Updated November 2026 · Checked against Apple's Screen Time documentation

Stop ignoring the limit.Start borrowing it.

For anyone who taps "Ignore Limit" at 11 pm and means it less each time. Three ways to hold a screen-time line, side by side.

Time Debt · Free on iPhone

Swipe the table sideways for the Time Debt column →

Three questions to ask before choosing a screen-time limit

Question	Built-in Screen Time	Other app blockers	Time Debt
What happens at the limit?	App Limits apply to the apps and categories you select. Available overrides depend on your settings.	Check how the blocker handles an active session.	A shield appears. Stop for today or open Time Debt to preview a loan.
What happens tomorrow?	Your schedule sets the next allowance.	Look for an explicit repayment rule if you want one.	Borrowed minutes reduce tomorrow’s allowance, subject to your minimum. Ending early returns unused minutes.
How do I regain access?	Check passcode and family settings on the device.	Check the override rules before starting a session.	Emergency Access removes Time Debt shields until tomorrow and is included in the core plan.
What is included?	Screen Time is included with iOS.	Check the specific app’s listing, price and privacy details.	The free core includes one plan, blocking, borrowing, repayment and seven days of history. Additional plans, custom schedules and longer history require Pro.

Screen Time behaviour from Apple's support guide, Use Screen Time on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. "Hard app blocker" describes a category, not any named app.

iPhone Screen Time vs an app blocker, in one paragraph

Start with App Limits in Settings if you want a scheduled limit. If you want an extra ten minutes today to reduce tomorrow’s allowance, Time Debt previews both days before you confirm. If you want a fixed session with different override rules, check the rules of the specific blocker you are considering.

Honest limits

• Time Debt sits on top of Apple's Screen Time system and needs that permission; on your own iPhone you can withdraw it in Settings at any time. It is a voluntary commitment tool, not treatment, and the listing says so.
• Emergency access removes every shield until tomorrow at no cost. That is a feature, and it is also the escape hatch; if you use it nightly, no method will hold and the honest next step is a different bedtime, not a different app.
• It does not change Screen Time limits set in iOS Settings or by a Family Sharing organizer, and there is no remote monitoring; family approvals happen on the same device.
• The core plan is free; Pro is a subscription. Price, trial eligibility and renewal terms are shown before purchase.

Who should pick something else

• You have never set an App Limit: set one in Settings first. Two weeks of built-in Screen Time will tell you whether you are an Ignore-Limit person.
• You want a wall with no door: Time Debt always leaves a door (borrow, or emergency access). Check a blocker’s override and emergency-access rules before enabling a session.
• You want to manage a child's phone from your own: Time Debt's family tools work on a shared or handed-over iPhone, with approvals on that device, not remotely. Apple's Family Sharing Screen Time is built for remote management.

How borrowing works, in three steps

1. Set a plan. Choose distracting apps, categories and websites with Apple's private picker and a realistic daily allowance; weekday and weekend limits can differ.
2. Borrow with the full picture. When the allowance runs out, a shield covers the apps. Pick 5, 10, 15 or a custom amount within your cap. Today, tomorrow's normal allowance and tomorrow's adjusted allowance sit side by side. Nothing happens until you confirm.
3. Repay tomorrow, once. Borrowed minutes come off tomorrow automatically, never twice, no interest. Tomorrow never drops below the floor you chose, and ending a borrowed session early returns the unused minutes.

An example evening, three ways

Try the arithmetic

What it looks like

See the cost before you confirm

Real blocking on Apple's Screen Time system, borrowing with the full picture, repayment that happens once.

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More from this site

• How to stop ignoring your screen time limit (6 steps)How to stop ignoring your screen time limit: replace "Ignore Limit for Today" with a 10-minute loan you repay tomorrow. Six steps with real screens.
• Screen Time Borrowing Calculator: See Tomorrow’s TradeoffPreview a simple screen-time borrowing tradeoff. Set an allowance, minimum floor and borrowing cap; see extra time today and what remains tomorrow.
• Screen time as a share of your waking dayCalculate your phone use as a percentage of waking hours and compare a smaller daily target. Free, private-by-default planning calculator.
• Screen-Time Number Detective27 worked scenarios about durations, percentages, overlapping sessions and careful interpretation of screen-use records.