My Settings in Apple Downtime

Essays and updates on product, engineering, and AI by Chase Adams.

2 minute read

Info

2024-09-06 I started using Downtime again but my settings are very strict!

2022-10-04 I've stopped using Screentime. I still think these are good settings, but I don't use it anymore.

Downtime is a setting in Screentime that enables the user to set specific blocks of time that certain apps are totally unavailable.

I use Downtime as a point of friction for making it hard for me to use my devices unconsciously.

I have Downtime set to be on between 00:00 and 23:59. That's all day. It's scheduled for Every Day.

Always Allowed Apps

Apple Downtime gives you the option of always allowing apps.

I want to use my devices in a healthy way during Downtime, not ignore it entirely, so I think having allowed apps that help me spend my time consciously towards what I want to do is a good thing.

Here are the apps that I always allow and why I always allow them:

Phone, messages, Notion Calendar - In case someone needs to get in touch with me.
Maps - In the rare occasion that I'm driving or in another city past my Downtime start.
Obsidian - I write first thing in the morning (as early as 05:00) and sometimes write in my dream journal if I wake up in the middle of the night. Obsidian is where I write everything.
Kindle, Audible, Libby, Blinkist, Snipd - I only consume content on these platforms for growth or rest, so I want them to be available.
Spotify - I listen to music all the time and access to music during the activities I mentioned above is important.
Claude, Perplexity and ChatGPT

The main heuristic I use for allowing an app during downtime is:

Is this a tool or platform I will use in an unconscious way?

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Always Allowed Apps

Apple Downtime gives you the option of always allowing apps.

I want to use my devices in a healthy way during Downtime, not ignore it entirely, so I think having allowed apps that help me spend my time consciously towards what I want to do is a good thing.

Here are the apps that I always allow and why I always allow them:

Phone, messages, Notion Calendar - In case someone needs to get in touch with me.

Maps - In the rare occasion that I'm driving or in another city past my Downtime start.

Obsidian - I write first thing in the morning (as early as 05:00) and sometimes write in my dream journal if I wake up in the middle of the night. Obsidian is where I write everything.

Kindle, Audible, Libby, Blinkist, Snipd - I only consume content on these platforms for growth or rest, so I want them to be available.

Spotify - I listen to music all the time and access to music during the activities I mentioned above is important.

Claude, Perplexity and ChatGPT

The main heuristic I use for allowing an app during downtime is:

Is this a tool or platform I will use in an unconscious way?