Screen Time not working on Tiktok, Snapchat, Instagram?

Thank you for posting this, I wonder how many other former and current Apple employees would be willing to speak up on this issue.

This is at best wilful blindness on Apple’s part. As a parent with a child suffering from ADHD and anxiety, this is not just a minor annoyance, it is the single greatest source of conflict in our household. And we can see the effects of addiction on our kids - but unlike any drug it is simply not an option in todays world to remove use completely.

Screentime is a tool provided by Apple, which we buy from Apple when we. It iPhones, which is meant to be able to help us limit use. It should be clear by now that it does NOT work as it is meant to. Apple’s response so far to users on this forum seems to have been dismissive.

Apple’s behaviour is incredibly disappointing but will come back to bite them, because this has all the elements of an extremely costly class action - both in terms of lawyers’ fees and settlements, and damage to the brand.

I figured it out. I had the same situation with my child's phone (iphone 11 ios 15.4): instagram, tiktok, twitter, pinterest.. all these apps where not blocked. Removing screentime, rebooting, changing time limits didn't work. Try the following:

1. Go to Screen time on your child's device.
2. Click on Always Allowed.
3. Approve all the apps that you want to block (in my case I added all social media apps)
4. Once you add all the apps go back to the previous setting screen and then close the window (swipe up)
5. Open again screen time and now go to the Always approve and remove the apps from the always allowed list.
6. Go back to the previous setting screen and close the settings app (swipe up).

This should fix the issue. Hope this helps. This worked for me :)

I am having the exact same problem. I find it highly suspicious that TikTok is the primary culprit. Strange that the only app with this issue is not calculator or compass! Knowing about the screen time function was what convinced me to allow my child a device - now it’s not functioning for one of the most child hypnotic apps available! Grrrr!!! Apple: must fix please!

Tik tok cannot be restricted using screen time parental control for me either - this is huge inconvenience. I have it set for 5 min for my kids and they constantly rack up more then 2 hrs of Tik tok use a day!!! Apple - fix this, this is every parents nightmare!

I am noticing the same issue as well. & I’m an apple employee in tech support. so I’m very familiar with technical side of things. I have disabled downtime, power cycled the phone, enabled downtime, I have deleted the app and reinstalled it. Ensured the device IOS was updated. I have erased iPhone and set the device up as new in case there was a back issue (issue still occuring).

Nothing I do resolves this issue. This wasn’t always the case with screentime. It use to block tik tok out after the app limit is reached but now it never blocks out.

There is/was definitely a problem. I restricted my son to one hour of TikTok and he was able to use it in excess of that time. In my frustration looking through all the options available in screen time I changed his limit to five minutes. And then I saw you can set a second limit (which makes no sense to me) and I set the second limit for one minute. Now he can only use it for one minute. :)

Solution!!! Parents read carefully

1. check if your kids can change time and date while screen time is active with password.
2. if he or she can change time. Turn off screen time on her devide, go to settings and make sure time zone is automatic, now turn on screen time via parent device with password, time zone settings should be on, but not possible to change it any more. This is mandatory.
3. now set up restrictions like normal.

how kid was bypassing? She or he changed time to tomorrow, used one more minute option, change time back. Result?? She or he gets 24h+ 1 min. Of free time on tiktok.

enjoy.

Thanks will try this - as I’ve spent hours trying all the other suggestions I’ve come across. It’s outrageous that Apple are dodging responsibility for this and saying there’s no known problems. And I’m sure some third party developers are trying to get around restrictions but ffs Apple - ban them from the App Store!

TikTok is definitely the biggest issue for us too - have a 5m app limit and still regularly see reports from Screen Time itself like this:

What a joke - the app displays the 5m restriction and the 2.5hrs of use today ON THE SAME PAGE!

What lmgzz suggested actually worked!!!!!!

Folks, PLEASE file feedback with Apple about this! They do read the messages. There's no feedback form specifically for ScreenTime, so give feedback regarding the iPhone/Mac/etc:

Product Feedback - Apple

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

And let’s look at my daughter’s TikToK usage today - the one whose devices I’ve tried to time limit TikTok in. I’m now down to seeing if a 5 min restriction works…

nope, still not working. She’s clocked up 1h 25 mins on TikTok today. While there’s a 5 m time restriction in place.

still no known faults, Apple?

Jack - there is a known issue with Screen Time, as the 40+ answers to this thread show. I too cannot block TikTok with Screentime, even with the workarounds suggested by other users.

I suggest you run upstairs & tell the grownups that their vaunted functionality has an issue. Here’s your chance to shine.

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities.

There are no known issues with Screen Time. I suggest you review: Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support or Set up Screen Time for yourself on iPhone - Apple Support.

Jack

I am having the same issue. It’s only been the case for a few weeks, before it was fine. I don’t know what has changed! It’s really frustrating though. Have tried all these fixes but none have worked 😕