screen time, explained
Screen Time on iPad: how to set it up, and how it works with your iPhone
The iPad has the same Screen Time as the iPhone: the same report, the same Downtime and App Limits (on iOS 27: Screen Time Schedule and Time Allowances), a Screen Time passcode, and Screen Distance on models with Face ID. One switch decides how it fits with your other devices. With Share Across Devices on, the iPad joins your iPhone's report and your limits apply on both. With it off, the iPad keeps its own numbers and its own rules.
How to set up Screen Time on iPad#
- Open Settings on the iPad and tap Screen Time.
- Tap App & Website Activity, then Turn on App & Website Activity.
If iPadOS asks whether the iPad is for yourself or your child, choose This is My iPad. A child's iPad is a separate setup, managed through Family Sharing from a parent's iPhone.
The report is under See All App & Website Activity. Switch between Week and Day to see time per app and category, how often you picked up the iPad, and which apps sent the most notifications. Swipe left and right to page through earlier weeks.
With Share Across Devices, or without#
Turn on Share Across Devices on the iPad and on the iPhone, both signed in to the same Apple Account. On iPadOS 26 the switch is on the main Screen Time page, further down. After that, the iPad's hours appear in the iPhone's report. Tap Devices at the top of the report to see the iPad alone or all devices together.
Settings sync as well. Downtime and App Limits you set on one device apply to every device with Share Across Devices on. With the switch off, each device keeps its own settings and its own report, and a limit set on the iPhone does nothing on the iPad.
Apple's guide for iOS 27 says Share Across Devices needs version 27 on all of your Apple devices, and puts the switch under Manage Screen Time. If you update the iPhone, update the iPad too.
Which is better depends on who uses the iPad. If it's yours alone, sharing gives you one total for the day and limits that follow you between devices. If the family uses it on your Apple Account, leave the switch off, or their evenings end up in your number. The merge is also the usual reason the iPhone total suddenly looks too high. If the switch won't stay on or the devices won't agree, try these fixes in order. The Mac joins the same way.
Downtime and App Limits on iPad#
They work as on the iPhone. Downtime sets hours when most apps are unavailable, App Limits sets a daily time for an app or a category, and Always Allowed keeps the apps and contacts you choose available through both. By default you can tap Ignore Limit and carry on. With a Screen Time passcode you can turn on Block at Downtime and Block at End of Limit, and then getting past them takes the passcode. Downtime has its own guide, and so do App Limits that don't hold.
Screen Distance on iPad#
iPads with Face ID have Screen Distance. Hold the iPad closer than 12 inches, about 30 cm, for an extended period and a shield covers the screen until you move it back. On iPadOS 26 the switch is under Settings → Screen Time → Screen Distance. iPads that unlock with Touch ID don't have the feature. More on the shield and how to turn it off.
The same four weeks#
The iPad keeps about four weeks of Screen Time detail and then deletes it, like the iPhone. Share Across Devices merges the devices but brings back no older days, and both forget on the same schedule. How far back Screen Time goes has the details.
This is the part we build, so judge accordingly. finit runs on the iPhone and doesn't need to be installed on the iPad. With Share Across Devices on, and the Finit Import shortcut set to All Devices, the iPad's hours land in the same daily record, kept for years on your iPhone and in your own private iCloud.
The short answers#
How do I set up Screen Time on my iPad?
Open Settings, tap Screen Time, tap App and Website Activity, then Turn on App and Website Activity. The report then fills in under See All App and Website Activity.
Can I see my iPad screen time on my iPhone?
Yes, if Share Across Devices is on for both devices under the same Apple Account. In the iPhone's Screen Time report, tap Devices to see the iPad on its own or all devices together.
Do my iPhone App Limits apply to my iPad?
Only with Share Across Devices on. Then your limits and schedules apply to every device signed in with that Apple Account. With it off, each device keeps its own settings.
How far back does iPad Screen Time go?
About four weeks, the same as on iPhone. Older detail is deleted from the device, and Share Across Devices does not extend the window.
The iPad's evenings are part of the same day. finit can keep them with the rest.
