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How to Set Time Limits on iPad

By Slava Nikitin · Updated May 17, 2026

The 30-second answer

To set time limits on iPad apps, open Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit, pick a category (like Games or Social) or specific apps, choose a daily time allowance, and tap Add. The limit applies across all your iCloud-linked devices automatically. Apple calls this feature App Limits; it's separate from Downtime and Content Restrictions.

Step 1 — Open Screen Time

  1. Open the Settings app on the iPad.
  2. Scroll down and tap Screen Time.
  3. If Screen Time isn't already on, tap Turn On Screen Time and follow the prompts. (See our full setup guide →.)

Step 2 — Add an App Limit

  1. Inside Screen Time, tap App Limits.
  2. Tap Add Limit.
  3. Pick a category (e.g., Games, Social, Entertainment) or tap a category to drill into specific apps.
  4. Tap Next.

Step 3 — Set the daily allowance

  1. Use the time picker to set hours and minutes (e.g., 1 hour).
  2. Tap Customize Days if you want different limits on weekdays vs. weekends.
  3. Toggle Block at End of Limit on for a hard block. Leave off if you want a warning that lets your child request more time.
  4. Tap Add.

The limit applies daily. The timer resets at midnight local time.

Step 4 — Manage existing limits

To see, edit, or remove a limit:

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits.
  2. Tap the existing limit you want to change.
  3. Edit the time, customize days, toggle Block at End of Limit, or tap Delete Limit at the bottom.

How to set different limits for different apps

Apple groups apps into categories, but you can also limit a single app.

  1. Tap Add Limit.
  2. Instead of selecting a whole category, tap the category arrow to expand it.
  3. Choose individual apps.
  4. Set the allowance and tap Add.

You can also create multiple limits — for example, 1 hour total for Games plus a separate 30-minute cap on a specific game.

What happens when the time limit is reached

Five minutes before the limit, the iPad shows a warning. At the limit, the app is grayed out and labeled Time Limit. Your child sees one of two options:

If you set the Screen Time passcode, the Ignore Limit option requires the passcode. The Ask for More Time option is the one most parents find themselves approving repeatedly through the day.

The "Ask for More Time" pattern — why it gets exhausting

The default Apple flow assumes you'll be the on-demand approver. Your kid plays for an hour, hits the limit, taps Ask for More Time, your phone buzzes, you make a decision, you approve, your kid plays for another 15 minutes, hits the new limit, taps Ask for More Time again. Repeat.

Most parents stop tracking after a week and just auto-approve everything. The limit becomes theater. The kid learns that limits are the start of a negotiation, not a budget to manage.

An alternative — give the budget to your kid

The other shape of this problem is to pre-approve a daily ceiling — the same number you would have approved across all those individual requests — and let your kid manage when and how to spend it. Instead of approving 15-minute extensions, you set a 90-minute daily total once. Your kid sees their balance, decides when to spend it, and the iPad locks when it hits zero.

PapaTime does this on top of Apple's same FamilyControls APIs, so the block holds. The difference: no notifications to you, no approval requests, no negotiation.

See how the budget model works →

FAQ

Does App Limits sync across devices? Yes — if Screen Time syncing is on under your Apple ID, App Limits apply on every device signed in to that ID.

Can my child bypass App Limits without the passcode? Without the Screen Time passcode, Ignore Limit is available. With the passcode set, they need either the passcode or your approval.

Can I limit web browsing time? Yes — limit Safari and any other browser apps individually, or use Content Restrictions to limit web content first.

What's the smallest time limit I can set? One minute.

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