Meet the Screen Time API

Screen Time allows: monitor time, set limits, share usage with family, limit communication

API available on iOS & iPadOS (not on Mac this year)

Guiding Principles of API:

• Provide modern API for existing restrictions

• Protect user privacy (e.g. no way to access websites / apps for Apple / 3rd parties)

• Enable new parental control experiences by 3rd parties

Manage Settings (Restrictions): Direct access to same restrictions available in Screen Time

• locking accounts, prevent password change, filter web traffic, shield apps and websites

Family Controls (Authorization): Drives family policy

Device Activity (Usage): Giving abilities to run code without launching app

Manage settings restrictions:

Family Controls prevents removal & circumvention, privacy preserving tokens for apps & websites

Device activity “schedules”: time windows that call an extension in your app at start & end

Events: usage monitors that call extension when usage threshold is passed by user

Terminology: “Guardian” and “Child”, see “Homework” demo app code

New “Family Controls” capability to be added in Xcode

AuthorizationCenter.shared.requestAuthorization to ask for permission

Guardian will need to authenticate on the child’s phone, only works on child phones

Once user authorized, no sign out of iCloud possible by child

Subclass of DeviceActivityMonitor with overriding intervalDidStart and DidEnd

Schedule via DeviceActivitySchedule(intervalStart:intervalEnd:repeats:)

DeviceActivityCenter().startMonitoring(.daily, during: schedule) to monitor

Use Button.familyActivityPicker to show app picker (provided by system)

A lot of more restrictions available, such as media rating

Use DeviceActivityEvent API on the center to react on app time limit events

Shields (screen that shows restriction reached) can be customized by:

• Material, Title, Icon, Body, Button 1 & Button 2

Subclass ShieldConfigurationProvider and override configuration(for:)

Returns an object that has exactly all the above mentioned customization possibilities

Use ShieldActionHandler for the primary & secondary buttons to decide what to do

• .close or .defer, use defer e.g. when waiting for Guardian action to disable