How to use Screen Time for yourself and make it harder to turn off (iPhone, iOS 27)
Screen Time you set up for yourself is only as strong as a passcode you chose. If what you want to stop is Reels and Shorts, minulo hides just those and keeps your DMs (hiding is free).
With a child's Screen Time, a parent sets it up through Family Sharing and keeps the passcode. With your own, you set it up and you choose the passcode, so you can always take it off again. iPhone settings alone can't stop you from undoing your own Screen Time. Below are Apple's steps for setting it up for yourself, then the ways to make it harder to undo and where they stop working.
This page is written by Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo. One of the options compared here is my own app, so keep that in mind. The iPhone steps come from Apple's iPhone User Guide (iOS 27 and iOS 26), checked on 2026-11-02. Menu names differ between iOS versions.
| For yourself | For a child | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it's set up | Screen Time on your own iPhone | On the parent's iPhone, by choosing a Family Sharing member |
| Who knows the passcode | You | The parent |
| Can the user undo it? | Yes, by entering the passcode | Not without knowing the passcode |
Set up Screen Time for yourself (iOS 27)
- Open the Settings app and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Manage Screen Time, then tap Turn On App & Website Activity.
- Tap Time Allowances and set how long you can use a category such as Social Media each day.
- Tap Screen Time Schedule, turn on Schedule, then add days and time windows.
- Tap Passcode & Management, then Lock Screen Time Settings, and enter a four-digit passcode twice.
Apple's guide says that once you create the passcode, it must be entered before you can change the Screen Time settings you chose for yourself. On iOS 26, scroll down on the Screen Time screen and tap Lock Screen Time Settings. In the iOS 26 guide, the feature that blocks apps during certain hours is called Downtime, and the one that sets daily time is called App Limits.
Ways to make it harder to undo, and their limits
- Don't choose the passcode yourself. If a family member or friend enters it, you can't take the settings off on your own. Apple's guide notes, though, that if Screen Time Passcode Recovery is set up, the passcode can be reset with an Apple Account if it's forgotten.
- On iOS 26, turn on Block at Downtime. According to Apple, with a Screen Time passcode set and this turned on, restricted apps can't be opened during downtime. With it off, you only see a reminder and can keep using the apps.
- Limits can be ignored by default. The iOS 26 guide says Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached. More on the Ignore Limit button here.
Anyone who knows the passcode can still undo all of these. For your own Screen Time, it's realistic to think of it as adding a step before you can switch it off. For each way your own limits get bypassed and how to close it, see how to stop getting around your own Screen Time limits.
If you only want to stop Reels and Shorts
Screen Time blocks whole apps, so blocking Instagram also blocks your DMs. If it's only Reels or Shorts you want gone, open the apps inside minulo and hide just those.
- Install minulo from the App Store.
- Open Instagram, YouTube or TikTok inside minulo and sign in on each service's own login screen. minulo never receives your password.
- Tap the gear next to the network and turn on what you want gone, such as Reels and Explore on Instagram or Shorts on YouTube. Hiding is free.
- In the Block tab, choose the official Instagram, YouTube or TikTok apps and start a block. Tapping their icon then shows a block screen with an Open in minulo button. A free block lasts up to 2 hours.
If you want blocks on the official apps that you can't lift right away, Hard Mode makes leaving take a few minutes on purpose (copy a sentence, answer some mental arithmetic, wait 60 seconds). It is part of minulo Pro (US $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year).
minulo has weak spots too. Reels and Shorts are hidden only inside minulo; the official apps don't change. While minulo blocks an official app, that app's notifications don't arrive, and minulo doesn't send them for it. Posting stories, voice messages and calls aren't available. minulo is an iPhone app, and there is also a Mac app that works with Safari and Chrome. There is no Android version yet. It is new and has few ratings so far. See what minulo can't do.
Can I turn off Screen Time I set for myself?
Yes. If you chose the passcode, you can enter it and change or turn off the settings. To make it harder, ask a family member or friend to enter the passcode for you.
What is the difference between Screen Time for yourself and for a child?
You set up your own Screen Time on your own iPhone and choose the passcode yourself. A child's Screen Time is set up by a parent through Family Sharing, and the parent keeps the passcode.
What if I forget my Screen Time passcode?
According to Apple, if you set up Screen Time Passcode Recovery, you can use your Apple Account to reset the passcode. See Forgot your Screen Time passcode? for details.
Where did Downtime go in iOS 27?
In the iOS 27 User Guide, the setting that blocks apps during certain hours is called Screen Time Schedule, and the daily time setting is called Time Allowances. In the iOS 26 guide they are Downtime and App Limits.
Can I stop Reels but keep Instagram DMs?
Not with Screen Time. If you open Instagram inside minulo, Reels and Explore are hidden and DMs keep working (hiding is free).
Sources
- Apple: Set up Screen Time for yourself on iPhone (iOS 27)
- Apple: Create, change, or remove a Screen Time passcode on iPhone (iOS 27)
- Apple: Create, manage, and keep track of a Screen Time passcode on iPhone (iOS 26)
- Apple: Set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances in Screen Time on iPhone (iOS 27)
- Apple: Set schedules with Screen Time on iPhone (iOS 26)
- minulo: What minulo can't do