We have been using screen time successfully for several years to manage our kids devices. Recently, I upgraded to the iPhone 14 pro and now all their screen time settings keep resetting and turn off almost daily. Downtime, content restrictions and time limits - all off. 4 kids - two iPhones and two iPads. Each has a different screen time passcode that were all reset. Software has been updated on each device. Still keeps happening. Please advise!
iPhone 14 Pro
This has been driving me crazy since I purchased an iPhone 14 Pro. Earlier today, I did some testing and am wondering if this is what the rest of you are seeing.
TLDR: In my case, Screen Time on the Child iPhone is never off, it just shows a default position of off (on the Parent phone) while the Child phones are syncing with iCloud. If I start making changes (on the Parent phone) before the sync is complete, it causes a ton of problems and everything gets out of sync for hours or days.
Longer version....
3 devices, all running 16.4.
Scenario 1: About 50% of the time on the Parent iPhone, I open Screen Time and select one of the Child accounts. The 'Daily Average' chart is trying to load (ie, no chart is not visible and the 'updated' section is spinning)
Scenario 2: About 50% of the time. On the Parent iPhone, I open Screen Time and select one of the Child accounts. The 'Daily Average' chart is already loaded and visible. The 'updated' section may be spinning, but you can see the bar chart.
Under Scenario 1, if I go into Downtime, Content & Privacy, etc. (on the Parent iPhone) it will show Screen Time settings are OFF. However, if I pick up the same Child's iPhone in my hand and open up Screen Time directly on the child iPhone, the Screen Time show ON. Under this scenario, in the past I was getting anxious and would panic and start turning Screen Time settings back ON via the parent iPhone. However, if I did this, before 'Daily Activity' had fully loaded, it seems as if iCloud gets really confused and the settings get out of sync - sometimes they stay on, other times they stay off. Then later in the night, the settings may flip again (assuming they try to sync with iCloud again) and turn on/off - its a huge mess.
Under Scenario 2, the Parent iPhone will show the Screen Time settings are ON and Child iPhone shows the settings are On.
In the end, I was the source of my own problem as I nervously kept turning things back on when I would see them as off on my phone. If I had been more patient and either checked the Child phone or waited for the sync to complete, it would have shown the settings are still in place and everything is as I want it to be. Once I started waiting for the chart to load before changing things, I never had the issue happen again - it took about 48 hours for everything to sync and 'settle'.
Apple needs to fix this as it never used to be a problem. Parents shouldn't have to blindly trust that the Child phone is secure, the Parent phone should always indicate the right status of the Child's phone.
Maybe I'm the only one with this specific scenario, just wanted to share.
Side note... over the past few months I have been getting a somewhat regular notification on my iPhone in Settings right under my name at the top to re-enter my passcode for some kind of sync to iCloud. Ever since I stopped messing with the Screen Time settings pre-sync, iCloud has stopped asking for this. I'm wondering if this was coincidental or a symptom of iCloud just being super confused by what settings were the correct ones.
I thought I was being totally hoodwinked by my child because this is happening to his phone too, until I kept it overnight myself and it still switched off after resetting all the settings. We've used screentime successfully for years until now so this is so bizarre. PLEASE fix this apple!
Yes this has just started happening to my boys iPads. It’s incredibly infuriating and dangerous as it turns all child safety measures off daily!! No matter how often I reset it. Sort it out please Apple. It’s not good enough. It’s the main reason I got them iPad’s - so I can control it!!!
It’s happened to us for a while now, I’ll be sitting with my child and literally watch all the apps suddenly become available. My thought is is that it’s much harder to get kids addicted to screens if you allow screen time to be in use so there’s not really lotta motivation for Apple to fix this.
Apple has till February 16th to fix this issue. Samsung just announced the s23, and between the pen that comes with the ultra, the superior camera specs, and the “digital well-being” setting that works just like Screen time, I’m 14 days away from converting! Personally I have 5 iPhones, 4 iPads, 1 mac, 1 HomePod, and 4 watches! I know that’s trivial compared to the millions of Apple products out there, but if I feel this way then I would imagine lots of us concerned Parents are feeling the same. Not to sound like a broken record, but the internet can be a scary place without any limitations or monitoring, Save our children Apple, do what’s right.
I’ve looked at all these comments, and in some ways glad it’s not just me struggling with this… but annoyed that Apple aren’t fixing this! I’ve tried all the suggest technical fixes- I have signed out of all devices, changed passcode for screen time and reset the settings over and over - driving me mad! More concerning is that the content restrictions associated with my kids screen time keeps reseting too! My kids can effectively access adult websites, films, tv, music etc. This is not why I bought numerous iPads, iPhones and a MacBook for - I expect much better!!! Please fix this Apple!!
Thank you for the info, I am ready to jump ship too, went to apple for the camera in the iPhone and walkie- talkie ability on watches, camera is subpar and walkie-talkie rarely works, very excited about Samsung!!!
Same here. iOS 16.3 all around. As soon as we got new iPads it started. That was on 12/25/22. It turns off right after I set it up. Then set it up on the kids device. Worked for a while then shuts off again. But don’t worry. In September it will be the “BEST IPHONE EVER” with little regard to iOS. Thanks Apple.
Same here. It's driving me crazy, as it was the main reason why I started using the Apple ecosystem - 3 kids with iPhones. I'm really close to giving up on Apple just because of this. The most annoying thing is that the support team acts like nothing is happening. It would be enough just to inform users that there is a known error they're trying to fix and provide a date. But instead, they're quiet, pretending nothing is happening.
Yup. Exactly the same for my 2 daughters. Resetting on a daily basis. I’m going to switch to android if there’s no fix soon as this is one of my main requirements. Get your s*** together Apple, how is this not an urgent priority for you?
I have had the same exact problem. When I had the SE I had zero issues with screen time for my kids as a way of protection for them. I upgraded to the 14 pro and I’ve been consistently having screen time issues. It is getting very annoying. I have to reset screen time on my 2 kids almost daily. This is very frustrating as a parent. This needs to be fixed.
I am having this problem too and it is a major concern! I have lodged a report with apple feedback. This needs to be fixed in a hurry kids are at risk of being exposed to adult content on the internet! Can you please follow this up for everyone in here with the same problem? Thanks
I thought I was going crazy or that it was only happening to us. This is the MOST frustrating thing because it’s such an important feature. The chaos that has ensued since the glitch started is more than I want to deal with. Please apple make this a priority
I'm very upset by my new iPhone 14 Pro Max. There're numerous small bugs, the screen display is actually dimmer than the previous models and additionally there's this problem with the Screen Time. Too much for a premium phone.
I'm beginning to wonder that is this bug only affecting a very small number of user because Apple isn't taken any measures to fix this. This (pretty major IMHO) bug has been here for couple of months already and still no fix.
Just wanted to add to the chorus that my Screen Time limits on apps for my daughter keep resetting to none. Like the others, she has definitely not found the password. She actually told me herself this morning that the limits on TikTok were not in place anymore.
Screen time keeps turning off
