How to Set Screen Time Limits on macOS 13

Screen Time on macOS 13 Ventura is a built-in utility designed to give you insights into your device habits and help you manage digital wellness. This guide explains what the Screen Time feature does and provides straightforward, step-by-step instructions on how to track your device activity and enforce daily usage limits for specific applications and categories.

What Is Screen Time in macOS 13?

Screen Time is an integrated macOS feature that tracks how much time you and your family spend using applications, browsing websites, and interacting with your Mac. It generates real-time reports detailing your daily and weekly usage, categorizing time spent on productivity, entertainment, social networking, and other areas. Beyond reporting, Screen Time allows you to establish boundaries through app limits, scheduled downtime, and content restrictions.

How to View and Monitor Daily Usage

To check your daily screen activity in macOS 13:

  1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.
  2. Select System Settings.
  3. Click Screen Time in the left sidebar.
  4. Select App & Website Activity on the right and ensure it is turned on.
  5. Click View Activity to open your usage breakdown. Here, you can filter by day or week to monitor total screen time, most-used apps, and notifications.

How to Set Daily App Limits

App Limits allow you to assign daily time caps to entire categories of software or individual applications. Once the limit is reached, the app is blocked for the rest of the day unless manually overridden with a passcode.

  1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu ().
  2. Select Screen Time from the sidebar.
  3. Scroll down and click App Limits.
  4. Toggle the switch to turn App Limits on.
  5. Click the Add Limit button.
  6. Check the boxes next to the categories (such as Social or Games) or expand a category to select specific applications or websites.
  7. Under the Time section:
    • Select Every Day to apply a uniform time limit (e.g., 1 hour per day).
    • Select Custom to specify different time allowances for specific days of the week.
  8. Click Done to activate the limit.

Additional Controls for Managing Time

  • Downtime: Schedule specific hours—such as bedtime or study hours—where only essential apps and phone calls are permitted.
  • Always Allowed: Specify essential tools (like Messages, Maps, or work-related applications) that remain accessible even during Downtime or after App Limits expire.
  • Use Screen Time Passcode: Enable a dedicated PIN to prevent settings from being changed or limits from being bypassed without authorization.