Published · Screen Trace team
Start with Screen Time for an overview of app usage. If you need to review a particular period, diagnostic files may contain additional activity records. These sources answer different questions, and neither identifies the person holding the phone.
Define the period and device
Write down the date, approximate period and device you want to review. For example: which app activity was recorded on this iPhone between 3 pm and 4 pm on Sunday? Note any time-zone changes or manual clock adjustments before comparing sources.
Option 1: Review Screen Time
- Open Settings, then Screen Time.
- Open See All App & Website Activity, or the corresponding activity view.
- Select the day or week and the app. If you share usage across devices, check which device is selected.
This is useful for durations, app rankings and activity distribution. It is different from a list of individual foreground switches. An hourly bar does not establish an exact opening time to the second. Labels vary by iOS version, and enabling collection now does not recreate data that was never collected.
Option 2: Review retained diagnostic records
A system diagnostic archive may contain app activity and screen-lock indicators. Follow the guide inside Screen Trace to obtain and save a sysdiagnose archive, then select it for local file checking and analysis. Keep the original archive structure intact.
- Preview the anonymous report sample inside the app.
- Follow the file guide and save the archive in Files. Wait for any cloud download to finish.
- Select it in Screen Trace to check its format and readability.
- Review the available items and analysis option before deciding whether to buy a report credit.
- Generate the report and compare the period of interest with recorded system events.
Reports organize recognizable records from the selected file. A timestamp may include seconds, but that precision does not guarantee continuous coverage or that your requested period is available. File-checking results determine what can be analyzed.
Why can activity be missing?
OS versions, log rotation, collection scope, archive timing and parser support can affect the result. No extracted record is not proof that an activity never happened. There is no universal number of days that all diagnostic files retain.
Does an app record prove someone read my messages?
No individual app activity event identifies an operator or establishes which message or photo was viewed. Distinguish foreground activity from background events and compare lock, unlock and other timestamps. Keep original files and separate observations from assumptions.
Choose the method that fits your question
For a usage overview, try the built-in tools first. If you need to organize activity retained in a diagnostic archive, review Screen Trace's sample, file checker and report options.
References
Apple documents explain built-in features. Diagnostic analysis and product descriptions are our own guidance, not an Apple endorsement.
Explore Screen Trace
Check a selected diagnostic file locally and review the anonymous sample before deciding whether to generate a paid report.