How to fix macOS Screen Time not working or not tracking app usage on your Mac

Screen Time on macOS is a valuable tool for understanding how you and your family use your devices. When it stops working or fails to record app usage accurately, it can undermine your efforts to manage digital wellbeing. This guide walks you through the most effective fixes, from quick resets to deeper system checks, so you can restore reliable tracking on your Mac.

Quick Fix Steps

Start with these rapid checks. They resolve the majority of Screen Time issues without requiring complex changes.

1. Restart your Mac — Choose Apple menu > Restart. This clears temporary glitches that often interrupt Screen Time data collection.
2. Toggle Screen Time off and on — Go to System Settings > Screen Time, turn the switch off, wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on. This forces the service to reinitialise.
3. Check the date and time — Open System Settings > General > Date & Time. Ensure Set time and date automatically is enabled and the time zone is correct for your Australian location (e.g., Brisbane, Sydney, Perth). Incorrect time settings cause usage data to be recorded against the wrong days.
4. Update macOS — Go to System Settings > General > Software Update and install any pending updates. Apple regularly patches Screen Time bugs in point releases.

Detailed Instructions

Verify Screen Time is Enabled for the Correct User

Screen Time settings are per-user. If you have multiple accounts on the Mac, you may be checking the wrong one.

1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
2. Click your name at the top of the sidebar, then select Screen Time.
3. Confirm the toggle is on for the account you want to monitor.
4. If you are managing a child’s account via Family Sharing, open System Settings > Family, select the child, then click Screen Time to review their settings separately.

Check App Usage Reporting Settings

Screen Time only tracks apps that are included in its reporting scope. Some apps may be excluded by default or by previous configuration.

1. Go to System Settings > Screen Time.
2. Click App & Website Activity.
3. Ensure Include Website Data is enabled if you want Safari and other browser usage tracked.
4. Review the list under Apps. If an app is missing, it may have been manually removed from tracking. Click Edit (if available) and re-add it.
5. Check Always Allowed — apps listed here are not counted toward usage limits but should still appear in reports. If an app is missing entirely, proceed to the next section.

Reset Screen Time Data and Preferences

Corrupted preference files or cached data can cause Screen Time to stop recording. Resetting these files often restores functionality.

1. Quit System Settings if it is open.
2. Open Finder, then press Command + Shift + G.
3. Enter the following path and press Return:
   ~/Library/Preferences/
4. Locate the file com.apple.ScreenTimeAgent.plist and move it to the Trash.
5. Navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/ using the same Command + Shift + G method.
6. Find the folder named Screen Time and move it to the Trash.
7. Restart your Mac.
8. Re-enable Screen Time in System Settings > Screen Time and reconfigure your preferences.

Check for Conflicting Management Profiles

If your Mac is managed by an organisation or has a configuration profile installed, it may override Screen Time settings.

1. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security.
2. Scroll down and click Profiles (this option only appears if profiles are installed).
3. Review any listed profiles. If you see a profile related to parental controls, device management, or Screen Time, it may be blocking local tracking.
4. Contact the profile administrator or remove the profile if you have authority to do so. For 220 Internet Services customers with managed devices, please Open a Ticket for assistance.

Verify iCloud Sync for Screen Time

If you use Screen Time across multiple Apple devices, iCloud sync issues can cause missing or inaccurate data on your Mac.

1. Go to System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud.
2. Click Show All under Apps Using iCloud.
3. Ensure Screen Time is toggled on.
4. If it is already on, toggle it off, wait 30 seconds, then toggle it back on.
5. Sign out of iCloud and back in only as a last resort, as this affects many other services. To do this, go to System Settings > Apple ID > Sign Out, then sign back in after restarting.

Troubleshooting

Screen Time Shows No Data at All

• Confirm the Mac has been restarted since enabling Screen Time.
• Check that the user account has Standard or Administrator privileges. Managed accounts with restricted permissions may not report usage.
• Ensure the Mac is not in Low Power Mode (Apple silicon Macs) or that Power Nap is not interfering (Intel Macs). Go to System Settings > Battery and disable these temporarily to test.
• Create a new user account temporarily, enable Screen Time there, and use the Mac for 30 minutes. If data appears for the new user, the original account’s preference files are corrupted — follow the reset steps above.

App Usage is Inaccurate or Under-reported

• Some apps, particularly those running in the background or as menu bar utilities, are not counted by design. Screen Time focuses on foreground app usage.
• Websites visited in browsers other than Safari may not be attributed correctly. Use Safari for the most accurate website tracking.
• If an app was updated recently, Screen Time may temporarily lose its tracking association. Restart the Mac and check again after 24 hours.
• Check System Settings > Screen Time > App & Website Activity > Devices to ensure you are viewing data for the correct Mac and not an aggregated view from another device.

Screen Time Resets or Loses Settings After Restart

• This often indicates a corrupted com.apple.ScreenTimeAgent.plist file. Follow the reset procedure in the Detailed Instructions section.
• If the problem persists, check for third-party cleaning or optimisation utilities (e.g., CleanMyMac, OnyX). These can delete Screen Time files. Uninstall or exclude Screen Time from their cleaning routines.
• Ensure your Mac’s startup disk has at least 10 GB of free space. Low storage can cause system services to fail silently. Check via Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage.

Family Sharing Screen Time Not Syncing

• Verify that all family members are using the same Apple ID region (Australia) and that Family Sharing is set up correctly under System Settings > Family.
• Check that Screen Time is enabled for each family member on their own devices and that they are signed in with the correct Apple ID.
• Ensure that the family organiser has Screen Time enabled and that the child's device is not in Low Power Mode or Do Not Disturb, which can delay syncing.
• If data is still not syncing, sign out of iCloud on the child's device and sign back in, then wait up to 24 hours for data to propagate.