Here I would be giving you details on How to Use Parental Controls on Your Child’s iOS Devices. If you have kids who are still young, you might be afraid of your kids operating your devices or even when you get them their personal devices for them to entertain themselves.
if you are afraid that they might access inappropriate things on the internet, apps they might purchase by accident or device settings they could alter, then what you need is setting up parental controls so they can be safe.
How to Use Parental Controls on Your Child’s iOS Devices
If you happen to own an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch your child borrows regularly, or if they own one personally, then you can access any of these Apple devices’ settings and ensure that they do not accidentally make use of features that they are not supposed to be using.
Also, you can set up time limits, and app filter web content, to name a few. If you and your kids happen to own their very own Apple device, and you also own one, you can set up family sharing and essentially control their Apple device usage on your own.
What is Apple’s Family Sharing and Screen Time?
The Family Sharing feature by Apple allows up to about six family members with their very own Apple devices to share access to different Apple services, like a paid iCloud storage plan. Also you can share purchases and help locate a family member’s missing Apple device.
If you are a parent, you can make use of family sharing to manage your child’s device usage a lot easier. When you add a child account to your family sharing group – which allows one adult family member (you) to be the organizer a role that would allow you add other family members also.
You can choose to simply follow the onscreen instructions in other for you to add age-appropriate content restrictions, schedule downtime, and app time limits, limit their ability to communicate with others, and enable the need for your permission to download and purchase anything onto their devices.
Most of these actions can be executed via screen time, a menu in the settings that is available on any iOS device that is running on at least iOS 12. It is best to be updated to the latest version available to avoid any hiccups or issues.
Set Up Screen Time
Let’s say you already created an Apple ID for your kid and set up the family sharing with intentions to manage your child’s account and device via your own, you can follow these steps to set up screen time and assign the passcode:
- First, launch the Settings app and go to Screen Time
- Right under family, select your child’s name
- Hit Turn on Screen Time, then continue
- Follow onscreen instructions and head down the downtime, App limits, and content and privacy pages and then enter your limitation parameters for each or tap Not Now to have it done later.
- Tap on the use screen Time Passcode and follow the onscreen directions in other to verify it. You would have to ask to enter your Apple ID and Password so that you can rest your screen time passcode, in case you forget it.
These steps are similar to that of setting up screen time directly on your child’s Apple device, without family sharing. All you need to do is confirm that the Apple device you are setting up screen time on is your child’s device when asked. To add, you would want to set up a screen time passcode on your own Apple device if your child makes use of it as often as you do.
What Can I Control on My Kid’s iOS Device?
If you have gone through the process involved in turning on screen time and have set the screen time passcode, then you might have to go back and go through each of the following pages and manage different aspects of your child’s Apple device usage:
Downtime
This feature essentially sets a timeframe for when their Apple device would be unusable by them. They would require need permission to get more screen time, and only apps that you allow can be used.
App Limits
Also, you can set the daily limit for select app categories. Tap on a category in other for you to expand and select specific apps. Or set one affecting all apps. Also, you can add limits on specific websites. When your child maxes out the time you gave to them, they would have to ask you to get them more time.
Communication Limits
This is for when you want to limit your child’s access to Phone, FaceTime, Messages, and iCloud contacts and who among the Apple devices contacts that they can interact with all throughout the day, which includes scheduled downtimes. To make use of this feature, iCloud contacts are to be enabled.
Always Allowed
With this, you can choose which apps to always allow, regardless of when your child is using their device. This is where you also get to specify which contacts your child is allowed to communicate with during downtime.
Content & Privacy Restrictions
You would most certainly want to enable this on your Child’s device, as it carries the bulk of parental controls required to keep your child safe from content that is not appropriate content, accidental purchases unwanted device settings changes, and some potential privacy breaches.
