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iPhones are one of the most popular cell phones used by people today. According to this survey, about 83% of American teens own an iPhone. With that being said, what can parents do to ensure their child is safe while using their iPhone? Well, aside from using an iPhone parental monitoring app, there are plenty of built-in iPhone parental controls that parents can utilize.
Different Ways To Use Parental Controls On Your Kid’s iPhone
Set-Up Screen Time
All iPhones have a Screen Time setting, which enables parents to set-up a parental passcode. Most iPhone parental control settings require that a passcode be entered by the parent to download apps, make purchases, and more. This passcode is necessary to control and change various settings as well. This is so children cannot access and change these settings without their parents knowing.
- Go to Settings → Screen Time.
- Click on Continue, then “This is My Child’s [Device].”
- Tap on Use Screen Time Passcode to create your screen time passcode.
- Follow the prompts until you have to enter and reenter your passcode.
- Click on Content & Privacy Restrictions, and enter your passcode.
Controlling iTunes & App Store Downloads and Purchases
Kids love to download the latest music, apps, and games their peers are playing. However, this is often done without the knowledge of their parents. By setting up the “iTunes & App Store Purchases” features, parents can choose whether to allow their kids to install and delete apps, or add a passcode requirement for app purchases.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Enter your parental passcode if asked.
- Click on iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- Choose to Allow (or Don’t Allow) Installing Apps, Deleting Apps, and In-app Purchases.
- Choose to Always Require (or Never Require) a password.
Restrict App Use
If you don’t want your child using certain apps, you can restrict access to them via the following settings. For example, you can block Fortnite if you don’t want them playing it.
- Open Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Enter your passcode.
- Click on Allowed Apps.
- Choose which apps you want to allow or not allow your child to use.
Block Websites & Limit Adult Content Online
Whenever your child goes online, you don’t want them exposed to explicit content such as videos, sites, and photos. Besides explicit content, there are probably other websites you don’t want your kids accessing. For example, if your child isn’t allowed to be on Facebook and other social media platforms, you can choose to block them as well.
- Go to the Settings app.
- Click on Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Tap on Content Restrictions → Web Content.
- Choose whether to enable Unrestricted Access, Limit Adult Websites, or Allowed Websites of web content.
- Under Always Allow, add websites your child is allowed to visit.
- Under Never Allow, add websites you don’t want your child to visit.
Control Siri Web Search
Just like going on Google, many kids will use Siri to answer their questions. However, not everything they ask Siri may be appropriate for them to hear. Luckily you can choose to restrict their access to Siri as well.
- Open Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Click on Content Restrictions.
- Scroll down to where it says Siri, and choose settings.
- From here, you can enable:
- Explicit Language – Prevents Siri from using and displaying explicit language.
- Web Search Content – Prevents Siri from searching the web when you ask it a question.
Avoid Inappropriate Content and Set Rating Restrictions
You can restrict and prevent your child from viewing content that is inappropriate and has a certain content rating. This content includes TV shows, books, music, podcasts, apps, and more.
- Go to Settings → Screen Time.
- Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions → Content Restrictions.
- Under Allow Store Content, change the settings as needed to meet the needs of your child.
Restrict Gameplay
Kids today love playing the most popular iPhone games like Fortnite and Mario Kart Tour. However, these games can put kids in danger when they involve messaging other players, screen recording, and live streaming. Thankfully, parents can restrict these using iPhone parental controls.
- Go to Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Click on Content Restrictions.
- Scroll down to Game Center and choose Settings.
- The settings you can adjust include:
- Screen Recording – Prevent your child from recording their gameplay and audio.
- Multiplayer Games – Block your child from playing multiplayer games.
- Adding Friends – Don’t allow your child to friend people on Game Center.
With all of these parental controls, you won’t have to worry about your child’s iPhone activity. You don’t want your child viewing inappropriate content, playing games they shouldn’t, and downloading apps without permission. Make sure to stay up-to-date on these parental controls and other iPhone safety tools.