How to set up parental controls in iOS

How to set up parental controls in iOS

Face it: every now and then, you just have to give the kid your phone in order to have some quiet time. In another scenario, your child already has a phone or a tablet, and you need to mount some safeguards to prevent exposure to bad content the internet is full of, and to simply limit screen time. This concise and to-the-point guide tells you how to enable parental controls in iOS and iPadOS (the process is the same for both systems).

Setting up a Family Sharing group

Child acc creation - iOS and iPadOS

Parental controls in iOS start with a Family Sharing group. Here is how to create one:

1. Go to Settings, then into your Apple ID there (tapping your name).
2. Tap Family (or Family Sharing), and follow instructions to set up the group; you can select what features and subscriptions are shared here.
3. Add members to the group by entering their Apple IDs. They will receive invitations via texts. Children under 13 get a Child Account (Apple is extending this approach to everyone under 17 now).
4. Next, you may want to enable the Ask to Buy feature, which will allow you to monitor what your child is trying to purchase. It is also here, in the Family section of Settings.
5. Family members can share their locations using the Find My app. It is a convenient way for parents to learn where their kids are without installing additional apps. Location sharing is enabled in Family → Location Sharing.

The settings here are not set in stone, you can revisit this page and change anything as you find fit.

Setting up content and privacy restrictions

Screen time menu, iOS and iPadOS

Once done with what family members can and cannot do on the device, go to Settings → Screen Time to set the proper phone use rules.

1. First things first: before configuring anything else, you have to set up Screen Time itself.
2. Next, proceed to limiting the access to certain content types, including apps, websites, movies, TV shows, and books by age rating (Content and Privacy Restrictions). These settings safeguard from explicit content, adjust privacy settings to child-appropriate levels, and prevent installations or purchases of apps.
3. Then go to App Limits, where you can set use time (in hours and minutes) and days of the week for categories or specific apps. To prevent your child from messing around here, lock the settings with a Screen Time passcode.
4. Note the Always Allowed setting: this is where you can whitelist some apps that the user should be able to access regardless of the restrictions set in App Limits. This works on both the app and the time level, i.e., the whitelisted programs will be available even during the hours outside the allowed use time.

Setting up communication controls

If you’re managing your child’s device, go to Communication Limits in Screen Time, too. This group of settings gives you good control over who exactly the child can contact (Everyone, Contacts Only, or Contacts & Groups with at Least One Contact).

Stay safe, and keep your loved ones safe, too!