Published · Updated · Screen Trace developer · Official guide
Use Screen Time for app durations, App Privacy Report for recorded data and sensor access, and diagnostic archives for retained activity events. They can complement each other, but they are not interchangeable histories of phone use.
For your own device or files you have explicit authorization to analyze. Keep original files; available records depend on what the system retained.
Compare the three sources
| Source | Useful for | How to view | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Time | App durations and activity distribution | The report in Settings | Totals are not individual open and close events |
| App Privacy Report | Data, sensor access and contacted domains | Privacy & Security in Settings | Collection starts after enabling; access does not reveal exact content |
| sysdiagnose | Retained activity events and context | Save and analyze a diagnostic archive | Variable coverage; records may be missing or unsupported |
No single event from these sources independently identifies an operator or shows which message or photo was viewed.
Screen Time: Durations and distribution
Open Settings → Screen Time → See All App & Website Activity, or the equivalent report. Select the date and device. This is the starting point for daily usage totals without exporting a diagnostic archive.
An hourly summary does not show every event during a ten-minute interval. If Share Across Devices is enabled, check the device selection. Enabling collection does not recreate previously uncollected data. See the app activity guide.
App Privacy Report: Data and sensor access
Open Settings → Privacy & Security → App Privacy Report. Apple explains that it begins collecting after you enable it, showing data and sensor access over the past seven days, along with network activity.
Use it to review recorded camera or microphone access. A contacted domain does not reveal exactly what was sent, and an empty newly enabled report does not rule out earlier access. Access events and foreground usage durations answer different questions. See Apple’s explanation.
Diagnostics: What the archive actually retained
A sysdiagnose archive collects material for system troubleshooting. It may contain app and system activity from several sources, but it is not a guaranteed complete audit trail of every action.
Save the archive before analyzing it. Collection timing, log rotation, OS changes, source availability and parser support affect coverage. The seven-day window described for App Privacy Report is not a retention promise for diagnostics or Screen Trace.
Different sources can use different timestamps and event definitions. A mismatch requires checking the device, time zone, scope and foreground or background meaning.
Choose by scenario
- How long did I use an app yesterday? Begin with Screen Time.
- Did an app access my microphone? Review an already-enabled App Privacy Report.
- What activity occurred while I was away? Check usage summaries, then retained diagnostic events if more context is needed.
- Does this prove remote monitoring? No source alone establishes that. Review current account and sharing settings separately, using Apple’s Safety Check guidance.
If you suspect physical use of your phone, start with the guide to checking a period of possible use.
Where Screen Trace fits
Screen Trace is a third-party iPhone app that analyzes a file you actively select, locally organizing recognizable app activity, lock or unlock events and other supported records into a PDF you can save or share.
Standard and complete analysis cover different categories; see the current in-app options. Archives and report content are processed on your device and are not uploaded to the developer’s servers. The anonymous sample and format and readability checking are free; reports for real files require the corresponding paid credit.
Passing the check does not guarantee a particular activity record. A larger analysis option cannot recreate data absent from the archive. Keyboard-interface events do not disclose typed text, and app activity does not identify exact messages or photos.
When the sources disagree
- Confirm the same device and day, rather than combined device totals.
- Match time zones and check midnight boundaries.
- Distinguish durations, sensor access, foreground activity and system events.
- Keep unmodified source material and note gaps and contradictions as well as matching events.
Reports organize available information. Conclusions about identity, specific viewed content or disclosure require additional verifiable material.
References
- Apple: Get started with Screen Time on iPhone
- Apple: About App Privacy Report
- Apple Developer: Profiles and Logs
- Apple: Safety Check on iPhone
Apple references explain built-in features and diagnostic resources. Screen Trace instructions and product descriptions are written by its developer; these references are not an Apple endorsement.
Explore Screen Trace
Preview the free anonymous sample before choosing a paid report. Free file checking verifies format and readability; it does not guarantee coverage of a particular date or event.