Screen Time or TaskBlue: what parents should know
For limits, age ratings, contacts and purchases, Apple's Screen Time is all many families need, and it's free. TaskBlue adds something different: it makes the apps you pick invisible at set times or at places like school. They disappear from the home screen entirely instead of staying there greyed out as with Screen Time, and only the BlueTag or your parent PIN brings them back early. The two combine well.
As of: October 2026
What is Apple Bildschirmzeit?
Screen Time is Apple's built-in parental control for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. With Family Sharing you set it up for your child's account and manage it from your own device: blocking apps and websites, schedules, time allowances per category, allowed contacts and purchase requests. Since iOS 27 the schedules are called Screen Time Schedules. Older versions use Downtime and App Limits instead.
Where Apple Bildschirmzeit is strong
- Free and built into every iPhone. You don't need an extra app.
- Very comprehensive: block apps and websites, age ratings, time windows before, during and after school, a daily budget you can refine per category.
- Allowed contacts, purchase requests and Communication Safety, which blurs nude images right on the device.
- Your child can ask for more time, and you approve it in Messages for 15 minutes, an hour or the whole day.
Side by side
| Topic | TaskBlue | Apple Bildschirmzeit |
|---|---|---|
| Child's device | iPhone with iOS 16 or later | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch with a child account in Family Sharing |
| What parents need | Neither an app nor an iPhone of their own. Setup happens on the child's iPhone. | An iPhone, iPad or Mac of their own in the same Family Sharing group |
| What happens to the apps | Chosen apps turn invisible, they disappear from the home screen entirely. Categories and websites show Apple's block screen. | Block apps and websites (blocked apps are dimmed), time allowances per category, a daily budget |
| Automatic by place | Yes, at up to 20 places with a 100 to 500 m radius | No. Find My can notify you when your child's location changes. |
| Schedules | Weekly schedule, BlueTag alarm or by hand | Schedules with time windows, separate for weekdays and weekends (iOS 27, Downtime before that) |
| Ending early | With the BlueTag or the 6-digit parent PIN. Without a PIN, the child has three emergency exits. | Your child asks for more time, and you approve it in Messages or in person with the Screen Time passcode. |
| What parents see | No location, no messages, no browsing history | Activity reports with the most used apps. Location only if it's shared through Find My. |
| Price | €49.99 a year or €9.99 a month, BlueTag included | Free, built into the operating system |
| Also | Every focus hour funds the recovery of about 50 g of ocean plastic. | Allowed contacts, purchase requests, Communication Safety |
When Apple Bildschirmzeit is the better fit
You want to filter content by age, approve purchases, choose contacts and manage daily time from your own iPhone. That's what Screen Time is built for, and it costs nothing.
When TaskBlue is the better fit
You want certain apps simply gone at set times or at a place like school, without requests or haggling. Only the BlueTag or your PIN brings them back early.
Can you use both?
Yes, and that's often the best setup. TaskBlue uses the same Screen Time interface from Apple but doesn't need Family Sharing. Let Screen Time handle age ratings, purchases and contacts, and let TaskBlue cover the times your child should concentrate, for example automatically at school or during homework.
Frequently asked
Do I need TaskBlue if I already use Screen Time?
Not necessarily. If the limits work well for your family, stick with them. TaskBlue is worth it when apps should disappear entirely at set times or at a place, and the end shouldn't be up for negotiation every day.
Is TaskBlue built on Screen Time?
Yes. TaskBlue uses Apple's Screen Time interface on your child's iPhone. You don't need Family Sharing or an iPhone of your own. You set everything up right on your child's device.
Can my child ask for more time with TaskBlue?
No, there's no request like in Screen Time. Focus ends on schedule or when your child leaves the place. Ending it early takes the BlueTag or the 6-digit parent PIN. Without a PIN, your child has three emergency exits, in total, not per day.
Does TaskBlue show me how long my child was on the phone?
No. TaskBlue doesn't show activity reports, location or messages. If you want reports like that, Screen Time is the right tool.
Sources
As of October 2026. All information without guarantee.
- Kindersicherung auf dem iPhone und iPad deines Kindes verwenden, Apple Support, 2026
- Bildschirmzeit und Kindersicherung im Überblick, Apple Support, 2026
- Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances, Apple Child Safety Guide, 2026
- Requests for more time, Apple Child Safety Guide, 2026
- Overview of parental controls, Apple Child Safety Guide, 2026
- Standort teilen in „Wo ist?“, Apple Support, 2026
- ManagedSettingsStore, Apple Developer Documentation, 2026
Read on
Fewer distractions for your child. Less plastic in the sea.
A year costs €49.99 once, a month €9.99. The BlueTag always comes with it.