General Forced to enable Screen Time for Restrictions

[madmin]

I'm thinking of contacting Apple about this and thought I'd run it past this forum first in case I am mistaken and also to see if any one else feels the same way:

I like to keep control of my iPhone apps. I use restrictions to block stuff I never use, similar to how I don't enable wi-fi and only give permission for cellular access to apps I want communicating. This is how we can easily customise to taste our personal mobile environments on iOS. Not much but it does help, trust and privacy wise especially.

Of course, every time I upgrade iOS (via iTunes) bluetooth and wi-fi come on against my wishes but at least my other settings have been sticking during upgrades lately. However with iOS 12, some things have moved around and we now have Screen Time. I'm all for the idea for certain use cases but it's not for me. I don't want my phone recording this level of usage information and making it easily available, even for myself. I doubt I'm the only person with this opinion, but who knows ?

Anyway, so I switched Screen Time off. Not only did that disable all my restrictions, but they were reset to default when I reluctantly turned it back on moments later. So I had to spend extra 'Screen Time' customising my settings back to how they were. That's certainly not good ux, perhaps I should consider it a punishment ?

If I want to continue using restrictions to disable stuff, like Siri for example, am I forced to have Screen Time data collection enabled ? If so, that sucks, no two ways about it.

And while I'm here, for how much longer will we have to configure a wifi connection just to upgrade apps over the 150MB limit ? In some countries, we're lucky enough to have generous data contracts, so being forced into unnecessary wi-fi connections is also bad ux.

Thanks for listening

 

[bleak7]

Do you have any specific things you'd like to block?

Siri doesn't really exist at all if you turn her off and remove anything related to suggestions and search results with her (I also hate her existence).

 

[ectospheno]

Not entirely on topic but I can't resist asking. Do you never use navigation programs on the phone? GPS without wifi turned on is near useless in any major city while in a car. By the time it catches up to where you actually are you've missed not only your turn but the next few options as well.

 

[madmin]

You're right, 99% of the time I don't use navigation and it's disabled.

Of the 12 Apple apps on the Allowed Apps page, I have 4 enabled and 8 disabled.

 

[GreyOS]

I do think it’s odd that you have to turn Screen Time on to get to those restrictions. It’s worth contacting Apple about that, if that’s your question.

Unsolicited advice: learn to relax, you don’t need restrictions if you’re the only person using the phone.

 

[madmin]

I do think it’s odd that you have to turn Screen Time on to get to those restrictions. It’s worth contacting Apple about that, if that’s your question.

Unsolicited advice: learn to relax, you don’t need restrictions if you’re the only person using the phone.

Thanks but it's not a question of being relaxed or not. It's more about being able to customise iOS to suit individual tastes and usage.

For example, I live in a large city with good public transport. I don't need a car or CarPlay, being able to make it disappear is good. Because I never use AirDrop, I can disable that too and feel a tiny bit safer when travelling. I rarely use my phone for surfing the web, so I disable Safari most of the time and that's cool because accidentally clicking on a link won't take me to a site that I didn't want to visit. There are plenty of other restrictions which save time or lock down things I don't want changing or be prompted by apps to change. IMO iOS could use more options for customising. I prefer a system that gives me more control, more options. Let me use my phone my way and I'll appreciate and trust it more. I don't see why I should have to enable Screen Time as well.

 

[C DM]

It's more about being able to customise iOS to suit individual tastes and usage.

Unfortunately, iOS isn't exactly known for that kind of thing.

 

[IowaLynn]

I never enabled screen time. My big surprise to see it logged all my activity and by category, time.

So it's always on. It could be shared with Apple and advertisers, marketing, all under the user agreements.

I'm still looking for why I can't open and find Apple Podcasts - Restrictions enabled must be turned off (where? No mention. On Android instead of OK it would link to go to Settings Page to make changes).

And using Screen Time to throw in unrelated items, like they did with Settings : General mess.

Podcast may be hidden and I can't change app setting. Can't uninstall, which should be in App Store AND in Settings.

 

[mrex]

Did you ever contact Apple?

I have no idea why an earth Privacy and other stuff are under the screentime!? I turned the screen time off and everything was allowed - no restriction like ”cant change apple id” or ”don allow app-in purchase” etc... and unfortunately, every settings are now resetted to ”allow” (or defaults) and apparently i need go every app through..

Things like advertising, privacy, changing apple id, logging out from icloud etc. have nothing to do with screen time.

Settings are totally messed up now...

 

[mrex]

I do think it’s odd that you have to turn Screen Time on to get to those restrictions. It’s worth contacting Apple about that, if that’s your question.

Unsolicited advice: learn to relax, you don’t need restrictions if you’re the only person using the phone.

Of course you need it. Restriction is to deny accidental in-app-purchases for example. Or if some one steals your phone when the phone is open, you cant turn off or log out from apple-id/ find my phone and add a new account or so - so the phone is dead for the stealer etc...

 

[GreyOS]

Of course you need it. Restriction is to deny accidental in-app-purchases for example. Or if some one steals your phone when the phone is open, you cant turn off or log out from apple-id/ find my phone and add a new account or so - so the phone is dead for the stealer etc...

You need to enter your password to sign out of iCloud or turn off find my phone

 

[Simacca]

I just made another post about this. I hate that you have to have screen time on to enable restrictions. What has restrictions got to do with screen time anyway!?