Apple Screen Time app limits not working

It becomes a serious issue for us, I have teens and I cannot even restrict their access to their age rated apps and websites.

This was so frustrating that I changed my sons phone to Android.

Apple is not working in sustainable way and making kids dependent on devices when they ignore their accountability.

It’s a serious issue right now. I am struggling here with my kids screen time.

For the freaking love of all things good, I could just scream. I’ve been updating devices today bc I hadn’t seen any naysayers yet. How on earth is this not public knowledge at this point? It’s like they have given up and don’t care. IT HAS BEEN 6 MONTHS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Clearly it’s not an important fix for them. I hate it. We’ve used Screen Time for Parental Controls for years with success. Such a shame.

Thanks for updating us though. At least I won’t keep my hopes up. Wasn’t yelling at you obviously. But super frustrating. Good luck!

Pretty much. I exhausted myself September to January. Multiple Diagnostics on ALL devices. Told it’s a known issue. Then crickets.

They sold us a Family Settings platform. Now that it’s been broken SEVEN months they have their fingers in their ears and their mouths keep saying, “Lalalalalalalaalala, I CANNN’TT HEAR YOU!”

Well, same here.

I thought I've set up everything properly but it just doesn't work.

The app limits are there, yes. But they don't work. For example I have YouTube app on my kid's phone limited to 30 min a day. And recently I found out that she spent more than 2 hours a day on it last week!

And if this wasn't strange enough, she uses the app mostly at night, after 8PM when all these apps should be blocked by DownTime which is set from 8pm till 7am!

So what is going on here?

Apple, this is beyond ridiculous. After only using android phones, I finally made the switch because my daughter got a phone, and being able to manage her screen time override my dislike for iphones. Since the end of 2022 screentime has been useless, as everyone on this forum has attested to. Limits either disappear, or have no effect. I see my daughters limit for a particular app at 30 minutes, and on the same page I see that she used it for 2 hours. It is pathetic you haven't fixed this yet. Luckily, my daughter's iphone is paid off, and when my second child gets her first phone in a few weeks, we'll all be buying Androids. Thanks for nothing.

I have been trying for the last two weeks to get Screen Time to apply the limits I set within it on my daughter's iPad. Nothing works, I have even tried applying an app limit across 'all categories', with 30 minutes for each week day, and 2 hours for Saturdays and Sundays, with the 'Block at End of Limit' option enabled. This morning (Monday) she was still watching YouTube Kids after 34 minutes, and other apps were still unlocked and ready to be opened.

Apple, you NEED to fix this! My only other option will be to apply limits using the clunky parental controls settings in my home router's interface. What happened to your 'It just works' ethos Apple? Please don't tell us Screen Time is going to be another Siri, another neglected Apple code base which does anything BUT work.

I resolved the issue of Downtime failing to work which gave my daughter uncontrolled, unmonitored access 24x7 to social media and messaging. It was quite simple. I bought her a new Android phone and activated Family Link which has proven to be rock solid reliable in controlling her access. Now I feel relieved that my daughter can't use her phone behind my back at night and potentially get herself into trouble with all the dangers that exist online. Every parent needs to up their game to protect their kids from online abuse, cults and predators. If it means switching phone brands then so be it. Child safety must be every parent's priority.

NVM. Problem came back.

This has been reported on by tech writers - it’s a problem. Attention is the new currency, and my children are spending all of it on the addictive apps on this platform. With no recourse. Unfortunately, schools now have assignments and communication channels through education apps - so totally screwed.

I found a fix (for me at least). Had struggled for months and months and tried lots of solutions and multiple calls with Apple.

The solution that has worked for the last few weeks is the following (prior to this, limits disappeared every 1-2 days).

Upgrade ALL DEVICES for ALL Apple FAMILY MEMBERS to the current operating systems.

I had done this before for my devices and for the kids devices…but did not ask my Mom to upgrade her devices and she was one of the Apple Family Members. I feel that was the difference this time. It didn’t occur to me that her IOS would affect App Limits, but I think that was the difference.

I am so frustrated that I keep setting app limits for my 11 year old middle schoolers phone for social media. This is the first year she is using all these stupid apps because of her friends. I set limits of 30 min and keep seeing my child using it for hours. Why is this stupid downtime and app limits not working properly. It works a day then all the rest of the week it doesn’t. We pay so much money for these devices.Your job is making these promises about parental control work!!!!

Apple you need to fix this issue with screen time. My kids limits keep erasing and I keep reseting them and they do not get updated in their phones. I have tried doing them on my account and on their individual phones. I have tried several times and this keeps happening.

PLEASE FIX THE SCREEN TIME GLITCH!!!

Parents all over the world need to control their kids time on screen and apps! Please!!!!

Same issues as others - forever. Deleted rules re-appear. Limits don't seem to work reliably.

I have updated software, turned screentime off and back on, etc. I refuse to do a reset of my family's DOZENS of apple devices. Especially since that may or may not work. It would take a weekend.

Now there's an even worse issue that just started a week ago or so. The "lock screen time settings with passcode" option keeps resetting. Every day this is being reset to being unlocked. NOTHING else matters if screen time can't be locked with a passcode.

So screen time is not just frustratingly buggy, unreliable, and difficult (as it has been for a while). It is now totally, completely worthless.

I've already accepted that this will never work. It won't be fixed. It's also a warning and a wake-up call that we should not trust Apple even in such crucial cases as protecting our children. Mobile phone addiction is a serious thing. This is not a minor bug. This is huge. We'll step by step leave Apple ecosystem and warn everyone not to burn money as we did.