my kid keeps adding new apps and im wondering how screen time catches them so quickly since i couldnt find any details in the settings about the detection process does it check in real time or at intervals
Apple Screen Time hooks directly into iOS at the system level, so it catches new app installs basically in real time — it’s not polling on a timer, it’s just baked into how the App Store installation process works on the device. If you’ve got “Ask to Buy” or app restrictions enabled, your kid literally can’t finish installing without your approval hitting your phone first. The quickest setup win: make sure your Family Sharing is properly configured and you’re the family organizer, otherwise some of that blocking doesn’t kick in properly.