Change Screen Time settings on Mac
Use Screen Time settings to view and manage each family member’s Screen Time settings, turn Screen Time on or off, set a Screen Time passcode, and more.
To access these settings on your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Screen Time in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
The available options vary depending on whether you’re signed in with your Apple ID and whether you’re a parent or guardian of a child in a Family Sharing group.
Open Screen Time settings for me
Option | Description | ||||||||||
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Family Member | The family member whose Screen Time settings you want to view and manage. This option is only available if you’re a parent or guardian of a child who is part of a Family Sharing group. | ||||||||||
Screen Time | Turn Screen Time on or off. | ||||||||||
App Usage | View charts that show app usage. You can customize the chart to display usage statistics for a specific time period, app, app category, website, or device. See View App Usage in Screen Time settings. | ||||||||||
Notifications | View charts that show how many times you receive notifications. You can customize the chart to display the number of notifications received for a specific time period, app, website, or device. See View Notifications in Screen Time settings. | ||||||||||
Pickups | View charts that show how many times you wake your device to use it and the first app you use after waking it. You can customize the chart to display the number of pickups received for a specific time period, app, website, or device. See View Pickups in Screen Time settings. | ||||||||||
Downtime | Schedule time away from the screen. You can set up the same downtime schedule for every day, a different schedule for each day of the week, or turn downtime on immediately. See Change Downtime settings in Screen Time. | ||||||||||
App Limits | Limit the amount of time spent in apps and on websites. Set limits for specific apps, app categories, and websites. See Change App Limits settings in Screen Time. | ||||||||||
Communication Limits | Manage contacts and restrict who can be communicated with during screen time and downtime. See Change Communication Limits settings in Screen Time. | ||||||||||
Communication Safety | Check for nude photos sent or received on your child’s device in the Messages app (macOS 12.1 or later, iOS 15.2 or later, or iPadOS 15.2 or later; not available in all countries or regions). See Change Communication Safety settings in Screen Time. | ||||||||||
Always Allowed | Specify apps that can be used at any time, even during downtime (for example, in case of an emergency). See Change Always Allowed settings in Screen Time. | ||||||||||
Content & Privacy | Restrict content, purchases, downloads, and privacy settings. See Change Content & Privacy settings in Screen Time. | ||||||||||
Requests | Respond to requests for more screen time from family members. See Change Requests settings in Screen Time on Mac. | ||||||||||
Share across devices | Include time spent on other devices where you’re signed in with the same Apple ID in the Screen Time reports. You need to turn on this option on each device you want to include in the Screen Time reports. This option is available when you’re signed in with your Apple ID. | ||||||||||
Include Website Data | Include website data in Screen Time reports. This option is available when a child in a Family Sharing group is chosen from the Family Member pop-up menu at the top. | ||||||||||
Use Screen Time Passcode | Require a passcode to prevent unauthorized changes to Screen Time settings, and to grant more time when limits expire. | ||||||||||
Family Sharing | Click Set Up to set up Family Sharing. This option is available if you haven’t already set it up. |