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TDSN2014 Author

Level 1

36 points

Screen time communication limits and downtime contacts

The new update on December 10, 2019 is to now enable parents to allow certain contacts during “downtime”. I’ve allowed myself as her mom, but when she tried to text or FaceTime me, she still isn’t able to do so and has to request more time as if I’m any other person in her contacts. I’ve set it to allow 4 people to be contacted during downtime but it doesn’t work. It shows my phone number and says it’s not an allowed contact. But it IS. This is a great feature I was super excited about but it doesn’t work. APPLE PLEASE FIX THIS! It was advertised even on tv that this feature was coming. It came but it just doesn’t work. Help!!!

iPhone XS, 13

Posted on Dec 11, 2019 7:12 PM

Best reply

rocco781

Level 1

9 points

Posted on Dec 28, 2019 8:32 PM

The downtime-identified contacts is not working in my set up as well. In addition, even when I designate the same contacts (parent names) as emergency contacts, the text, phone and face time feature still doesn't let my child to call out to these designates in downtime or after screen time has expired before the downtime period ends. These issues are both serious bugs and should be addressed with highest priority.

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63 replies

Jul 19, 2020 7:42 PM in response to jrsafford

Thank you jrsafford!!! I had tried all other previously listed suggestions and nothing was helping remedy the issue until I read your advice and deleted the old contact and created a new one and deleted the text messages!!! So again, thank you. :)

al2305

Level 1

9 points

Oct 8, 2020 8:26 PM in response to christopherfromcedarville

You are late to the party my friend. Many people in this chat did go through their own devices including myself and still had issues. Surely if there are 3 pages of conversation your simple suggestion would have come up by now. This is an Apple software problem and it’s related to how the contacts are connected through different devices and iCloud and different Apple IDs. Apple has not mastered this yet.

Cans25

Level 1

4 points

Oct 18, 2020 2:38 PM in response to TDSN2014

For those still struggling with this stupid stupid issue, after trying everything in this thread I finally got in my daughters phone. She had multiple copies of several people in her contacts, including me and dad. I deleted all the multiples (including ones with different names, like “grumpy” for dad, lol), and made sure there was only one copy of each person. THEN I followed all the other steps and designated her downtime contacts on her phone from her contact list. Finally. It works.

hnstepp

Level 1

4 points

Feb 8, 2020 7:20 PM in response to Dieseljay

This did not fix the issue with my child’s phone. Anyone else get it to work?

Tandbsm

Level 1

9 points

Feb 13, 2020 9:47 PM in response to TDSN2014

Was having the same problem and was incredibly frustrated, but I fixed it!!

you have to add the specific contacts on THEIR device under communication limits, not on yours.

Follas

Level 1

4 points

Jul 3, 2020 6:27 AM in response to hnstepp

sequinK

Level 1

4 points

Jan 14, 2020 9:31 PM in response to TDSN2014

I’ve also run into this issue. Super frustrating and unsafe. Please fix this!!

Feb 6, 2020 3:30 PM in response to chino-rican

I don’t think that fixes it as much as it bypasses it. The whole point is to limit to only the allowed contacts from the downtime. Not all. Any other ideas on this one?