Screen Time

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Share and manage web-usage data, and observe changes made to Screen Time settings by a parent or guardian.

Posts under Screen Time tag

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Family Controls Usage Data
Hi all, For context, the Family Controls entitlement request (for the Personal Device Management category/individual use case) includes the question: Will your app share device or usage data beyond the individual for the individual use case, or Family Sharing for the parent/guardian use case, including through means such as screenshots, screen recordings, or server logging? I'm looking for clarification on how to interpret this. I originally answered Yes and was rejected, then later answered No and was accepted. Ideally, I would like my screen time management app to allow users to opt-in to social features. One simple example is opting into a leaderboard with your friends for who has the lowest screen time. If the user installed this app for themself and chooses to share this basic data with their friends, it sounds like an ethical and unproblematic feature but I suppose storing that data would fall under "server logging"? If anyone has any experience with this, I would appreciate a more explicit description of the requirement above. Is what I described allowed? Thanks for reading!
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Nov ’24
Premature DeviceActivityEvent Triggering
Our app monitors device usage and applies a shield when the set time limit is reached. Multiple DeviceActivitySchedules can be present, each with different time limits. To display notifications at 50% of the total limit for each DeviceActivitySchedule, we set a warning time at half of the total time. However, we occasionally receive premature event callbacks. For example, consider a schedule from 13:00 to 13:30 with a single event threshold at 10 minutes and a warning time of 5 minutes. The 'eventDidReachThreshold' callback is delivered prematurely, along with the 'eventWillReachThresholdWarning' callback, at 13:10. Additionally, in some cases, when one DeviceActivitySchedule ends and the next begins immediately, DeviceActivityEvents registered for the new DeviceActivitySchedule are delivered prematurely along with the schedule start callback. For example, consider there are two DeviceActivitySchedules from 12:00 to 13:00 and from 13:00 to 14:00, each with a limit of 10 minutes and a warning time of 5 minutes. When the first schedule ends and the next begins at 13:00, the 'eventDidReachThreshold' callbacks for the events registered in the second schedule are delivered prematurely, along with the 'intervalDidStart' callback.
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398
Nov ’24
DeviceActivityMonitor event thresholds triggered together - what is the best way to log crashes / system terminations in the DeviceActivityMonitor extension?
I've been using DeviceActivityMonitor for 2 years, and recently noticed the following issue, starting in iOS 17.5 (another user also reported here). For a sizable percentage of my users, device activity event thresholds get triggered together. My app sends notifications for every hour of screen time during the DeviceActivitySchedule using event thresholds. Often users will get, for example, the 1, 2, and 3 hour screen time notifications all at the same time. I have a hypothesis for why this is happening: the system sometimes terminates the app extension for various reasons, one being if the 6MB memory limit is reached. It seems as though the retry policy is to retry the failed threshold at the next event threshold. And if the following threshold also fails, they can pile up until the next one succeeds. I think this is a new retry policy since iOS 17, and I believe this because: There used to be a bug where the same threshold was triggered multiple times in a row, indicating that the failed threshold was retried immediately. This bug is no longer around and it's been replaced by the one I am reporting. According to my logs, thresholds that get triggered together are also called earlier when they are supposed to be called - but the callback function does not complete. So this indicates that the threshold isn't just called late, but that it is called once and then retried again later. If anyone could answer the following questions I'd be super grateful: Is there ANY way to log when the system terminates the app extension and for what reason? And not just on my own device, but for all our users in production (because it's hard to reproduce this issue, as it only happens for some portion of our users). Maybe some kind of crash report or failure callback that will allow my to ping my server? Could anyone at Apple could confirm my hypothesis about the new retry policy causing this issue?
