Dynamic Island is useful when it shows information you want to keep visible without opening another app. That makes it a natural place for screen time awareness.
Sandflow lets you show a live timer for selected app sessions. When you open an app like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, X, Snapchat, Facebook, or a game, Sandflow can start timing the session and surface that timer through Dynamic Island and Live Activities on supported iPhones.
How It Works
Sandflow uses iPhone Shortcuts personal automations. You choose the apps you want to track, then create automations for when those apps open and close. When a tracked app opens, Sandflow starts the timer. When it closes, Sandflow stops.
That means your screen time is not only something you check later in Settings. It becomes visible during the moment you are using the app.
Set Up the Opening and Closing Automations
Follow the complete Sandflow setup instructions for your iOS version. The guide covers both stopwatch actions, the App selection inside each action, Live Activities settings, and troubleshooting.
Start with one app. Create an Is Opened → Start stopwatch automation and a separate Is Closed → Stop stopwatch automation for that same app. Choose Sandflow's actions rather than Clock's stopwatch actions.
Then check that opening starts the timer and leaving stops it before adding more apps. Dynamic Island requires a supported iPhone; on other supported iPhones, check the Lock Screen Live Activity instead.
Want a summary on your Home Screen instead? Use the complete iPhone Screen Time widget guide. Sandflow’s Home Screen widget and its Live Activity are separate displays.
Why Dynamic Island Helps
Most screen time tools are retrospective. They show what happened after the day is done. A Dynamic Island timer works differently because it stays close to the behavior.
If you meant to check Instagram for two minutes and the timer shows twelve, you have a clear cue to stop.
Best Apps To Track
Start with the apps that create the most accidental time:
- TikTok
- YouTube
- X
- Snapchat
- Mobile games
Do not track every app at first. Track the apps where real-time awareness would actually change your behavior.
Sources and further reading
- Apple Support: Use Screen Time on your iPhone and iPad
- Apple Support: View Live Activities in the Dynamic Island on iPhone
- Apple Developer: Displaying live data with Live Activities
- Apple Support: Intro to personal automation in Shortcuts
- Pew Research Center: How teens and parents approach screen time
