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This is a great question - and it's actually quite common! Small differences between Roots and Apple Screen Time are expected and normal.
Why Roots screen time can be lower than Apple's:
There are a few common reasons for this:
1) Excluded apps in Roots
If you've excluded certain apps from tracking in Roots, time spent in those apps won't be counted in Roots, while Apple Screen Time will still include them.
To check which apps are excluded:
Go to Roots > Profile > Account Settings (top of the screen)
Tap "Exclude apps from usage reports"
Review which apps are excluded
2) Different counting rules
Apple Screen Time and Roots don't always measure usage the exact same way. Apple sometimes counts:
Brief foreground activity
Background app usage
Quick app switches
These short interactions may not always be included in Roots' calculations.
3) Sync timing differences
Apple Screen Time data can lag or update in batches, so short-term comparisons (same day or same hour) may not line up perfectly. The data typically syncs more accurately over longer time periods.
4) System and Apple apps
Some system-level activity or Apple apps can be included in Apple Screen Time but excluded or grouped differently in Roots.
Try a different calculation method
Roots has three different ways to calculate screen time, and sometimes switching methods can improve accuracy:
Go to Profile → Settings (gear icon) → Developer Settings → Calculation
Try switching from "Automatic" to "Apple Screen Time"
Tap the refresh icon on your Home tab after making the change
This method uses Apple's own total screen time calculation and should match what you see in iOS Settings
When is the difference normal?
Small differences like 10-20 minutes over a full day are completely expected and nothing to worry about. This is just due to the different ways the two systems track and calculate usage.
When should I investigate further?
If the difference seems significant (like multiple hours off) or if you notice specific apps are being tracked very differently, we'd be happy to help you investigate.
How to get help with large discrepancies
If you feel like something is significantly off, please contact us by tapping the chat bubble below and include:
A screenshot of your app usage from Roots (Home tab)
A screenshot from iOS Settings > Screen Time for the same day
Which specific apps or time periods look incorrect
We'll compare the data and help you figure out what's happening!