Screen time not updating on your child’s iPhone

Your phone shows the same number all afternoon, or no activity at all. Here’s why it happens and what to try, in order.

A guide for parents · Updated October 19, 2026

Is it Apple’s Screen Time or SteadyBounds?

Check Apple first. On your iPhone, open Settings > Screen Time and tap your child’s name. If Apple shows no recent activity there either, Apple hasn’t sent it yet. Apps that use Screen Time, including SteadyBounds, can only show what Apple sends.

If Apple says your child’s activity hasn’t been sent in days, it may be showing an old device. Tap See All App & Website Activity, tap Devices at the top, and choose the iPhone or iPad your child uses now.

On the newest versions of iOS, Apple’s steps for a child start in Settings > Family: tap your child’s name, then tap Screen Time. See Apple’s guide, Use Screen Time to manage your child’s iPhone or iPad.

Fix Apple’s Screen Time report, step by step

Try these in order. Each one is safe and keeps your child’s limits in place.

Turn on Share Across Devices. Do it on your child’s device, not on yours: open Settings > Screen Time and turn on Share Across Devices. When it’s off, your child’s activity can stay on their device and never reach your phone. If it’s already on, leave it on.
Update every iPhone and iPad in your family, including yours. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple asks families to update every device in the Family Sharing group to get its newest parental controls. See Set up parental controls to manage your child’s iPhone or iPad.
Finish any message in Settings. On your child’s device, open Settings. If there’s a message at the top asking you to agree to new terms or to sign in to their Apple Account, tap it and finish.
Restart your child’s device. Turn it off, wait 30 seconds, then turn it back on.
Give it time. Check again in a few hours. Apple can take a while.

Your child needs their own Apple Account in your Family Sharing group. Apple explains this in its Screen Time guide. An empty report doesn’t mean your child used nothing.

If SteadyBounds time left isn’t going down

SteadyBounds is a parental control app for iPhone and iPad where kids earn extra screen time through learning lessons and chores their parents approve. Your phone shows the latest time your child’s device sent. It isn’t a live stopwatch.

Time left isn’t going down while your child uses apps

Tap the small refresh arrow next to “Reported” on your child’s card. You can do this once every 10 minutes for each child.
No change after a few minutes? Open SteadyBounds on your child’s device for a moment while it’s on Wi-Fi or cellular data. Your phone catches up soon after.
If your child’s device is off, out of battery or offline, your phone can’t get new numbers until it’s back online. The limits on the device keep working in the meantime.

Your phone says “Time not yet reported”

Each day starts fresh. Early in the morning, or before your child has used the device, there’s nothing to show yet. Wait until your child has used their device for a little while, or tap the refresh arrow.

Your child has an iPhone and an iPad

Your child gets one daily allowance shared by all of their devices. After your child switches devices, it can take up to about half an hour for the numbers to catch up. Opening SteadyBounds on each device while it’s online helps.

More answers are on our Troubleshooting page.

Fixes to avoid

Many tips online say to turn things off and on again. Some of those tips take away your child’s limits, or the Screen Time permission apps like SteadyBounds use. Then you’d need to set things up again. Please don’t:

Turn Screen Time off and on for your child.
Turn App & Website Activity off and on.
Turn Share Across Devices off, even to turn it back on.
Sign your child’s device out of their Apple Account.
Remove your child from Family Sharing, even to add them back.
With SteadyBounds: reset today’s time, or disconnect and reconnect a device that is working, just to fix the number.

Still stuck? Email hello@steadybounds.com. We’ll look for a fix that keeps your child’s limits in place.

Questions parents ask

Why is my child's screen time not updating on my iPhone?

Apple decides when your child's iPhone or iPad sends its screen time to your phone, and sometimes it waits. The device may also be offline, behind on updates, or have Share Across Devices turned off. Your child's limits keep working on their device in the meantime.

Should I turn Screen Time off and on to fix it?

No. Turning Screen Time off and on, or turning off Share Across Devices, can remove your child's limits and the Screen Time permission apps use. Try the safe steps first: turn on Share Across Devices, update every device, restart, and wait a few hours.

Does SteadyBounds still lock apps if the time on my phone is behind?

Yes. SteadyBounds is a parental control app for iPhone and iPad where kids earn extra screen time through learning lessons and chores their parents approve. Your child's device keeps count and keeps their limits working, even when the number on your phone is behind.

More for parents

This guide is general information for families, not medical advice. If you have questions about your child’s health or habits, talk with your child’s doctor.