How to Restrict App Usage on Mac

You might want to limit how long your child can Restrict App Usage on Mac. With Screen Time, it’s pretty easy and straightforward to set up restrictions like this for apps. Apple’s Screen Time feature is built into macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. It lets users keep track of how they use their devices and adds features like restrictions and parental control. One of these tools is the ability to set time limits for app use.

This could be very helpful if your child spends too much time playing games, watching Netflix, chatting on Facebook, or doing anything else you want to limit. You get to decide how long a certain app can be used each day. Before you follow the steps below, make sure your Mac is running macOS Catalina, Big Sur, or later, since Screen Time isn’t available on Mojave and older versions. If you haven’t changed the settings, the feature is turned on by default on macOS.

How to Restrict App Usage on Mac

Setting Time Limits for Apps

• If you aren’t using Family Sharing: Log in to a family member’s Mac user account.
• Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Screen Time.
• If you’re a member of a Family Sharing group, click the pop-up menu in the sidebar, then choose a family member.
• Click App Limits in the sidebar.
• If App Limits is off, click Turn On in the upper-right corner. If the Turn On button is dimmed, you need to turn on Screen Time.

In the “Create a new app limit” window, select the checkbox next to each of the apps, categories, or websites that you want to include in the limit.

• Search for an app, category, or website: Type a name in the search field. The list updates as you type.
• See the apps in a category: Click the arrow next to the category.
• Limit all apps in a category: Select the checkbox next to the category in the list.
• Limit all apps and categories: Select the checkbox next to the category All Apps & Categories in the list.
• Limit an individual app: Select the checkbox next to the app in the list.
• Limit a website: Click the arrow next to the category Websites at the bottom of the list. If the website has been visited, it appears in the list below the Website category, and you can select the checkbox next to it. If the website isn’t in the list, click the Add Website button below the website list, then type the URL for the website.

How to Change an App Limit

• Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Screen Time.
• If you’re a member of a Family Sharing group, click the pop-up menu in the sidebar, then choose a family member.
• Click App Limits in the sidebar.
• In the list, select the limit you want to change, then click Edit Limit.

Turn Off App Limits

• If you’re using Family Sharing: Log in to your Mac user account, then make sure you’re signed in with your Apple ID.
• If you aren’t using Family Sharing: Log in to a family member’s Mac user account.

Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Screen Time.

• If you’re using Family Sharing, click the pop-up menu in the sidebar, then choose a family member.
• Click App Limits in the sidebar, then click Turn Off in the upper-right corner.

FAQs