Limiting your child's phone time: what really helps
Paul Kasten, co-founder of TaskBlue · Updated · 5 min read
The best way to limit phone time is a few fixed rules that don't get renegotiated every day: set times without distracting apps, for example during homework, at meals and before bed, plus a guideline for free screen time. Germany's medical guideline for parents recommends at most 45 to 60 minutes of leisure screen time a day for 9 to 12 year olds, and at most two hours for 12 to 16 year olds.
Guidelines by age
The media guideline for parents summarises a medical guideline published by the AWMF, the umbrella body of Germany's medical societies. For leisure screen time it gives these maximums:
- Up to 3 years: no screens.
- 3 to 6 years: at most 30 minutes, on some days only and with an adult.
- 6 to 9 years: at most 30 to 45 minutes, on some days only and with an adult.
- 9 to 12 years: at most 45 to 60 minutes.
- 12 to 16 years: at most 2 hours. As a guide, this also applies to 16 to 18 year olds.
And what does it look like in reality?
Very different. According to Germany's JIM study 2025, the Screen Time feature shows an average of 231 minutes a day on the smartphone for young people aged 12 to 19, almost four hours. Even 12 to 13 year olds reach 166 minutes. So if it doesn't work straight away in your family, you are not alone.
Set times instead of counting minutes
A daily limit quickly leads to bargaining: does the video for school count? And the message to grandma? Set times are easier. During homework, at dinner and from a certain time in the evening, games and social media are simply not there. The rest of the day your child can plan for themselves.
That is exactly how TaskBlue works: you set a weekly schedule or a place like school, and during that time the chosen apps disappear from the home screen. Afterwards they come back on their own.
Technology helps, but it doesn't replace talking
Apple's Screen Time, Family Link or TaskBlue take the daily reminding off your plate. The rules themselves should still be made together. A written family media agreement is a good place to start.
Clear phone times in four steps
- 1
Look at your week
Write down when the phone gets in the way most: during homework, at meals, in bed at night.
- 2
Agree on set times
Set fixed times without distracting apps for those moments, ideally the same every day.
- 3
Talk about the guideline
Talk about the guideline for free screen time and about what stays open, such as calls and messages.
- 4
Set up the technology
Set the fixed times once on the iPhone, with Screen Time or TaskBlue. Then you don't have to discuss them every day.
Frequently asked
Does homework on a tablet count as screen time?
The guideline's values are for leisure screen time. What school requires comes on top. Just make sure homework doesn't quietly turn into videos or games.
Which is better: a daily limit or set times?
Both can work. Set times usually lead to fewer arguments, because they are equally clear to everyone and nobody has to keep counting.
Sources
As of October 2026. All information without guarantee.
- Medienleitlinie für Eltern (S2k-Leitlinie Prävention dysregulierten Bildschirmmediengebrauchs in Kindheit und Jugend, 027-075), AWMF, 2023
- JIM-Studie 2025: Jugend, Information, Medien, Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest, 2025
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