Screen Time Is Broken

Apple's Screen Time feature was added in macOS Mojave and iOS 12. On paper, it lets you set time limits for apps and websites, restrict content, and see how much time you spend. In practice, it has serious problems if you're trying to use it for self-control.

Why Screen Time doesn't work for self-control

1. You can bypass it with your own password

When you hit a time limit, Screen Time shows a prompt with an "Ignore Limit" button. You type your password and you're through. The whole point of setting a limit is that you won't stick to it voluntarily. Screen Time gives you an escape hatch at the exact moment you're weakest.

2. Website blocking only works in Safari

Screen Time's website restrictions only apply to Safari. Open Chrome, Arc, Brave, or any other browser, and the blocked sites load normally. If you use Chrome for work (and most people do), Screen Time doesn't block anything.

3. iCloud Private Relay bypasses everything

If you have iCloud+, Safari's Private Relay encrypts your traffic in a way that bypasses content restrictions. It's an accidental workaround that Apple hasn't addressed.

4. App limits are just suggestions

App time limits can be dismissed with a single tap. There's no lock mode, no way to make them mandatory. For kids, parents can set a different passcode. For adults managing themselves, there's no equivalent.

What actually works instead

Effective self-blocking needs three things Screen Time doesn't have:

1. OS-level blocking that works in every browser, not just Safari
2. Lock mode where you physically cannot stop the block until time is up
3. Bypass protection against things like Private Relay and incognito mode

Sloth does all three. It blocks at the DNS, firewall, and browser level simultaneously. When you lock a session, the blocking daemon refuses to stop. It automatically blocks iCloud Private Relay when active. And because it modifies your hosts file and firewall rules, every browser is blocked.

Screen Time tells you how much time you spent. Sloth prevents you from spending it.

Screen Time is still useful for one thing

Screen Time is great for tracking how much time you spend. Sloth also tracks screen time with per-app and per-site breakdowns, 7-day history, and daily stats. But for the actual blocking, you need something that runs deeper than a settings toggle.

The bottom line

Screen Time was built for parents. If you're trying to control your own habits, you need a tool designed for self-control. That means a tool you can't override when the urge hits. $29 for Sloth saves you from paying the real cost: 1,095 hours per year lost to distraction.