Top 5 Ways to Fix Screen Time Not Working Issue [Solved]

January 11, 2021Nicole Jones

Screen Time offers a simple way to monitor app usages, control iOS device and set limits. However, many users complain that the Screen Time not working on their devices, especially for the iOS 12 version. What's more, some say that Family Sharing Screen Time not working when they want to monitor or restrict child's access to apps.

Are you facing the same situation that Screen Time not working?

In fact, many reasons will cause the Screen Time not working problem on your iPhone, iPad or iPod. Here in this post, we will share 5 effective way to help you fix the issue with ease.

Reset Screen Time Passcode

Part 1. Restart iOS Device to Fix Screen Time Not Working

Restarting is always a good way to deal with all kinds of problems on your smart devices. When the Screen Time does not working properly on your iOS device like iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you can first try restarting it to fix the issue.

Step 1 Turn on your iOS device, here we taking iPhone as an example, and then press and hold Power button.

Step 2 When you see the Slide to power off appears on your iPhone screen, loose your finger and then swipe the red power button from left to the right to shut down your iPhone. Here you can also tap General > Shut Down in Settings app to arise the power off interface.

Step 3 Wait for a few seconds. Then keep pressing the Power button to restart iPhone. After that, you can go to Screen Time and check if it can work as usual again.

Part 2. Update iOS to Fix Screen Time Not Working Issue

Updating iOS is another easy and effective solution to fix various issues including the Screen Time not working. New iOS will always fix many bugs in the old version. So you can update iOS version if there is an available one.

Step 1 Unlock your iPhone and go to the Settings app.

Step 2 Tap General > Software Update to check if there is one available iOS updating. You can simply tap Install Now to update iOS to its latest version.

Update iOS

Part 3. Reset All Settings to Fix Family Sharing Screen Time Not Working

In some cases, the Family Sharing Screen Time not working issue is caused by the bad network connection or wrong settings. So, you can choose to reset all settings on your iPhone to solve the problem.

Step 1Unlock iPhone and go to the Settings app.

Step 2Tap General and scroll down to locate the Reset section. Tap on it to enter the Reset interface. Here you can choose the Reset All Settings option to bring your iOS device back to a default common condition. After that, you can re-connect your network connection and check if the Screen Time can work normally.

Reset All Settings on iPhone

Part 4. Set Time & Data Automatically to Fix Screen Time Not Working

When the Screen Time or Family Sharing Screen Time does not working on your iPhone, iPad or iPod, you can also try setting the Time & Data Automatically to fix the issue.

Step 1 Unlock your iPhone and go to the Settings app.

Step 2 Tap General > Date & Time and then turn on the Set Automatically feature.

Set Time Data Automatical

After these operations, you'd better restart your iOS device and then back to Screen Time to see if the problem is solved.

Part 5. How to Fix Screen Time Not Working When You Forgot The Passcode

If the Screen Time not working normally because you can't remember the Screen Time passcode, you can choose to remove the password to bring it back to normal condition. Here we strongly recommend an easy-to-use Screen Time passcode removing tool, iPhone Unlocker for you to erase the passcode and turn off the feature.

iPhone Unlocker

Downloads

iPhone Unlocker - Remove Screen Time Passcode

  • Remove any passcode (4/6-digit, Face/Touch ID) including Screen Time passcode on iPhone, iPad and iPod.
  • Recover or unlock restrictions password when you forget the preview Screen Time passcode.
  • Safely recover or turn off Screen Time passcode without any iOS data loss.
  • Support multiple iOS devices like iPhone/iPad/iPod and iOS versions like iOS 18/17/16/15/14/13.
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Step 1 Free download, install and open this Screen Time passcode removing software on your computer. Choose the Screen Time feature at the home window.

Step 2 Click the Start button and then connect your iOS device to it with a lightning USB cable. After connecting, you can see some device information like model, type and iOS version display there. Click on the Start button again.

unlock-screen-time-passcode

Step 3 If your device is running on iOS 12 or later, and Find My iPhone/iPad is disabled, this program will immediately starts unlocking the Screen Time passcode on you device.

If your device is running on iOS 11 or earlier and your iTunes backup is not decrypted, you are able to retrieve Restrictions passcode directly. But if your iTunes backup has been encrypted, you need to enter the password to decrypt the backup to continue. After waiting for a while, the Screen Time passcode will be removed.

Recover Restrictions Passcode

When the Screen Time passcode is removed successfully, you can go back to the main interface of Screen Time without any password. Now you can choose to adjust various settings or create a new passcode for it.

Part 6. FAQs of Screen Time Not Working

Why has Screen Time stopped working?

As it mentioned above, many reasons will lead to the Screen Time not working issue. You can use the recommended methods to solve the problem. But if the Screen Time just work well on your device but can not monitor your child's device, it may stop working because your child has removed these limits.

Why is Screen Time not working on Family Sharing?

If the Screen Time with Family Sharing isn't working as normal, you can turn off the Screen Time feature and re-turn on it again. Also, you can custom various settings and limits on it. At last, you should ensure that your child's device has Screen Time installed and it is running.

How do I ignore my Screen Time limit?

There is an "Ignore Limit" button designed at the bottom of the screen. When you want to ignore your Screen Time limit, you can tap it. Then you will get next 15 minutes or the entire day without any restrictions. When you choose "Ask For More Time", you can ignore the limit if your parent approve it.

We have mainly talked about the Screen Time not working issue in this post. 5 effective solutions are provided for you to fix it. You can try them one by one until you get rid of this issue. Leave us a message if you still have any questions.

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Screen Time Tips

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iPhone Unlocker box

To fix iPhone screen locked, wiping password function can help you a lot. And you also can clear Apple ID or Screen Time password easily.

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