How to spend less time on social media before bed

Set a realistic evening boundary on iPhone and make it easier to put the feed down.

By Until Red · November 1, 2026

Choose a time when you want your evening to become quieter. Work backward from there: decide when you’ll stop browsing and where your phone will go. The best boundary is one that fits your evening, not an arbitrary rule you abandon the next day.

Set a scheduled boundary

On iOS 26 and earlier, in Settings → Screen Time, look for Downtime and set a schedule. On iOS 27 and later, look for Schedules instead. Depending on your iOS version and passcode settings, you can choose whether restricted apps are blocked during that period. Review Always Allowed so the apps and contacts you need remain available.

Reduce prompts to return

Schedule Sleep Focus or another Focus to silence nonessential notifications. Put a charger away from your bed if that is practical, and decide on a replacement before you put the phone down: a book, music, or simply a few quiet minutes.

Keep your daily allowance separate

A daily app limit addresses how long you browse; a bedtime schedule addresses when. You can combine them. Until Red’s planned Pro rules include a bedtime lock alongside its daily limit. See the product details.