How to Set a Time Limit on a Coloring App (iPad, iPhone and Android)

Most parents don’t want to ban a coloring app, they want a predictable end to the session. A time limit set in advance turns “one more page” negotiations into “the timer ended,” which is far easier on everyone. The good news is that both Apple and Google build this into their devices for free. The right method depends on whether you’re sitting next to your child or setting a rule for the whole week.

Which Method to Use

Apple: Guided Access (One App, Built-In Timer)

Guided Access locks an iPhone or iPad to a single app, so a child can’t wander into other apps, and lets you set a time limit. Apple’s instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access and turn it on. In the same place you can set a passcode and optionally use Face ID or Touch ID, and configure time limits.
2. Open the coloring app.
3. Triple-click the side button on iPhone (or the top button on iPad). On iOS or iPadOS 18 and earlier it’s a double-click instead.
4. Tap Guided Access if the Accessibility Shortcuts panel appears, adjust the session options (including the time limit), and tap Start.
5. When time runs out, the screen shows a “Time Expired” message. To pause or end the session, triple-click and authenticate with your passcode or Face ID or Touch ID, then choose End.

Apple also lets you choose whether to play a sound and speak the remaining time before a timed session ends, which gives a child a gentle warning. Guided Access is also handy at the doctor’s office, on a plane, or any time you want the device to stay on one app; see our guides to coloring apps at the doctor and flights and road trips.

Apple: Screen Time Through Family Sharing (Ongoing Limits)

For a daily cap that works when you aren’t there, set up Screen Time for your child through Family Sharing. Apple’s path is Settings → Family → [child’s name] → Screen Time, then follow the on-screen instructions.

Apple has been changing this area: it now describes Time Allowances, which set boundaries for how long a child can use apps in categories such as entertainment, games and social media, plus Screen Time Schedules for set times of day. Depending on your iOS version, you may also see App Limits: from your child’s name in Screen Time, tap App Limits, then Add Limit, choose the category or the individual apps, and set the time. Menu names shift between iOS versions, so check Apple’s current guide for yours: Use Screen Time to manage your child’s iPhone or iPad.

Our overview of new age-verification rules covers Apple’s September 2026 child safety updates in more detail.

Android: Google Family Link

Google’s Family Link app manages Android devices and Chromebooks from a parent’s phone. To set a daily screen time limit:

1. Open Family Link and select your child at the top left.
2. Tap Screen time at the bottom left, then Time limits.
3. Turn on Daily limit, choose a day (or a Weekly schedule), and enter the time. Choose Apply to all days of the week to set it once, then tap Done.

To lock the device right away, tap Screen time, then Lock below the device name. Google notes that daily limits apply to each Android device or Chromebook your child uses, that app-specific limits are available on Android 7 and up, and that system apps can’t have app limits placed on them. Steps for app-specific limits are on Google’s page Manage your child’s screen time.

Pair the Limit With a Good Ending

A limit is easier to enforce when the child expects it. A few habits that help:

• Announce it up front: “You have 20 minutes, then we’re done.”
• Give a five-minute warning, especially if the limit works at the system level and doesn’t warn the child itself.
• Let them finish the page, when practical, rather than cutting off mid-picture. Our guide on ending screen time without a meltdown has more.
• Choose a length that matches the goal. If eye comfort is the reason, see do coloring apps hurt kids’ eyes for the 20-20-20 rule. If it’s bedtime, see coloring apps before bed. The AAP’s newer framework also suggests thinking beyond the stopwatch; see our summary.

What Limits Don’t Do

Time limits control duration only. They don’t stop purchases, ads or a paywall from appearing during the allowed time. Cover those separately with our guide to stopping accidental in-app purchases, and choose apps carefully using our guides to ad-free apps and parental gates.

Our Take

For a single session with you nearby, Guided Access is the quickest way to get a hard stop and keep a child in one app. For a standing daily rule, use Screen Time via Family Sharing on Apple devices or Family Link on Android. Menus change between OS versions, so treat the steps above as a guide and follow Apple’s and Google’s current instructions if a screen looks different on your device. We haven’t tested every OS version ourselves; the steps come from Apple’s and Google’s own support pages, which we checked.

Looking for an app to pair with these limits? See our best coloring apps for iPhone and iPad roundups.

For Android privacy settings beyond screen time — the Advertising ID and Data safety labels — see how to check and limit what a coloring app shares on Android.

If more than one kid shares the device, see how to share one tablet between multiple kids for turn-taking and profile setup.

Sources: Use Guided Access on iPhone or iPad (Apple Support), Use Screen Time to manage your child’s iPhone or iPad (Apple Support), Set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances on iPhone (Apple Support), Manage your child’s screen time (Google Families Help)