Why Screen Time limits aren’t working on iPhone
Updated
Screen Time limits usually stop working for one of a few reasons: by default a limit can be ignored once you reach it, there’s no Screen Time passcode (or you know it), App & Website Activity is off, the app is in Always Allowed, or your other devices don’t share the same settings. Most take a minute to fix in Settings > Screen Time. If the real problem is that skipping a limit takes one tap, a small task before an app unlocks can help.
iOS steps below were checked against Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 26 and iOS 27. Some Screen Time labels changed in iOS 27, so where they differ, both are shown.
The limit can be ignored once you reach it
This is the most common reason, and it’s by design. Apple’s guide for iOS 26 says that by default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once they’re reached. You get a reminder, not a locked door.
The stricter option Apple documents on iOS 26 is Block at Downtime, which needs a Screen Time passcode. With it on, restricted apps appear dimmed with an hourglass icon and can’t be opened during downtime. With it off, you see a reminder and can keep using the app.
- Set a Screen Time passcode first (see the next section).
- Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Downtime, then turn on Block at Downtime.
It applies during downtime, the hours you schedule away from your phone, so set a Downtime schedule too.
There’s no Screen Time passcode, or you know it
Without a Screen Time passcode, anyone holding your iPhone can change or turn off your limits, including you at 11 p.m. With one, the passcode must be entered first.
- On iOS 27: In Settings, tap Screen Time, tap Passcode & Management, then tap Lock Screen Time Settings. Enter a four-digit passcode twice.
- On iOS 26: In Settings, tap Screen Time, scroll down, then tap Lock Screen Time Settings. Enter a four-digit passcode twice.
You can also set up Screen Time Passcode Recovery to reset it with your Apple Account if you forget it. The catch: a passcode you set yourself is one you know. It adds a pause, but it won’t stop you from typing it in. Some people ask a partner or friend to choose it.
App & Website Activity is off
Screen Time limits depend on App & Website Activity. On iOS 26, Apple notes that turning it off also turns off Downtime, App Limits and Always Allowed. If your limits vanished, check that it’s still on.
- On iOS 27: In Screen Time, tap Manage Screen Time. If you see Turn On App & Website Activity, tap it.
- On iOS 26: In Screen Time, tap App & Website Activity. If you see Turn On App & Website Activity, tap it.
The app is in Always Allowed
Apps in Always Allowed stay available after you reach a limit and outside your schedule. That’s right for Phone or Maps, but not for the app you’re trying to cut back on.
In Settings, tap Screen Time, then Always Allowed, and look for the app. On iOS 27, tap Edit, then tap the remove button on the app to take it out.
The limit isn’t set up the way you think
- On iOS 26, apps in one limit share the time. If you select several apps or categories in one App Limits entry, the time applies to all of them together, not to each one.
- On iOS 27, allowances work by category. You can use apps in a category until you reach either that category’s allowance or your daily total. To give a category its own allowance, tap Manage Categories, tap the add button, then select the category.
- Websites depend on the app. According to Apple, if an app declares an associated website, its Time Allowance applies to that website too.
To set your limits up again, see how to block apps on iPhone with Screen Time.
Your other devices don’t share the settings
If you keep scrolling on an iPad or Mac, turn on Share Across Devices. Your limits and schedules then apply to your iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in to the same Apple Account. When it’s off, each device keeps its own settings.
- On iOS 27: In Screen Time, tap Manage Screen Time, then turn on Share Across Devices.
- On iOS 26: In Screen Time, scroll down and turn on Share Across Devices.
On iOS 27, Apple notes that Share Across Devices, Time Allowances and Screen Time Schedule need iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices, so update any that lag behind.
Earn time back with Push Up Time
Push Up Time blocks the apps and websites you choose with Apple’s Screen Time, and a quick set of push-ups, squats or a plank earns you time back. With Screen Time alone, the way back into an app is a tap or a passcode. Here, there’s a small task first.
- Choose the apps and websites to block in Apple’s Screen Time picker.
- When you want in, pick push-ups, squats or a plank.
- The camera counts your reps or your hold time.
- Each workout adds unlock time to your balance, which you spend in short sessions on the apps you blocked.
- The camera doesn’t record you. It only detects movement to count reps or hold time. Video isn’t recorded, stored or uploaded.
- You stay in control. You can change which apps are blocked, or revoke the Screen Time permission in iOS Settings, at any time.
- It isn’t a fitness coaching app. It’s a productivity app that uses short bursts of movement as a way back into your apps.
Push Up Time is a free download with in-app purchases, for iPhone with iOS 17 or later, and there’s no account to create.
Quick answers
Why does my iPhone let me keep using an app after the time limit?
By default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once you reach them. On iOS 26, set a Screen Time passcode and turn on Block at Downtime so apps can’t be opened during downtime.
Why did my Screen Time limits disappear?
Check that App & Website Activity is still on in Settings > Screen Time. Turning it off turns off your limits too. A Screen Time passcode keeps your settings from being changed without it.
Why do my limits work on iPhone but not on my iPad?
Turn on Share Across Devices in Screen Time on your iPhone, and make sure your iPad uses the same Apple Account. On iOS 27, all your Apple devices need the 27 versions of their software for shared settings.
