Set App Limits on iPhone
Give an app a daily limit
in under a minute.
Use Screen Time to limit one app, several apps, or an entire category—and avoid the shared-limit mistake that catches many people.
Quick path: Settings > Screen Time > App & Website Activity > App Limits > Add Limit. Expand a category, select the app or apps, tap Next, set the time, and tap Done.
If you select several apps in the same limit, they share that allowance. Ten minutes across Instagram and TikTok means ten minutes total, not ten minutes each.
Set a limit for one app or category
1. Turn on activity tracking. Open Settings > Screen Time. If needed, tap App & Website Activity and turn it on.
2. Open App Limits. Tap Add Limit and authenticate if requested.
3. Choose carefully. Tap a category name to reveal individual apps. Select one app for a precise limit or the category checkbox for everything inside it.
4. Set the allowance. Tap Next and choose hours and minutes. Tap Customize Days for different weekday and weekend rules.
5. Tap Done. Screen Time begins counting eligible use. A warning appears before the allowance ends.
Protect and edit Screen Time settings
Under Screen Time, choose Lock Screen Time Settings and create a separate four-digit passcode. For a child, manage limits through Family Sharing rather than relying on a passcode the child knows.
To change a limit, open Settings > Screen Time > App Limits and tap it. Adjust time, days, or selected apps. To remove it, choose Delete Limit.
Turn on Share Across Devices only if you want usage and limits combined across devices signed into the same Apple Account. Otherwise an iPad or Mac may consume part of the allowance unexpectedly.
App Limits, Downtime, and all-day blocking
| Tool | Use it for | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| App Limits | Daily minutes for apps or categories. | Limits can be extended or edited. |
| Downtime | Blocking most apps during scheduled hours. | Apps return outside the schedule. |
| Focus | Silencing notifications and changing visible screens. | Does not hard-block app opening. |
| Fella | Selected apps blocked all day. | One 5-minute unlock and no custom schedule. |
Why an App Limit may look wrong
The allowance was shared. Edit the limit and separate apps into their own limits when each needs different time.
Share Across Devices is on. Review Devices in the activity report and decide whether totals should be combined.
The app is Always Allowed. Review Screen Time > Always Allowed.
You keep extending it. The setup may be correct but too easy for your goal. Use a stronger boundary if Ignore Limit has become automatic.
iPhone App Limits FAQ
Go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit. Expand the app’s category, select only that app, tap Next, choose the daily time, and tap Done.
Yes. While creating or editing a limit, tap Customize Days and set a separate allowance for each day.
Yes. If you select multiple apps in one App Limit, the time is shared across that group rather than granted separately to each app.
Screen Time is designed with extension options. A Screen Time passcode can protect settings, but self-managed limits remain more flexible than a strict app blocker.
Go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits, tap the limit, then choose Delete Limit. You may need the Screen Time passcode.
Learn how to read Screen Time, fix App Limits not working, or compare a Screen Time alternative.