What replaced Downtime in iOS 27?
By Bedline · Published
In iOS 27, Screen Time Schedule takes the place of Downtime, and Time Allowances take the place of App Limits. Apple's iPhone User Guide now describes Schedules and Time Allowances on the page where its iOS 26 guide described Downtime and App Limits, and the new pages do not use the old names. A Schedule is a set of named time windows on the days you pick, and each window decides which categories of apps, such as Social Media, are available. You need iOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices to use it.
Key takeaways
- Apple's iOS 27 guide describes Screen Time Schedule and Time Allowances where its iOS 26 guide describes Downtime and App Limits, and it does not mention the old names.
- A night Schedule works by category: you leave Social Media, Entertainment and Games out of the night window instead of blocking one app.
- The new features need iOS 27 or later on every Apple device you use them on, and on every device in a Family Sharing group.
- Apple's steps do not say what a blocked app shows or whether you can tap past it, so test one short window while you are awake.
- To pause only the apps you name, from bedtime to wake-up, the Bedline app does it with Screen Time on iOS 18 or later; pausing apps needs a Premium plan.
What is different between Downtime and Screen Time Schedule?
Downtime was one scheduled period; a Screen Time Schedule is a list of time windows, and each window picks the categories that stay available. The comparison below comes from Apple's iPhone User Guide for iOS 26 and iOS 27.
| iOS 26 and earlier | iOS 27 | |
|---|---|---|
| When apps are unavailable | Downtime: one scheduled period, Every Day or Customize Days | Screen Time Schedule: schedules for chosen days, each made of named time windows |
| How much you can use them | App Limits: a daily time for categories or single apps | Time Allowances: a daily total and an amount per category |
| Where in Settings | Settings > Screen Time > Downtime and App Limits | Settings > Screen Time > Screen Time Schedule and Time Allowances |
| Apps that always work | Always Allowed | Always Allowed, with Add People and Add Apps |
| Single apps | App Limits can target single apps inside a category | The guide describes allowances per category; named apps appear in Always Allowed |
Three things changed in practice:
- One period became windows. Apple's example is weekday and weekend schedules with windows for "work, dinner, and the evening".
- Categories became the unit. Time Allowances are set for categories such as Entertainment, Games and Social Media, and a window shows icons for the categories available in it.
- The two features now meet. Turn on Match Screen Time Schedule under Time Allowances and the allowances apply during your schedule's windows.
Apple does not use the word "replaces" in these pages. The replacement is in what the guide documents: one guide page teaches Downtime in its iOS 26 version and Schedules in its iOS 27 version.
How do you set a night Schedule on iOS 27?
You set one in Settings > Screen Time > Screen Time Schedule, with the steps below from Apple's iOS 27 guide.
- Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Screen Time Schedule, then turn on Schedule.
- Tap Add Schedule, choose the days of the week it covers, and confirm.
- Tap the time window to rename it, set when it starts and stops, and choose which Time Allowance categories are available in it.
- If you see no categories, create them first under Settings > Screen Time > Time Allowances > Manage Categories.
- Open Settings > Screen Time > Always Allowed and add the apps and people you need at night.
For a night, make a window that starts when you want the phone down and ends at your wake-up, and leave out the categories that keep you up. Use a separate schedule for weekends if your hours differ.
Two things are worth checking on your own phone, because Apple's page is silent on them: whether a window can run past midnight in the time picker, and what a blocked app shows when you tap it. Set a ten-minute window while you are awake and try it.
What does a Time Allowance do?
A Time Allowance is a budget, not a clock. Apple's guide says you can use the apps in a category "until they reach either the category's allowance or the daily total", and that if an app has a website it declares, the allowance applies to both.
That makes it the counterpart of App Limits, with the same weakness at night: a budget does not know it is 23:30. If you give Social Media an hour a day, the hour is still there at midnight. The window of a Schedule is what ties a rule to the clock. Downtime vs App Limits explains why that matters for scrolling in bed.
