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Refocus Reports

How is screen time data measured?

Refocus uses Apple Screen Time technology to display data provided by Apple. However, Apple Screen Time may not always be reliable. To check, open the Apple "Settings" app, navigate to "Screen Time," and compare the data there with what Refocus shows. If Refocus appears less accurate, please use the "Contact Us" button in the app to report the issue by attaching screenshots of the discrepancy.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: ⚠️ When comparing Apple Screen Time to what you see in Refocus, please make sure that in Apple Screen Time you have selected your current device by ensuring that “All Devices” on top-right corner is not selected.


Screen Time Data

Notes about time spent data:

  • Screen Time represents the total time spent using your phone. This includes time spent outside of apps, such as viewing the home screen.

  • In some cases, the time spent on individual apps may exceed the total screen time:

    • Picture-in-Picture Usage: When using picture-in-picture, time is recorded for all apps used simultaneously. For example, watching YouTube in picture-in-picture mode while typing in the Notes app will show 1 hour for YouTube and 1 hour for Notes, but the total screen time displayed will be just 1 hour.

    • Background Activity: Occasionally, apps performing background tasks may contribute to time spent, which can lead to inaccuracies. This is likely a bug.

  • Website Tracking: Time spent on websites is only tracked when using Safari. Third-party browsers like Chrome do not contribute to website-specific data.

  • Picture-in-picture usage may also cause inaccuracies in overall screen time calculations. This is a bug.


Pickups Data

Notes about pickup data:

  • A pickup is recorded each time your device is activated from an idle state. This includes actions like waking the screen, unlocking the device, viewing notifications, or interacting with the screen in any way.

  • Actions such as raising the device to check the lock screen or tapping the screen to view notifications could also count as pickups, even if you don’t unlock the device.

  • If you open an app shortly after a pickup, this action will be included in the app breakdown.


Notifications Data

Notes about notification data:

  • A notification is recorded whenever an app sends an alert that appears on your device.

  • In some cases, certain notifications may not be counted, leading to discrepancies in the reported data. For example, notifications received while you are actively using the device may not be included.


Questions & Answers

  • How to improve the accuracy?

    • Keep your iOS version up to date: Ensure your device is running the latest version of iOS, as updates often include fixes for Screen Time issues.

    • Disable "Share Across Devices": In the Apple "Settings" app, navigate to "Screen Time" and turn off the "Share Across Devices" option to prevent syncing inaccuracies.

    • Use “Do Not Disturb” or place your phone face down at night: Notifications can wake the screen and potentially be counted as screen time.

    • Turn off "Always On Display": Disabling this feature could help reduce misreported screen activity.

    • Manage background activity: For apps that contribute to inaccurate time tracking, disable "Background App Refresh" in the Apple "Settings" app.

    • Try to do a “Screen Time Reset:”

      • Update iOS to latest version iOS 18+ (open Apple “Settings” > “General” > “Software Update”). (the steps below may still help on iOS 17 too)

      • Open Apple “Settings” app > “Screen Time” > press “Turn Off App & Website Activity” at the bottom

      • In the “APPS WITH SCREEN TIME ACCESS” section, turn off all Screen Time access (including Refocus).

      • At the bottom, turn off “Share Across Devices.”

        • Important note (!!!): turn this off on ALL your Apple devices!

      • Open the “Refocus” app and it will ask you for Screen Time permissions. Grant them.

    • Send feedback to Apple:

      • Refocus has submitted bug reports to Apple (FB16270245) regarding data accuracy and continues to make improvements where possible. You can help raise awareness of this issue by providing feedback to Apple.

      • Here’s how:

  • Can I exclude apps from screen time?

    • Yes, you can exclude certain apps from screen time in Refocus. Navigate to the “Report” tab, and press the “eye” icon on the top-right corner.

  • Why am I missing data for some days?

    • Apple may limit the data Refocus can display depending on your iOS version. Typically, Refocus can only show data collected after you granted Screen Time permissions. Also, Apple Screen Time often only shows data for recent months.

  • Is my data private?

    • Yes. Your data is fully managed by Apple. The Screen Time technology is designed so that even Refocus cannot access your data directly. The information you see in Refocus is displayed through a secure system process that remains inaccessible to the app.

  • Can I export the data?

    • No, Refocus cannot access or export the data. The only option is to take screenshots and use external tools like ChatGPT for analysis.

  • Why do reports sometimes take a long time to load or keep refreshing?

    • Reports may take time to load or refresh because the reliability of Apple Screen Time technology can vary. To improve performance, make sure your iOS (or iPadOS) is updated to the latest version, as Apple continues to enhance Screen Time functionality with each update.