How to use Screen Time on a Mac

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-use-screen-time-on-a-mac/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Neo · macOS 27.2

5 of 5 steps with real screenshots · 1 official source below

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS 27.2 (MacBook Neo)

App

System Settings

Path

System Settings › Screen Time

Real screenshots

5 of 5 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open System Settings and click Screen Time

   Screen Time is in the sidebar, below Focus. Ours listed Apps & Websites (18+, Full Web Access), Allowed Contacts (Everyone), Always Allowed (Not Set Up), Screen Time Schedule, Time Allowances, Content & Privacy Restrictions, Communication Safety and Passcode & Management.

   Done

2. 

   Allow or block apps in Apps & Websites

   Click Apps & Websites. Choose Allowed or Blocked at the top; Add… and Block… sit next to the search field. Below is a list of apps, A to Z. Restrictions at the top said 18+, Full Web Access on ours.

   Done

3. 

   Turn on Screen Time Activity for a schedule

   Click Screen Time Schedule. Ours first showed Screen Time Activity: Weekly Reports, Schedule (a time each day to step away from the screen) and Time Allowance (daily time limits for app categories). Click Turn on Screen Time Activity to use them. We clicked Not Now.

   Done

4. 

   Block content with Content & Privacy Restrictions

   Go back and click Content & Privacy Restrictions. The page manages content, features and privacy, including blocking inappropriate content. It starts with an All Restrictions switch (off on ours), then Feature Restrictions (Siri, Screen Distance, Other Features) and Content Restrictions. Ours had Books set to Explicit and Movies and TV Shows to Allow All.

   Done

5. 

   Switch on App & Website Activity for reports

   Go back and click Passcode & Management. The page says turning on App & Website Activity enables real-time reporting, Bedtime and Downtime, Time Allowance, and Always Allowed. It was off on ours.

   Done

If you do not see this option

• No Manage Screen Time button? Apple's guide says to click Manage Screen Time, then turn on App & Website Activity. Our Mac on macOS 27.2 showed no such button: the Screen Time page opened straight to its settings, and App & Website Activity was under Passcode & Management. Source: Get started with Screen Time on your Mac

  

• No Screen Time in the sidebar? Apple says you may need to scroll down the System Settings sidebar to find it. On our Neo it sat right below Focus. Source: Get started with Screen Time on your Mac

If this does not work

• Anyone can change the limits? Passcode & Management has Lock Screen Time Settings: the page says it uses a passcode to secure Screen Time settings. We did not set one, so we cannot show the next screens.

  

• Limits on the Mac differ from your iPhone? Share Across Devices, on the same page, syncs Screen Time settings across your devices. The page says to turn it off to set settings for this device only. It was off on ours.

  

• Want to detect nude images? Click Communication Safety on the main Screen Time page. Apple says it can detect nudity and gore in shared images and videos. Source: Get started with Screen Time on your Mac

About this guide

Apple says Screen Time shows how much time you spend on your devices and lets you set schedules, time allowances for app categories and blocked websites.

The screenshots are from our MacBook Neo with macOS 27.2 (26B123) in Dark mode, taken on 27 October 2026. We changed nothing: at the activity prompt we clicked Not Now, and we did not set a Screen Time passcode.

Good to know

On an iPhone, see how to turn on Screen Time on iPhone.

In short: System Settings, Screen Time: Apps & Websites to allow or block apps, Screen Time Activity for schedules, Content & Privacy Restrictions, Passcode & Management.

📷 Camera Lab: the same 6 scenes photographed with 11 phones, side by side.