How to Set Up Parental Controls on Your iPhone and iPad

You can set up parental controls on an iPhone and iPad through the iOS Screen Time feature. If you’re a parent, it makes sense that you want to protect your kids from inappropriate or malicious online content. Using your Screen Time settings, you can also block apps and restrict the content you feel is inappropriate. If you want to block specific downloads, you can do that too.

Parental controls enable you to give your child the freedom to use an electronic device without the worry that sometimes comes with it. Let’s go over the steps needed to figure out how to set up parental controls on iPhone or iPad.

How to set up parental controls on iPhone and iPad

Many parents feel concerned about the presence of their kids on social media and other online apps. Fortunately, Apple devices such as iPhones and iPads enable you to set parental controls through a few simple steps.

Follow these steps to create the restrictions you want your child’s iPhone or iPad to have:

• Go to Settings and click on Screen Time.

• Click Continue, and you’ll be asked whether this is your device or your child’s device. Use Screen Time Passcode to make sure your child and other family members cannot change your parental control settings. If you’re using iOS version 13.4 and later, you may need to enter your Apple ID and password.

• Click on Content & Privacy Restrictions to access more parental control options.

• Enter your passcode and turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.

How to customize parental controls in iOS

There are several parental control customization options available on iOS devices. You can restrict iTunes and App Store purchases, prevent adult content and explicit language, and even choose the apps you want to allow.

Restrict iTunes and App Store purchases

iTunes has a massive stream of music, podcasts, and more, while the App Store has more than 1 million apps you can buy or download for free. One parental control you can set up is restricting what your child can buy to limit purchases made without your consent.

1. Go to Settings and click on Screen Time.
2. Click on Content & Privacy Restrictions. You may get asked to enter your passcode.
3. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
4. Choose whether to allow or disallow each setting. You can also set up a password for in-app purchases.

   

Prevent adult content and explicit language

One of the common concerns many parents have when giving a child an iPhone or iPad is what they may be exposed to while they’re online. You can restrict access to music and content with explicit language or ratings.

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restriction. Then tap Content Restrictions.
3. Define the settings you want to have in place for Allowed Store Content, Web Content, and Siri settings.

Choose allowed apps

You can decide what apps are restricted to hide them from the Home Screen and limit access to them. This setting can be used to limit your child’s access to certain apps, for example, by reducing how many social platforms they can access to help them stay safe on social media.

1. Go to Settings and click Screen Time.
2. Click Content & Privacy Restrictions. If prompted, enter your Screen Time passcode.
3. Click Allowed Apps and choose the specific apps you want to allow or restrict.

Define privacy settings

The privacy settings allow you to control the device-stored information apps can access. You can define app limits such as access to the camera, location sharing, contact viewing, and more.

1. Go to Settings and click Screen Time.
2. Go to Content & Privacy Restrictions. You may be prompted to enter your passcode.
3. Click Privacy, and choose the settings you want to restrict.

Parental control apps for iOS

While Screen Time offers a good foundation for parental control, it is missing a few features. To make sure your child is safe across over devices and even social media, we recommend investing in a parental control app. 

Here are our favorite parental control services:

FAQs

Bottom line

It’s common for children to have iPhones or iPads. That’s why Apple includes many customizable parental controls you can use to restrict the features you don’t want your child to have. You can limit purchases, apps, content, and access to personal data.

Parental control settings can help make your children safer online. Keep in mind that these settings may not prevent all explicit content. For example, inappropriate content sent via a chat app may avoid these restrictions, apps may still be vulnerable to breaches, and your child’s identity may not be fully protected. Learn about child identity theft and how to protect against it.