Does iOS 27 still have Downtime, and what happened to my old schedule?
Apple's iOS 27 pages for Screen Time do not mention Downtime or App Limits at all. That covers the guides for setting up Screen Time for yourself, for Schedules and Time Allowances, for blocking features and content and for the Screen Time passcode.
Apple's September announcement of the update is about child safety features and does not name them either. None of these pages says whether a Downtime schedule you set before updating carries over. Open Settings > Screen Time on your iOS 27 phone and look at what is there rather than assuming.
Is the new Screen Time only for children?
No. Apple's guide to setting up Screen Time for yourself covers Schedules and Time Allowances for your own device, and its Schedule section opens with "You can create a custom schedule for your iPhone". The announcement is framed around parents, but the guide's own pages cover your device.
Two details matter for an adult:
- Every device must be on iOS 27. Apple's page says you need iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 or visionOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices, and in a Family Sharing group all devices must be upgraded.
- Share Across Devices decides how far it reaches. With it on, Apple's setup guide says your schedules and allowances apply to your iPhone, iPad and Mac under the same Apple Account. That helps when the iPad by the bed is the real problem.
Is the built-in Schedule enough for bedtime?
For many people, yes: it is free, built in, and a night window with the scrolling categories left out does the job. Apple also lets you set a Screen Time passcode, which you must enter before changing the settings you chose for yourself (Settings > Screen Time > Manage Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings). Handing that passcode to someone you trust makes a night harder to undo at 1 a.m.
It fits less well in three cases:
- You want to name apps, not categories. A window allows or leaves out whole categories. The single apps you can name are the ones in Always Allowed.
- A device is still on iOS 26 or earlier. The Schedule needs iOS 27 on all of them; see how to block apps at night on iPhone for Downtime.
- You want a way out that closes again by itself. With a passcode, the exit is a code you type.
For those cases, the Bedline app pauses the apps, categories and websites you choose, from when your Bedline starts until your wake-up, with different weekend hours if you like. If you need your phone, you hold a button to confirm an emergency unlock, and the apps rest again on their own. It runs on iOS 18 or later, keeps its own schedule in the app, and does not change the Schedule you set in Settings. Pausing apps needs a Premium plan; Apple's Screen Time is free. Like any phone-down tool, it can be switched off by the person who set it up.
Which option should you pick?
Pick by your iOS version and by what you want paused.
| Your situation | Use |
|---|---|
| iOS 27 everywhere, whole categories at night are fine | A Screen Time Schedule night window, which is free |
| Some device still on iOS 26 or earlier | Downtime with Block at Downtime, or an app |
| Only a few named apps should stop | Bedline, which pauses the apps you pick until your wake-up |
| The block is too easy to undo | A Screen Time passcode that someone else holds |
FAQ
Is Downtime gone in iOS 27?
Apple's iOS 27 guides for Screen Time do not mention Downtime. They describe Screen Time Schedule and Time Allowances in its place. Check Settings > Screen Time on your phone for what your version shows.
Do I need iOS 27 on every device?
Yes, to use Schedules and Time Allowances. Apple's guide says you need iOS 27 or later, or the matching iPadOS, macOS, watchOS or visionOS releases, on all your Apple devices, and on every device in a Family Sharing group.
Can I still set App Limits on iOS 27?
Apple's iOS 27 guide describes Time Allowances for the same job and does not mention App Limits. Time Allowances work per category and as a daily total, so if you want a limit on one app, check what your Settings offers.
Does Bedline work with iOS 27 Screen Time Schedules?
Yes. Bedline runs on iOS 18 or later, which includes iOS 27. You set your bedtime and wake-up inside Bedline, and it uses Screen Time to pause the apps you chose. It does not change the Schedule you set in Settings.
What is Always Allowed in iOS 27?
It is the list of apps and contacts that stay available whatever your Schedules or Time Allowances say. Apple's guide puts it under Settings > Screen Time > Always Allowed, with Add People and Add Apps. Keep it short, because each app on it is a way around the night.