# Blocking betting apps on iPhone with Screen Time > How to block or limit betting apps on an iPhone with Screen Time: app limits, content restrictions and a passcode someone else holds, and what it does not replace. Source: https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/block-betting-apps-with-screen-time/ Updated: 2026-11-07 Screen Time can limit or block a betting app on an iPhone, but it does not replace the operator's self-exclusion. Set an app limit, add a content restriction, and have a passcode that someone else keeps. Our estimate is 10 minutes. It restricts your phone only, not your account. Free 24/7 support: 1800 936 725. ## What you need - An iPhone with Screen Time available in Settings. - The name of each betting app on the phone. - A person you trust to keep a passcode, if you want one. - Time to read Apple's own Screen Time help, which we have not yet read: Not checked. **In short:** your phone, the app names and one trusted person. ## What Screen Time does and does not do **Screen Time compared with other protection steps. Source: Apple and GRAI Protection Tools · checked 7 November 2026** | Step | Covers | Does not cover | Status | |---|---|---|---| | Screen Time limit or restriction | Apps on this iPhone | Other devices and the operator's account | Apple help Not checked | | Operator self-exclusion | The account with that operator | Other operators | Operator terms Not checked | | Bank gambling block | Payments from that bank | Payments from other banks | Not checked | Read [what self-exclusion means](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/self-exclusion-meaning/) and the [bank blocks and tools snapshot](https://beforeyouinstall.com/data/bank-gambling-blocks-and-protection-tools/). Licensees must link to parental controls on their home page (s.174); the section text is to be re-read. **In short:** Screen Time is one layer, and it works only on this phone. ## The steps 1. **Open Screen Time.** - *Do:* in Settings, open Screen Time and switch it on if it is off. - *Result:* the Screen Time overview opens. - *Typical error:* setting it up on a shared family account by mistake. 2. **Set an app limit.** - *Do:* choose App Limits and add the betting app. Pick a short daily time, or the shortest the menu allows. - *Result:* the app shows a limit and can stop working when it ends. - *Typical error:* leaving the operator's mobile website without a limit. 3. **Add a content restriction.** - *Do:* open Content and Privacy Restrictions and look at the app restrictions. Options include a limit by age rating and a block on installing apps. Check what the app's listing says about its rating first. - *Result:* new betting apps cannot be installed, or are hidden, depending on the choice. - *Typical error:* assuming an age setting hides an app whose listing shows a different rating. 4. **Put the passcode out of your reach.** - *Do:* ask a trusted person to set the Screen Time passcode on your phone, and not to tell you. - *Result:* you cannot change the limits alone. - *Typical error:* using the same code as your phone passcode. 5. **Test it.** - *Do:* try to open the app after the limit time has passed. Note the date. - *Result:* the app is blocked or limited as you set. Menu names are Not checked against Apple's current help. **In short:** limit, restrict, hand over the passcode, test. ## How to remove it, and how long it takes - To remove a limit, open the same Screen Time screen and enter the passcode. If someone else holds it, ask them. - Our estimate, not measured: 10 minutes to set up and 2 minutes to remove. - A restriction is not self-exclusion. For that, follow [taking a break or self-excluding](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/time-out-or-self-exclude-in-a-betting-app/). **In short:** removing the block needs the passcode, which is the design. ## If it did not work: three cases 1. **The app still opens.** Check that the limit is on the app and not on a category. Re-test. 2. **You can still reach the operator's website.** Screen Time may not cover it in the same way: Not checked. Add self-exclusion and a bank block. 3. **The phone is shared.** Read the [shared phone checks](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/shared-phone-or-family-device-checks/). On Android, see [restricting apps on Android](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/restrict-betting-apps-on-android/). **In short:** when Screen Time is not enough, add the operator and your bank. ## Help and support Gambling can be addictive – play responsibly. Set limits, take breaks and never bet more than you can afford to lose. - Free 24/7 support: 1800 936 725 · gamblingcare.ie. More in [responsible gambling](https://beforeyouinstall.com/responsible-gambling/). - Support lists are on the GRAI Get Help and Protection Tools pages. Protection Tools is the source we have for this page and has not been re-read: Not checked. **In short:** 18+ only; help is free and open at all hours. ## How we checked, what changed, caveats - **How we checked:** we described Screen Time from the names in our research notes. We did not run it on a phone. - **What changed:** 7 November 2026, first version. - **Caveats:** Apple's current help text and iOS menu names are Not checked. **In short:** the order is sound; menu names need a dated check. ## Related questions **Does Screen Time replace self-exclusion?** No. Screen Time restricts your own iPhone. Self-exclusion is a step with the operator and covers the account. **Does a block on the app also block the operator's website?** Not by itself. We have not checked how Screen Time treats websites on the current iOS version, so add a separate check. **Can you remove a Screen Time block?** Yes, with the Screen Time passcode. If someone else holds the passcode, ask them. That is the point of the step. **In short:** Screen Time is a layer, not a substitute for the operator's steps. ## FAQ **Does Screen Time replace self-exclusion?** No. Screen Time restricts your own iPhone. Self-exclusion is a step with the operator and covers the account. **Does a block on the app also block the operator's website?** Not by itself. We have not checked how Screen Time treats websites on the current iOS version, so add a separate check. **Can you remove a Screen Time block?** Yes, with the Screen Time passcode. If someone else holds the passcode, ask them. That is the point of the step.