Semo vs Apple Screen Time
Screen Time is the feature built into every iPhone for limits, downtime and parental controls. It is free. Semo is an extra app for a different moment: when you open something you meant to use less.
Should I choose Semo or Apple Screen Time?
It depends on whether limits are enough. Apple Screen Time is free, built in and can enforce limits, especially with a passcode someone else holds. Use it first if you want a firm limit or need parental controls. Semo suits you if you already ignore limits and want a prompt about why you are opening the app. Many people could use both.
At a glance (as of 19 October 2026)
| Semo | Apple Screen Time | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | An AI chat when you open a guarded app; ends in a timed pass or a nudge. | Downtime, App Limits (by app or category), Always Allowed apps, and Content and Privacy restrictions, set in Settings. |
| How firm it is | A nudge you can dismiss. No hard lock today. | Limits can be backed by a Screen Time passcode. Whether you can extend a limit yourself depends on your setup; check on your device. |
| AI conversation | Yes: a short chat with an AI model, after you agree to send text. | None. |
| Price | Planned $59.99 per year (7-day trial) or $9.99 per month. | Free, part of iOS. |
| Platform | iPhone, adults 18+. | iPhone, iPad, Mac; Family Sharing for children's devices. |
| Evidence and reviews | None yet. Semo is not on the App Store yet (launching soon). | Not applicable. It is an operating system feature. |
Where Apple Screen Time is stronger
- Free, built in, no extra privacy trade-off: nothing is sent to a third-party AI service.
- Strong for parents: it can be managed from a parent's device with Family Sharing.
- Can enforce limits and downtime at the system level.
Where Semo is different
- A conversation at the moment of opening an app, which Screen Time does not offer.
- Remembers your reasons and reflects them back.
- Costs money and sends your chat text to an AI service.
Pick the one that fits
Choose Apple Screen Time if
- You want a firm, free limit.
- You are setting rules for a child.
- You do not want an AI service involved.
Choose Semo if
- Screen Time limits do not change your habit because you can wave them away.
- You want to be asked, not just stopped.
- You are willing to pay once it launches.
Name note. "Screen Time" is Apple's own feature name. Semo is an independent app and is not made by or affiliated with Apple.
Sources and what we could not verify
Facts about Apple Screen Time come from the public pages below, read on 19 October 2026. Products change, so check the source before you decide. If something here is out of date, tell us on the support page and we will fix it. We have no commercial relationship with Apple Screen Time.
- Apple Support: Use Screen Time on your iPhone or iPad (checked 19 October 2026)
- Apple iPhone User Guide (checked 19 October 2026)