"Screen Time" and "Screen Active" time under Battery settings differs significantly; Gmail's Screen Active time is double the actual time



I'm using an iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 16.1.1, and there seems to be a discrepancy in the data shown by Apple on two of its pages (as show in the screenshots):


1. The "Screen Active" time under Battery settings 8:31h for 28 Nov (screenshot 1), whereas the "Screen Time" for the same duration is only 5:42h (screenshot 2), which is a more accurate estimate of my usage. Shouldn't they both be the same ideally? For context, the phone charged to 100 percent overnight.


2. My Gmail "Screen Time" is 2:17h (was on a Meet call, screenshot 3), but the time is almost doubled under Battery "Screen Active" Time (screenshot 1). It shows 4:25h screen on, which wasn't the case. Similar discrepancies are there for WhatsApp and other apps. Because of this the Screen Active time is inflated, giving the false impression of a great battery life. Why is there this discrepancy? I have reset my phone and this problem still exists. Is this an app issue or iOS issue?

iPhone 14 Pro

Posted on Nov 29, 2022 08:02 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 1, 2022 10:24 AM

Hi sarveshmathi,


Thanks for posting in Apple Support Communities! While Screen Time will show the time you spend with these apps on your device, the battery usage is strictly about what is using your battery. Background items, notifications, widgets, etc. wouldn't be included in the Screen Time usage so these numbers may vary.


You can submit product feedback here: Product Feedback.


Additionally, a new version of software was recently released. We recommend updating to the latest version to ensure you have all the updated bug fixes and improvements: Update your iPhone or iPad.


Cheers!



1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 1, 2022 10:24 AM in response to sarveshmathi

Hi sarveshmathi,


Thanks for posting in Apple Support Communities! While Screen Time will show the time you spend with these apps on your device, the battery usage is strictly about what is using your battery. Background items, notifications, widgets, etc. wouldn't be included in the Screen Time usage so these numbers may vary.


You can submit product feedback here: Product Feedback.


Additionally, a new version of software was recently released. We recommend updating to the latest version to ensure you have all the updated bug fixes and improvements: Update your iPhone or iPad.


Cheers!



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"Screen Time" and "Screen Active" time under Battery settings differs significantly; Gmail's Screen Active time is double the actual time

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