Turn Off Screen Time
Stop reporting, schedules, and limits together, or preserve the parts you still use by switching off Downtime, App Limits, or restrictions individually.
Quick path: Settings > Screen Time, scroll down, tap Turn Off App & Website Activity, and confirm with the Screen Time passcode when requested.
Apple now centers the main switch on App & Website Activity. Turning it off disables activity reporting, Downtime, App Limits, and Always Allowed. If only one limit is unwanted, remove that feature instead.
Open Settings > Screen Time, scroll to the bottom, and select Turn Off App & Website Activity. Enter the four-digit Screen Time passcode if prompted.
This stops new usage reports and turns off Downtime, App Limits, and Always Allowed. Historical reporting may no longer be available after disabling activity, so record any data you need first.
Share Across Devices can sync Screen Time settings across Apple devices. Review other devices if a limit or report still appears.
Downtime: Settings > Screen Time > Downtime, then turn off Scheduled. This preserves reports and App Limits.
One App Limit: open App Limits, tap the limit, and choose Delete Limit. Repeat only for limits you no longer want.
Content & Privacy Restrictions: open that section and turn off its main switch to pause restrictions. Understand that this may restore websites, downloads, purchases, app deletion, and settings changes that were intentionally protected. If installs should remain restricted, see how to block app downloads on iPhone before making the change.
Passcode only: Change Screen Time Passcode > Turn Off Screen Time Passcode removes protection without necessarily disabling every feature.
On the Family organizer's iPhone, open Settings > Screen Time, select the child under Family, and tap Manage Screen Time. Change or disable the intended controls there.
A child managed through Family Sharing cannot simply remove the organizer's settings from their own device. If the child no longer appears, verify Family Sharing membership, Apple Accounts, and current software.
Consider removing one obsolete rule rather than every protection. Turning off Content & Privacy Restrictions can re-enable purchases, deletions, websites, and account changes.
Forgotten passcode: use Change Screen Time Passcode and authenticate with the exact Apple Account configured for recovery.
Family-managed device: ask the organizer to change settings on their device.
Settings still grayed out: review Content & Privacy Restrictions and Allow Changes To, then restart after authorized changes.
You only want a stronger blocker: disabling Screen Time removes useful measurement and restrictions. Fella can coexist as a separate selected-app, all-day boundary, but it does not manage website, purchase, or parental controls.
Go to Settings > Screen Time, scroll down, and tap Turn Off App & Website Activity. Enter the Screen Time passcode if requested and confirm.
It disables Screen Time reporting, Downtime, App Limits, and Always Allowed. Content & Privacy Restrictions may need to be reviewed separately.
Yes. Open Settings > Screen Time > Downtime and turn off Scheduled. Reporting and other limits can remain active.
On the Family organizer’s device, open Settings > Screen Time, select the child, tap Manage Screen Time, and change the relevant settings using the organizer’s authorization.
A Screen Time passcode or Family Sharing management may protect the setting. Reset a forgotten passcode with the recovery Apple Account or ask the family organizer.
Historical reporting may no longer be accessible once App & Website Activity is off, so note any numbers you want to keep first.
Yes. Blockers built on Apple’s Screen Time frameworks depend on App & Website Activity being on to enforce restrictions.
Save anything you want to compare later. Check your Screen Time report, then screenshot the weekly report, daily average, most-used apps, pickups, and notification totals. Screen Time is not a permanent analytics archive, and old reporting may not remain available after App & Website Activity is turned off.
Record parental controls. On a child's iPhone, note Downtime hours, App Limits, Always Allowed apps, web filters, purchase restrictions, and the Apple Account used for passcode recovery. Disabling the main activity feature is broader than deleting one limit.
Check connected tools. Third-party blockers that use Apple's Screen Time frameworks need App & Website Activity permission to enforce restrictions. If a blocker stops after this change, re-enable the system feature before troubleshooting the app.
Decide whether device separation is enough. If the only problem is a combined total from an iPad or Mac, turn off Share Across Devices or select the iPhone in the report. You do not need to disable Screen Time to see device-specific use. If a one-device report still seems wrong, follow the inaccurate Screen Time troubleshooting steps first. If the issue is a limit that will not enforce rather than a report, use the Screen Time limits troubleshooting guide before turning the feature off.
Turning off App & Website Activity does not delete apps, erase the iPhone, cancel subscriptions, remove an Apple Account, or change the device unlock passcode. It changes Screen Time reporting and the controls built around it.
Focus modes and notification settings are separate. If your goal is only to stop interruptions, change notifications or Focus instead. Deleting one App Limit also does not require disabling Downtime, and turning off a Downtime schedule does not erase weekly usage reports.
Content & Privacy Restrictions deserve a separate review because they cover purchases, downloads, websites, built-in features, and changes to important settings. Confirm the behavior on the device rather than assuming one switch handled every restriction.
