Screen Time Widget on iPhone: Set It Up and Fix Wrong Totals

The Screen Time widget shows how much you use your devices, right on the Home Screen, but it only has data after you turn on Screen Time. Turn it on in Settings, then add the widget from the widget gallery. If the numbers look too high, your iPhone is probably combining usage from your iPad and Mac.

Turn on Screen Time first

1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
2. Tap Manage Screen Time, then Turn On App & Website Activity.

This is the path in Apple’s Screen Time guide for iOS 27 ↗, which also notes that you can add a Screen Time widget to the Home Screen to check your device use. If Screen Time is off, the widget has nothing to show.

Add the widget

1. Touch and hold the Home Screen background until the apps jiggle.
2. Tap Edit, then Add Widget.
3. Search for Screen Time, swipe through the sizes and tap Add Widget.
4. Move it into place and tap Done.

The steps follow Apple’s widget guide ↗. A small widget fits a quick total, while a wider one leaves room for more detail. Apple’s guide only mentions the Home Screen for this widget, so if Screen Time is not in the Lock Screen’s Add Widgets list, it is not offered there.

Why it shows usage from all your devices

On iOS 27, Share Across Devices syncs Screen Time settings and reports across the iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in to the same Apple Account, and lets you see combined activity. That is why the widget can show more time than you spent on your phone. To change it, go to Settings → Screen Time → Manage Screen Time and switch Share Across Devices off or on.

Keep in mind that turning it off also stops limits and schedules from syncing, since each device then keeps its own Screen Time settings. Apple’s guide ↗ explains both points and notes that Share Across Devices needs version 27 or later on all your Apple devices.

When the numbers look stuck

• Open the full report. Go to Settings → Screen Time and tap Daily Average, then Day or Week. If the report is right, the widget is only waiting for its next refresh.
• Allow some time. iOS decides when widgets reload, as Apple’s developer guide ↗ explains, so the widget can lag behind the report.
• Turn off Low Power Mode. It reduces background activity, according to Apple’s Low Power Mode page ↗, which can delay updates.
• Remove the widget and add it again if it stays blank.

If other widgets are stuck too, our widget not updating checklist covers the common causes. To keep a calmer Home Screen during work hours, see how to set up a different Home Screen for each Focus.