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689
Nov ’24
Screen Time passcode forgot passcode
When I upgraded to iOS 18 beta, I don’t recall setting a screen time passcode, however one is set. I am locked out from changing the passcode. I have clicked “forgot passcode” down at bottom but it doesn’t do anything. I am the only user on this phone. I am currently running iOS iOS 18.2 (22C5125e). Please advise, as screen time is locked and cannot be viewed nor change passcode
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239
Nov ’24
ActivityCategoryPolicy.all(except: allowList) blocks all apps, even the ones that should be exempted
Hello fellow Screen Time developers! I have bee experimenting with the ActivityCategoryPolicy.all(except: allowList) API of the ManagedSettings framework in order to provide a digital detox feature to my app, where ALL apps would be blocked, except some important ones (phone, messages, maps). The apps to be exempted can be configured by the user via the FamilyActivitySelection(). However, I am experiencing a strange bug, where all apps are restricted / blocked, even the ones that are set to be exempted and are part of the allowList Set. Instead of not restricting allowed apps at all, these apps are restricted with a generic shield (screenshot below) – a concrete shield is not requested for them from my ShieldConfigurationDataSource. I have also filed a radar under this number, attached is a minimalistic sample project and video that shows how to reproduce this: FB15500605 (no response so far) I have also seen other people report on this issue, but couldn't find any useful information there: https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/750988 https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/762287 Thanks a lot for your help, and have a nice day!
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Nov ’24
How to force update data from child phone ? FamilyControls / Screen Time Api / DeviceActivity
The data displayed about a child’s apps can be outdated (DeviceActivityReport), leading to misinformation for the user. When I access the “Screen Time” section (for child in the parent device) in the iPhone settings, I see there is an update functionality to force load the actual data. I have tried various workarounds, such as attempting to force an update on the child’s device to call DeviceActivityReport and opening system settings, but none of these have been successful :( How can I implement something similar? Is there a way to force update this data ?
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475
Nov ’24
Family Controls Entitlement Request: How Long for Approval?
A few weeks ago, I submitted a request for the Family Controls & Personal Device Usage Entitlement to enable my app to access the Managed Settings and Device Activity frameworks in the Screen Time API. The app is nearly complete, with the only remaining component being the Family Controls capability. As of now, I haven’t received a response regarding the request. I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced a similar situation or can provide insight into the following: • How long does it typically take to receive feedback on this type of entitlement request? • Is there a way to check if a request is still active and under review? • Is a finished website required for the entitlement to be granted? Any information or guidance would be greatly appreciated!
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Nov ’24
Family Controls Distribution Approval
I've submitted several requests for Family Controls Distribution access for all of my app targets over two weeks ago and have not gotten any response. The app I've been working on for over a year is finally ready to beta test to 200+ waitlisted users but this final roadblock is killing me! Anyone know what to do? Is there anyone else I could reach out to other than the apple request form to get help with this? Thank you!
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698
Nov ’24
Screentime Apps - get notified when etabled or disabled
Quibr question for Apple - Context: We are developing an app that via screentime access blocks restricted sites for gamblers. However our blocking can be bypassed by going into settings→screentime->Apps With Screen time access" and toggling off access to screentime with device’s FaceID (and not the screentime passcode.) Then they can browse whatever blocked site and delete our app if they wish. Question: We would like to know if there is a way to get the information when and how many times the toggle of our app under the “Apps with screen time access” has been pressed, or its current status. 3rd waay: Alternatively is there a way to monitor if the app is still installed on the device?
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Nov ’24
Mock Screen Time for Testing
Hi everyone, I'm trying to find out if there's a way to mock Screen Time for a specific app (either on a real device or in a simulator). Specifically, I need to set the usage time of an app to something like 15 minutes. I'm not looking to alter the total Screen Time, just the usage time for a single app. Currently, I'm manually keeping the app open for 15 minutes before I can start testing to see if the desired behavior occurs, but this process is slow and frustrating. Unfortunately, I can't reduce the 15-minute threshold, as Apple doesn't allow it for this particular use case. Any advice or solutions would be greatly appreciated!
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565
Nov ’24
Schedule a Screenlock for a time in the future? (ScreenTime API))
Hello! I'm currently making an app that requires the ability to activate a screenlock for a point in the future. I currently have my project setup so that I can set a screenlock through a DeviceActivityMonitorExtension (DAM) but regardless of the time interval I use for intervalDidStart and intervalDidEnd the screenlock just seems to apply instantly. I'm under the impression that I'm missing something outside of just passing the interval to the DAM functions. Has anyone accomplished this? Thank you!
