-in limits fail and what still helps

On iOS 26, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached by default. A Screen Time passcode with Block at Downtime stops restricted apps opening, and how to block apps on iPhone compares that with Guided Access, hidden apps, and Shortcuts.

Always Allowed is a second gap, because those apps stay available after a limit. Turning off App & Website Activity is a third, because on iOS 26 it also turns off reporting, Downtime, App Limits, and Always Allowed.

On Android, deleting a timer gets the app back before midnight. Focus mode has a Take a break option that unpauses apps for a time you choose. So keep the App limits PIN to yourself.

A code held by someone else is harder to dismiss than one you hold yourself. On iPhone, Family Sharing lets a parent hold a child’s passcode, and Google’s Family Link has a parent access code. For a child’s own phone, how to set up a phone for a child covers both.

On your own phone, the code is four digits you set yourself. You can also add optional recovery through the Apple Account you set it up with, so a code you hold alone is a speed bump.

When screen time limits are not enough

A limit you can dismiss works as a reminder, and a reminder fades when you know the way around it. If you keep tapping through, move up one step.

On an iPhone, our guide to turning an iPhone into a dumbphone goes further, with a passcode someone else holds and Assistive Access. On Android, how to turn an Android into a dumbphone adds Private space and a parental controls PIN someone else holds.

A launcher changes what the home screen shows. A blocker refuses to open the app, and the best app blockers cover the options and how each can be switched off. If neither holds, the best dumbphones remove the open app store.

Common questions

How do I check screen time on iPhone?

Open Settings, tap Screen Time, then tap See All App & Website Activity. Tap Day or Week for the report. On iOS 27, tap Daily Average under Screen Time instead.

How do I limit screen time on iPhone?

Open Settings, tap Screen Time, then App Limits and Add Limit. Pick apps or categories, tap Next, and set the time. On iOS 27, tap Time Allowances instead, pick a category, and drag the slider.

How do I limit screen time on Android?

Open Settings, tap Digital Wellbeing, then App timers, and tap Set timer next to an app. When the time runs out, the app closes and its icon dims. Still, each phone words the menus a little differently.

Can my phone limit itself without a passcode?

Yes, but you can undo the limit. On iOS 26, limits can be ignored once reached by default, and on Android you delete a timer to use the app again. A Screen Time passcode on iPhone or an App limits PIN on Android puts changes behind a code.

Do Screen Time limits apply to my iPad and Mac too?

Yes, if you turn on Share Across Devices. On iOS 27, it sits under Screen Time, then Manage Screen Time, and on iOS 26 lower down the Screen Time screen. Limits and schedules then apply to your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

From the report to a real limit

Start with the report. A week of numbers shows which apps take the most time, and those are the ones to limit first.

If you tap through every limit, add a passcode and, on iOS 26, Block at Downtime, which keeps limits from being ignored. On Android, add a Focus mode schedule. If you still tap through, the next step is a minimalist launcher.