How to Bypass Screen Time When Using iPhones or iPads

Would you like to cut back on how much you use Apple products? Maybe you’re just curious about how your daily tech usage time breaks down. An Apple feature called Screen Time can help and let you set limits. However, you may also want to know how to bypass Screen Time. Keep reading to learn more about your options. 

How Does Screen Time Work?

Screen Time is an Apple feature first released as part of iOS 12. It gives up-to-date information about the apps used and websites visited and the time spent with them. You can also see a category-based breakdown of device usage. It’ll say how much time you spent using social apps versus those associated with productivity, for example. 

When Apple representatives introduced Screen Time, they presented it as a way to help people manage their device time and balance it with the many other things they consider important.  It could help you confirm that you spend more time on social media than you’d like, giving you the encouragement to cut back. The feature also makes it easier to notice trends related to using devices. 

If you struggle to set your iPhone or iPhone down when it’s time to sleep, Screen Time allows setting a timeframe in which certain apps or features on the device won’t work, eliminating potential distractions.

Turn Off Screen Time

Before getting into how to bypass Screen Time, let’s learn how to turn it off. That’s the best thing to do if you find Screen Time generally helpful but want to take a short break from it. 

Tap Settings and select Screen Time. Swipe down to the bottom of the Screen Time settings and tap Turn Off Screen Time. If you set up a password for Screen Time, you’ll need to enter it before the feature will become disabled. However, as you’ll see in later sections, there are ways to get around that.

How to Bypass Screen Time With Workarounds

Turning off Screen Time is the most straightforward way to bypass how it works. However, that might not be possible for you, meaning it’s time to get more creative. 

Change the Device’s Time Zone

Several Screen Time options work by restricting when people can use certain apps or even the entire device. However, you can get around those limits by changing the time zone on your device.

Many people have their Apple devices set to automatically adjust to time zone changes. That’s handy when traveling, and it doesn’t require people to remember Daylight Savings Time shifts. However, you can disable that functionality and manually choose the desired time zone. 

Tap Settings > General > Date & Time. Then, turn off the Set Automatically option. Then, select Time Zone. You can then enter a city that uses the same time zone you want. 

Log Out of iCloud

Your device may have a password that prevents anyone from turning off Screen Time or making significant settings changes without it. However, if you have iOS 13.4 or above, your iCloud account and Screen Time are linked. 

That means you can disable the Screen Time password protection by signing out of the associated iCloud account. However, make sure you have a recent data backup in iCloud before proceeding.  

Go to Settings > Apple ID. Then, scroll down to the bottom of the Apple ID settings and tap Sign Out. You’ll then need to enter the iCloud password and tap Turn Off. Once you’re signed out of iCloud, go to Settings > Screen Time. Finally, choose Turn Off Screen Time at the bottom of that settings screen. 

Use Screen Time Password Recovery

Another password-disabling option that lets you turn off Screen Time involves using the recovery feature. This possibility is like the previous one we looked at in that the device must have iOS 13.4 or later. It allows you to change the Screen Time password, making it a solution if you don’t know the current one. 

Go to Settings > Screen Time. Then tap the Change Screen Time Password option twice. Tap the Forgot Password? link at the bottom of the screen. Then, enter the Apple ID and password combination you had when setting up Screen Time on the device. You can then choose a new password and will need to enter it twice. 

Learning How to Bypass Screen Time in the Simplest Ways

These tips teach you how to bypass Screen Time in ways that are the least likely to significantly alter how you use the device. For example, one of the most extreme possibilities is to reset your Apple Device. Doing that deletes all Screen Time settings, but every other personalized aspect, too. Now, you know there’s no need to resort to that.