An Apple Screen Time alternative for the 1am you.
Screen Time is brilliant at showing you the problem. SETL is built to stop it at bedtime.
What Apple Screen Time does well
Apple Screen Time is free and already on your iPhone. It shows how you use your phone and lets you set limits.
In iOS 27, a Screen Time Schedule sets when apps are available and Time Allowances set how long you can use them.1 In iOS 26, the equivalent features were Downtime and App Limits.2
If Screen Time is working for you, keep using it. Honestly.
New to it? Here is how to use Downtime on iPhone.
Why Apple Screen Time limits get ignored
Screen Time was built with families in mind. A parent sets the passcode, and the child lives with the limits.
When you set limits for yourself, you are both the parent and the child. You know the passcode. And at midnight, you are the one asking for more time.
Apple's iOS 26 guide says that when Block at Downtime is off, downtime only shows you a reminder.3
That is not a flaw in you. It is a mismatch between the tool and the moment. Read why Screen Time limits stop working.
Apple Screen Time vs SETL
| Apple Screen Time | SETL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, built in | $39.99 a year, 7 nights free |
| Bedtime blocking | Screen Time Schedule (Downtime in iOS 26) | SETL Sleep, automatic every night |
| Daytime focus | Time Allowances (App Limits in iOS 26) | SETL Sessions: pick apps and how long |
| Nights off | Edit your schedule | Planned weeks ahead with SETL Plans |
| Night at a glance | Not a feature | Sleep Reserve Lock Screen widget |
| Reports | Detailed usage reports | Focused on blocking, not reports |
| Built for | Families and personal limits | Adults who scroll at night |
Apple Screen Time features from Apple Support, checked September 2026. SETL prices are launch prices.
Use them together
SETL is built on Apple's Screen Time framework, so they work side by side.
Screen Time reports
See where your hours go, for free.
What SETL gave back in beta
The average tester's screen time, cut every single day.
Less screen time a day. About 3 hours by day and 1 hour at night.
Handed back every week.
Every month. That is more than 5 full days.
Across a lifetime of daily use.
Average daily reduction in screen time reported by SETL beta testers in 2026, against usual screen time of 5 to 7 hours a day. Week and month figures multiply that average out. The lifetime figure assumes daily use from age 15 to 87. Individual results vary.
Apple Screen Time guides
Screen Time limits not working? Why they are easy to ignore, and how to make them stick
Screen Time limits not working? By default Apple lets you skip them.
Screen TimeHow to use Downtime on iPhone for sleep, including the iOS 27 changes
How to set up Downtime on iPhone step by step, what it does and does not block at night, where it went in iOS 27, and how it compares with Sleep Focus.
Screen TimeHow to reduce screen time on iPhone: 8 practical methods
Eight practical ways to reduce screen time on iPhone, from your Screen Time report and app limits to grayscale, Focus and app blockers, with sources.
Apple Screen Time FAQs
Is Apple Screen Time enough to stop scrolling at night?
For some people, yes. If you set your own passcode and keep ignoring your limits at bedtime, an app blocker built for night, like SETL, can help.
Why are my Screen Time limits not working?
Often because you set them for yourself and know the passcode, so the limit is a request, not a rule. Read the fixes.
What is the best alternative to Apple Screen Time?
It depends on your problem. For daytime focus across devices, apps like Opal suit many people. For bedtime scrolling on iPhone, SETL is built for exactly that.
Does SETL replace Apple Screen Time?
No. SETL is built on Apple's Screen Time framework and asks for Screen Time permission. You can keep Screen Time for reports and use SETL to block apps.
Is Apple Screen Time free?
Yes. Screen Time is built into iPhone at no cost. SETL costs $39.99 a year, $5.99 a month or $2.99 a week, with up to 7 nights free.
How much screen time does SETL save?
In SETL's 2026 beta, testers reported an average of 4 hours 3 minutes less screen time a day: about 3 hours in the day and 1 hour at night.
Your phone can go to sleep first.
Join the SETL waitlist. Get up to 7 nights free when we launch.