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‘Efforts are currently underway to enhance the situation through active development of updates’
Apple has recently announced that it will be addressing a bug in iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch devices that could potentially impact Screen Time restrictions for children, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. This bug specifically affects the Downtime feature, which enables parents to remotely establish designated hours when their children are unable to use their devices.
A spokesperson from Apple informed the WSJ, stating, “We have become aware that some users may be encountering an issue where Screen Time settings are being unexpectedly reset. We take these reports very seriously, and we have been and will continue to make updates to enhance the situation.”
Some parents who have used this feature have observed that the scheduled usage times on their children’s devices have either gone back to previous settings or have disappeared entirely, thereby giving their children unrestricted access. One user even changed their passcode to make it more secure, but still had to reset the feature “two or three times a week.” It’s important to note that children may not always report this issue right away. A significant number of people on an Apple discussion page, approximately 2,300, have reported encountering the same glitch.
Even though Apple said they fixed the problem with the release of iOS 16.5 in May, WSJ journalists found the bug still existed in later versions, including the iOS 17 beta.
In 2018, Apple introduced Screen Time at their developer’s conference. This feature enables parents to remotely monitor their child’s Activity Report and manage their app usage time. It also allows them to set specific time limits for each app, which their children cannot exceed. Additionally, parents can establish a Downtime period during which only selected software and phone calls are accessible. Unfortunately, Apple has not yet announced when they will fix a bug related to this feature.