How to limit screen time on iPhone

Updated October 1, 2026. iPhone steps checked against Apple’s iPhone User Guide (iOS 27 and iOS 26).

Short answer

Use Screen Time, built into the iPhone: it shows how much you use each app, lets you set daily limits and schedule distraction-free hours. When the limits do not hold, an app like Mialera uses the same Apple API with a block that has no unlock button.

1. See how much you use it

Open Settings > Screen Time.
On iOS 27, tap Manage Screen Time > Turn On App & Website Activity. On iOS 26, tap App & Website Activity > Turn On App & Website Activity.
To see your report, tap Daily Average (iOS 27) or See All App & Website Activity (iOS 26) and choose Week or Day.

2. Set daily limits

On iOS 27, use Time Allowances: you set a daily total for the device and a time for each category (such as entertainment, games and social media). Apps work until they reach the category’s allowance or the daily total. To see the categories, tap Manage Categories.

On iOS 26, use App Limits > Add Limit: pick a category, or tap its name to select apps one by one, tap Next and set the time. The guide how to block Instagram on iPhone has the full steps.

3. Schedule distraction-free hours

On iOS 27: Settings > Screen Time > Screen Time Schedule, turn on Schedule and tap Add Schedule. Pick the days, tap Done, then tap the Time Window to set the start, the end and the allowed categories.
On iOS 26: Settings > Screen Time > Downtime > Scheduled, choose Every Day or Customize Days and set the times.
In Always Allowed, choose the apps and contacts that stay available at any time.

4. Lock the settings with a passcode

On iOS 27: Screen Time > Manage Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings. On iOS 26: in Screen Time, scroll down and tap Lock Screen Time Settings. Enter a four-digit passcode twice.

If you set the passcode for yourself, you know it. If the point is not being able to change limits on impulse, ask someone else to type it.

5. When the limits do not hold

If you ignore the limit or turn the schedule off, a blocking app helps. In Mialera, the block screen has no unlock button, and you pick apps one by one on any iOS version. See why your Screen Time limit doesn’t hold.

Download Mialera from the App Store and open it.
When your iPhone asks for Screen Time access, tap Continue.
In the Goals tab, tap + new, choose After a time each day and tap Continue.
Under Which apps, tap Pick and select the apps that take most of your time.
Under How much time a day, choose the limit and tap Create goal.

Frequently asked questions

Do the limits apply on iPad and Mac too?

Yes, if you turn on Share Across Devices (on iOS 27, in Screen Time > Manage Screen Time). The devices need the same Apple Account, and the new iOS 27 features need all of them on version 27.

What is the difference between a limit and a schedule?

A limit is a daily time cap: after it, the apps stop. A schedule is a window of the day when the apps stay out, like at night. Mialera has both: time goals and schedule goals.

Mialera is free to start: the free plan never expires and already blocks.

Download on the App Store