Small habits.
Clear boundaries.

Have both devices with you

Install TenMore on the parent’s and child’s iPhone or iPad, with iOS or iPadOS 18 or later. Set up Apple Family Sharing first, and keep each device signed in to its own iCloud account.

Start on the parent device. Show the household QR code, scan it with Camera on the child device, accept Apple’s invitation, and finish setup in TenMore. Approve Screen Time access when prompted. Generate a new QR code for the next child.

Start with categories, then fine-tune

For a shared schedule, choose whole categories in TenMore—such as games or entertainment—rather than pick every app separately. Select the category itself, not just individual apps inside it. Select categories one at a time and check which apps are included. Keep schoolwork, accessibility tools, and ways to contact you available as needed.

Know the distinction: TenMore’s individual-app blocking is limited to 50 individual apps at once. Whole-category blocking is separate. That is not a 50-app cutoff within a selected category. If you see a capacity warning, review apps selected individually outside your chosen categories, and test the apps that matter on the child’s device.

Use Apple’s App Limits for individual daily budgets

Use TenMore to decide when your selected categories are available, and Apple’s native Screen Time App Limits when a particular app needs its own daily budget. For example, TenMore can provide an after-school games window while an Apple App Limit sets a shorter daily allowance for one game.

Both sets of rules still apply. Extra time in TenMore does not override Apple’s limits. If that game has reached its Apple App Limit, you must handle any exception in Apple’s Screen Time controls too. Leave App Limits off for managed apps that do not need a separate daily budget, and review Apple’s Downtime if an app stays unavailable unexpectedly.

Keep age-appropriate content and purchase restrictions in Apple’s settings. Apple apps and features such as Safari, Mail, FaceTime, and Camera stay managed there, not in TenMore.

Schedule when apps are available

In Routines, choose a window when managed apps can be used—for example, an agreed after-school period. Managed apps are available during that window, not blocked during it. Schedule the window to end before the time you want to protect, such as bedtime.

Once applied, routines run on the child’s device without anyone needing to open TenMore. Start with one routine and check that its start and end do what you expect.

Check the target and the confirmation

Before giving more time or setting an end time, check Applies to so the change reaches the intended child devices. Sending or waiting is not the same as applied: a new remote change needs to reach the child’s device.

With both devices online, try a short extra-time allowance. Wait for confirmation, open a managed app on the child device, and check that it becomes unavailable when the allowance ends outside a routine window. If a change stays pending, check connectivity and open TenMore on the child device before relying on it.

Explain the rule before using it

Show your child what happens when time ends and how to request more time. Explain what you will consider, and when the answer will be “Not now.” TenMore does not read messages, browsing history, or location. Be clear that this is a boundary, not secret monitoring.

Protect what matters first

Plan for sleep, meals, schoolwork, movement, play, and time together before deciding where screens fit. Look at what media is crowding out, not just the number of minutes. There is no single screen-time number here that fits every child or every activity.

Try saying: “Let’s make room for your game and still have time to eat together.”

Make the plan with your child

Ask what they enjoy online and what makes stopping difficult. Parents set the boundary, but children can help choose a workable time and what comes next. Coordinate with other caregivers so expectations do not change from one adult to another.

Help with the transition

Give a spoken heads-up before time ends, and help find a stopping point before a new round or episode begins. Have a next step ready: a snack, a book, or getting outside. If you agree to extra time, use a clear end time rather than an open-ended promise.

Try saying: “It’s hard to stop when you’re having fun. This is the last round we have time for, then we’ll put it away.”

Stay calm without dropping the boundary

Acknowledge disappointment without shaming your child. Keep the explanation short in a heated moment; discuss changes when everyone is calmer. Practise other ways to settle down together, such as breathing slowly, moving, or asking for a hug, so a screen is not the only option.

Try saying: “I hear that you want more time. We’re done for tonight. I can sit with you while you feel upset.”

Model the habits you ask for

Put your own phone away during agreed family time. Choose a shared charging spot outside bedrooms where practical, and put devices away at bedtime. If you need to handle work or an urgent message, explain the exception instead of silently breaking the rule.

Stay curious, and adjust as they grow

Watch or play together sometimes. Ask what they like, who they interact with, and whether anything has made them uncomfortable. Let them know they can come to you for help. A time limit cannot tell you whether content or an interaction is safe.

Check in each week: is the plan leaving room for sleep, friendships, and other interests? Change one thing at a time and offer more responsibility as your child is ready. Notice effort, such as stopping on time or asking for help—not just rule-breaking.