If you need help policing your own screen time, want to track your own or your family’s app usage and screen time behavior, or need help managing and limiting your Mac usage habits, then you need to start using Screen Time. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of it.
How to Turn On Screen Time on a Mac
For starters, the feature only works on Macs running macOS Catalina or later. To enable the feature:
Open the Apple menu and click System Preferences. Choose Screen Time > Options. Click Turn On in the upper-right corner of the window. To disable it, just go back to Options and click Turn Off.
How to Use Screen Time Across Devices
As busy people, it’s common for us to switch from one device to another. Tracking a single device in isolation gives an incomplete picture of your screen time. But if you’re an Apple user, you can enable Screen Time to track your usage across all your devices.
To see a combined screen time report from all the devices signed in to your iCloud account, just head to System Preferences > Screen Time > Options, then tick Share across devices.
How to Set Up a Screen Time Passcode
If you’re sharing your Mac or using Screen Time to enforce limits on your child’s device, it’s important to set a Screen Time Passcode so that you’re the only one who can change your Screen Time settings. This passcode also allows you to accept requests for more time when your children reach their app limits.
To create a Screen Time Passcode:
Go to System Preferences > Screen Time > Options. Tick the box for Use Screen Time Passcode. Create a passcode to use.
If you set Screen Time Passcode while logged in on an administrator account, you will get a prompt that recommends your account be converted into a standard account.
The prompt gives you two options:
Allow this user to administer this computer. If you choose this option, the passcode will also be applied to the administrator’s account, which is not recommended because administrators can work around the passcode restrictions using their administrator privileges Don’t allow this user to administer this computer. Choosing this option will cause your current administrator account to be converted into a standard account for your child’s use. You will also be guided through steps to make a new administrator account for your own use as the parent or guardian.
How to View Your Screen Time Data on a Mac
You have several ways to look at your Mac’s Screen Time data. Go to System Preferences > Screen Time to get started.
To check your usage on one device, click the drop-down menu at the bottom of the window and select a device.
If you’re aiming to reduce your screen time, you can compare your current week’s total usage to the past week by clicking the date at top of the window, then selecting This Week. This view will also show you your total usage for the week.
If you want to look at a specific day’s usage, just click a bar from the weekly chart. Another graph should appear under the weekly chart, indicating your hourly usage.
There are also options to view more usage breakdowns in the sidebar.
App Usage
Use this feature to monitor how much time you’re spending on each app. You can view your usage by app or category, where data is separated into categories like Social, Shopping & Food, and Productivity & Finance. To choose one, click App Usage, then beside Show select either Apps or Categories.
Notifications
See how many notifications you’re getting from each app with the Notifications tab in the Screen Time preferences. Since notifications often distract us, this feature may come in handy when deciding whether to mute the notifications of certain apps.
Pickups
The Pickups tab gives you insight into how many times you checked your device and which app you opened first, which can also offer great insight into your Mac usage.
How to Limit Mac Usage With Screen Time
Screen Time comes a set of features that you can use to help you manage and limit your time spent using your Mac.
Downtime
Use this feature if you want to limit the apps that you can use at specific times. For example, during work hours, allow yourself to use only work-related apps. You will get a downtime notification five minutes before it starts and another when you’ve reached your limit once the downtime begins.
When the Screen Time Passcode is turned on, Downtime includes another setting, called Block at Downtime, which requires you to enter the passcode to extend your limit for another minute, hour, or for the rest of the day.
App Limits
With this feature, you can limit the time you want yourself or your family members to spend looking at the screen. You can set limits on app categories like Social and Games, specific apps, or even websites. Just type a particular app or website in the search field to set a limit.
When turned on, you’ll receive a notification five minutes before the app limit starts. Every time you reach the limit, a window will tell you that you’ve reached the limit. You may either hit OK and stop using the app or select Ignore Limit, then choose from One More Minute, Remind Me in 15 Minutes, or Ignore Limit For Today.
Communication
Choose the people who can communicate with you on your Mac and other Apple devices. You can also choose specific people who can reach you while the Downtime feature is on.
These limits apply to your iCloud contacts and Apple messaging apps, including Phone, FaceTime, and Messages. However, you can only use this feature if Contacts is turned on in your iCloud preferences. Limits do not apply to emergency numbers.
Always Allowed
Set apps that you or your child can always access, even when App Limits and Downtime are enabled. Phone, Messages, Maps, and FaceTime are included by default, but you can modify them here or add extra apps.
Content & Privacy
You can set restrictions for websites, purchases, and downloads on your Mac, including an option to restrict explicit language or adult content. You’ll get a prompt explaining why you can’t access this content if you try to.
If you’re using this feature for your child, you can also configure the settings to allow access only to specific sites. If you’ve turned the Screen Time Passcode on, your child can request your approval to access a particular website.
How to Limit Your Child’s Screen Time From a Mac
If you’re using Family Sharing, you can turn on Screen Time from your child’s device. However, you also have the option to do it on your Mac. To do this:
Head to the Apple menu and click System Preferences > Family Sharing. In the sidebar, choose Screen Time. A prompt will appear if it’s your first time managing your family’s Screen Time. Click Open Screen Time Settings. In the drop-down menu below your photo, select your child’s name. Click Options, and then select Turn On to enable Screen Time for your child. Once enabled, go to Downtime, App Limits, Communication, Always Allowed, and Content & Privacy to set up all the limits you want for your child’s device.
Read more: Restrict Content and Set Limits for Kids With Screen Time on Mac
You can also use the Screen Time Passcode on your child’s Screen Time settings to ensure that only you can set and change the Screen Time settings and approve your child’s requests for an extension of screen time.
It’s Easy to Manage Screen Time on a Mac
With Mac’s Screen Time feature, you can keep track of the time you spend on apps and websites and use various means to enforce limits and reduce distractions as you use your Mac. You can even use Screen Time as a parental control measure to implement limits on your child’s apps.
