Apple offers a few different options for parental controls on iOS devices. You can set restrictions on app downloads, features, and more.
These controls are divided into four categories: people aged 12 or younger, people aged 13 to 17, seniors (people aged 65 or older), and everyone else.
The categories can be set by the Apple ID owner, which allows you to create parental controls for other people as well. This is a great way to set up family accounts!
You can also set individual DND (do not disturb) timers for each category. This allows you to schedule times of the day when kids have limited access to the device and/or apps. For instance, you could set DND time for children’s time to 8 AM-5 PM so they have access to apps and device functions only during those times.
This is a great way to help them transition from sleep time to morning activities like getting ready for the day.
Select General
Now, you will be in the General settings section. This is where you can set up basic privacy and security for your child. You can also name the device and set a passcode for extra protection.
Privacy: Here, you can select which apps your child has access to and how they use them. You can limit app usage by time or by using a grade level system.
You can also set screen time limits depending on the day or week. This is great for setting a limit on screen time during the week but increasing it during weekends or vacations.
Siri: Here, you can choose who your child talks to through the device. You can either choose to turn Siri completely off or select whom they can talk to. This is very helpful in preventing any outside contact through the device.
Restrictions: In this section, you can choose to restrict social media, buying apps, renting movies, and gaming websites. By setting these restrictions, your child will not be able to access those areas on their device.
Select Restrictions
Once you have entered your passcode, you can begin setting up parental controls. To do this, go to Settings > General > Restrictions and select Restrictions. You will be asked to enter your passcode again to confirm you have access to these restrictions.
Here you can set content restrictions, filter apps, limit device usage and more. Content restrictions include limiting access to movies and TV shows based on rating, Netflix, Amazon Video, iTunes and Books.
You can also limit contact and communication methods as well as finance and marketing apps. Device settings include device lockdown like using Find My iPhone or wiping the device if it is lost.
To learn more about the different settings and learn how to use them, read our guide on How to Set Up Parental Controls on an iPad.
Create a 4-digit passcode
Once you have your child’s account set up, the next step is to create a passcode for your child to use to access the device.
Every device that has access to the Apple ID you create for your child needs a passcode. This ensures that only approved devices can be used to access the Apple ID.
By creating a 4-digit passcode, you add an additional level of protection. With this type of passcode, anyone trying to get into the device must try thousands of possible combinations.
This makes it much harder for someone who does not have permission to get in. Furthermore, having a longer passcode makes it more difficult for someone to try thousands of different ones on their own – they would need more time and resources.
It is best to periodically change this code so that there is never a point where it is too late to set this up.
Set restrictions for camera use
Nowadays, most people use their camera for social media purposes. However, there are still situations where you would want to limit camera use.
Children love to play with tablets, but sometimes they use them in inappropriate ways. For example, a child may try to use the tablet to bully another child by taking pictures or videos of them.
You can disable the camera option on your device by going into Settings > General > Restrictions and turning off Camera. You can also set a passcode here to require it when accessing the Camera option or any other restriction you choose to set.
If you only want your children to take pictures at certain times, you can set the timer on Restrictions for the Camera option.
Set restrictions for contacts and phone use
If you are concerned about your kid’s safety, then you can set restrictions on contacts and phone use. You can set it so they can’t add new contacts or delete or change existing ones.
You can also set it so they cannot make any calls or video calls. If they need to make a call, you can set time limits and length of calls.
This is a good setting if your child needs the iPad for educational apps but may need to call an emergency number. By having this setting, they can get the information they need and then exit the app quickly.
If you want to go a step further, you can even control the apps they have access to by having them approved by you first. This way, if there is an app that may be harmful, you can deny it access.
Set restrictions for Safari web browser use
Once you’ve set up your child’s account, the next step is to set restrictions for the Safari web browser.
You can limit searches by keyword, disable certain websites, and create time limits for browsing. You can also choose to have your child create restricted accounts so they have some freedom to explore the internet.
They will need to add accounts and manage their privacy settings for social media sites as well. This lets them explore the internet while still having some parental control.
Safari has very robust controls that even let you set time limits for browsing. You can set a timer that turns off access to the internet at a certain time so your child gets enough sleep!
Another great feature is the ability to create different profiles on the same device. This allows multiple people who use the device to have their own settings and privacy controls for each profile.
Review content restrictions for apps
Once you’ve enabled restrictions, you can further refine the controls by reviewing the content restrictions for apps. You can do this in Apple’s Settings or in the App Store.
In Settings, go to General>Restrictions and then scroll down to Apps. Here you can disable specific apps or groups of apps, specifically search for new apps in the App Store, and find which groups of apps require a passcode to open them.
This is an important part of setting up parental controls on iPad because it allows you to restrict access to certain apps and makes it harder for your child to get around other restrictions with a passcode.
For example, you can set up your child’s iPad so that they cannot visit any websites, but they can use all of the apps they want.
Enable content filters for Apple Music
In addition to music, you can access podcasts through Apple Music. If you want to limit what songs and music kids can access, you can set up content filters.
These filters include general content, clean content, mature content, and very mature content. General content will show most songs in the app. The clean filter will only show songs rated PG-13 or below. Mature and very mature filters will only show explicit songs.
By default, all of these filters are turned off. You can choose to turn some or all of them on to better control the content accessible in Apple Music.
If your kids like music and you are concerned about what they are listening to, turning off the general and clean filters is a good starting point. Then, if there is a song they like that is not available on the filtered list, you can look up the lyrics to check if it is appropriate for your kid(s).
Leave a Reply