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506
Nov ’24
iOS 18 beta screen time
So I have been using the iOS 18 beta and I would like to say first and foremost really great update I love the timed messages and the car Sickness stuff that’s awesome but my only problem with the update is screen time. I have screen time on my phone and when I updated to iOS 18 beta I can’t seem to claim more screen time. I have my screen time to where I can ignore it once I run out But in the new update I can seem press the button all I want but It wont give me more screen time. This Is what I imagine a minor fix and I would really appreciate if this was fixed soon. But other than that small detail Amazing update love what your doing over here at apple!
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770
Nov ’24
Screen Time Crash Bug & Downtime Features Taken Away
I have recently noticed that ever since I downloaded iOS 18 Public Beta 1, I have been unable to get to the screen time settings, after clicking the tab, the app just freezes. Although after a while I did get to the Screen Time tab, but all of the previous changes to my screen time were voided. App limits, Downtime, you name it, all gone. While my app limits do not work, I noticed that downtime still functioned, but when my parent changed the downtime settings on their phone (running iOS 17 no betas), it did nothing on my end. I am currently submitting feedback to apple and am trying to find workarounds. On an unrelated note to this issue, I noticed that “One More Minute” and “Request More Time” aren‘t there anymore, does anybody have any ideas or workarounds on any of these?
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Nov ’24
ScreenTimeAPI Access
"Hi everyone! We've encountered an issue with uploading our app to the App Store. We received the Family Controls Distribution permission, updated the certificates and profiles, submitted it for review, but received feedback that the request simply doesn't appear for the moderators. Does anyone know what the problem might be? Our request is: try await center.requestAuthorization(for: .individual). We also confirmed that the device must have TouchID or FaceID installed."
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565
Nov ’24
iOS 18.1 Rc
I’ve updated to iOS 18.1 public beta when it released and I got the problem when I was in public beta 4 to rc and the problem never fixed with the time limit when I ask for more time it never give me more time it’s just says waiting for parent approval I have this problem until ios 18.1 RC can u fix it I’m on iPhone 11 pro max
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604
Oct ’24
Device Activity Monitor
I'd like to block the apps selected in FamilyActivityPicker individually when a certain threshold is met. For example, let's say the threshold is 15 minutes, and I want to block both Photos and Freeform. If I spend 15 minutes on Photos, Photos should be blocked. Then, if I spend 15 minutes on Freeform, Freeform should also be blocked. Currently, only Photos gets blocked after 15 minutes, but Freeform does not. How can I fix this problem so that each app is blocked individually when its respective 15-minute threshold is met? Thank you in advance File 1 : class GlobalSelection { static let shared = GlobalSelection() var selection = FamilyActivitySelection() private init() {} } extension DeviceActivityName{ static let daily = Self("daily") } @objc(DeviceActivityMonitorModule) class DeviceActivityMonitorModule: NSObject { private let store = ManagedSettingsStore() @objc func startMonitoring(_ limitInMinutes: Int) { let schedule = DeviceActivitySchedule( intervalStart: DateComponents(hour: 0, minute: 0), intervalEnd: DateComponents(hour: 23, minute: 59), repeats: true ) let threshold = DateComponents(minute: limitInMinutes) var events: [DeviceActivityEvent.Name: DeviceActivityEvent] = [:] // Iterate over each selected application's token for token in GlobalSelection.shared.selection.applicationTokens { // Create a unique event name for each application let eventName = DeviceActivityEvent.Name("dailyLimitEvent_\(token)") // Create an event for this specific application let event = DeviceActivityEvent( applications: [token], // Single app token threshold: threshold ) // Add the event to the dictionary events[eventName] = event } // Register the monitor with the activity name and schedule do { try DeviceActivityCenter().startMonitoring(.daily, during: schedule, events: events) print("24/7 Monitoring started with time limit : \(limitInMinutes) m") } catch { print("Failed to start monitoring: \(error)") } } @objc static func requiresMainQueueSetup() -> Bool { return true } } FIle 2 : class DeviceActivityMonitorExtension: DeviceActivityMonitor { let store = ManagedSettingsStore() var blockedApps: Set<ApplicationToken> = [] func scheduleNotification(with title: String) { let center = UNUserNotificationCenter.current() center.requestAuthorization(options: [.alert, .sound, .badge]) { granted, error in if granted { let content = UNMutableNotificationContent() content.title = "Notification" // Using the custom title here content.body = title content.sound = UNNotificationSound.default let trigger = UNTimeIntervalNotificationTrigger(timeInterval: 5, repeats: false) // 5 seconds from now let request = UNNotificationRequest(identifier: "MyNotification", content: content, trigger: trigger) center.add(request) { error in if let error = error { print("Error scheduling notification: \(error)") } } } else { print("Permission denied. \(error?.localizedDescription ?? "")") } } } // Function to retrieve selected apps func retrieveSelectedApps() -> FamilyActivitySelection? { if let sharedDefaults = UserDefaults(suiteName: "group.timelimit.com.zerodistract") { // Retrieve the encoded data if let data = sharedDefaults.data(forKey: "selectedAppsTimeLimit") { // Decode the data back into FamilyActivitySelection let decoder = JSONDecoder() if let selection = try? decoder.decode(FamilyActivitySelection.self, from: data) { return selection } } } return nil // Return nil if there was an error } override func intervalDidStart(for activity: DeviceActivityName){ super.intervalDidStart(for: activity) scheduleNotification(with: "Interval did start") scheduleNotification(with: "\(retrieveSelectedApps())") } override func intervalDidEnd(for activity: DeviceActivityName) { super.intervalDidEnd(for: activity) } override func eventDidReachThreshold(_ event: DeviceActivityEvent.Name, activity: DeviceActivityName) { super.eventDidReachThreshold(event, activity: activity) // Notify that the threshold is met scheduleNotification(with: "Threshold met") // Retrieve the selected apps if let selectedApps = retrieveSelectedApps() { // Extract the app token identifier from the event name let appTokenIdentifier = event.rawValue.replacingOccurrences(of: "dailyLimitEvent_", with: "") // Iterate over the selected application tokens for appToken in selectedApps.applicationTokens { // Convert the app token to a string representation (or use its debugDescription) let tokenString = "\(appToken)" // Check if the app token matches the token identifier in the event name if tokenString == appTokenIdentifier { blockedApps.insert(appToken) // Block only the app associated with this event store.shield.applications = blockedApps scheduleNotification(with: "store.shield.applications = blockedApps is reached") break } } } else { scheduleNotification(with: "No stored data for selectedAppsTimeLimit") } } override func intervalWillStartWarning(for activity: DeviceActivityName) { super.intervalWillStartWarning(for: activity) // Handle the warning before the interval starts. } override func intervalWillEndWarning(for activity: DeviceActivityName) { super.intervalWillEndWarning(for: activity) // Handle the warning before the interval ends. } override func eventWillReachThresholdWarning(_ event: DeviceActivityEvent.Name, activity: DeviceActivityName) { super.eventWillReachThresholdWarning(event, activity: activity) // Handle the warning before the event reaches its threshold. } }
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Oct ’24
Core Data not returning results in ShieldConfiguration Extension, but works fine in other extensions
Hi everyone, I’m using Core Data in several extensions (DeviceActivityMonitor, ShieldAction, and ShieldConfiguration). It works perfectly in DeviceActivityMonitor and ShieldAction. I’m able to successfully fetch data and log the correct count using a fetch request. However, when I try the same setup in the ShieldConfiguration extension, the fetch request always returns 0 results. The CoreData and App Group setup appears to be correct since the first two extensions fetch the expected data. I’ve also previously tested storing the CoreData objects separately in a JSON-FIle using FileManager and it worked without issues—though I’d prefer not to handle manual encoding/decoding if possible. The documentation mentions that the extension runs in a sandbox, restricting network requests or moving sensitive content. But shouldn’t reading data (from a shared App Group, for instance) still be possible within the sandbox, as it is the case with the Files, what is the difference there? In my case, I only need to read the data, as modifications can be handled via ShieldActionExtension. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Oct ’24