What Is An iPhone?
The iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones in the world. Manufactured by Apple, there are many versions such as iPhone SE, iPhone X line, iPhone 11 lines, iPhone 8, and more. There are many versions of the iPhone, and each with their own specification and features. .
With the popularity of the iPhone, there are millions of kids and pre-teens using it as their primary device. Parents are buying their kids smartphones at an earlier age than ever before, so it is extremely important for them to be able to monitor their kids’ activity on the device. There is a lot of explicit content online, so Apple has set up tools for parents to help keep their kids protected.
iPhone Parental Controls
The iPhone has built-in features that can help parents keep their kids safe. Parents are able to install and delete apps, set time limits, and monitor iTunes App Store purchases.
Screen Time Settings for the iPhone
Screen Time is a feature in the settings section of an iPhone or iPad that was released with the iOS 12. In this section, parents can set up their kids with content and privacy restrictions that can help parents monitor their kids’ activity on the device. It can allow and restrict certain apps, iTunes and App Store purchases, and restrict many other iOS features such as reminders, photos, and Share My Location.
How To Set-Up Screen Time On iPhone
- Go to Settings → Screen Time.
- Turn on the Screen Time toggle button.
- Tap Continue, and select This is my [child’s device].
- Click on Change Screen Time Passcode and authenticate.
Within Screen Time, you get access to Downtime, App Limits, and Content & Privacy.
Content & Privacy
With Content & Privacy, you can control, limit, or restrict web content, Siri web search, game center, allow apps, content ratings, adult content, and purchases in the iTunes and App Store.
How To Access Content & Privacy Settings on iPhone
- Tap Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Enter your passcode if prompted to do so.
- Customize the setting for iTunes & App Store Purchases, Web Content, Privacy, and Content Restrictions.
Downtime
Downtime is another great feature that is available for the iPhone under Screen Time. Using this tool, parents can set the iPhone to only allow specific apps and phone calls during a certain time period or on certain days. This is helpful if a parent wants to allow their child to be able to call in case of an emergency but not have access to certain apps.
Specifically, parents can use this feature when their child goes to bed, or when they go to school and they don’t want them using distracting apps during class. How the child uses this tool is up to them, but the possibilities are endless.
How To Set-Up & Access Downtime
- Open the Settings app and click on Screen Time.
- Press Downtime and turn on the Downtime toggle button.
- Select a start and end time.
- To allow your child to use certain apps during Downtime, go back to Screen Time → Tap on Always Allowed, and select the apps.
App Limits
Within Screen Time, parents can set time limits on certain apps within the iPhone. If there is a certain game that the child is playing too much, or they are spending too much time on TikTok, this can help them establish good habits.
How To Access App Limits
- Go to Settings → Screen Time → App Limits.
- Tap Add Limit and select a category. If you want to set specific app limits, select the category then the app.
- Select Next to set limits for the app or category. Repeat this and the previous step for all desired individual apps (if applicable).
- When finished, tap on Add.
Family Sharing
Using the Family Sharing iPhone feature, parents are able to utilize location sharing between the different devices of the family. To turn on this feature in iOS 13 or later, use the Find My app. Have your family members choose to share their location from within the app. Once they have shared their location, family members will be able to see their location from both the iMessage and Find My Friends apps!Other than location, family members can share apps, media, movies, TV shows, and more with each other.
Use The iPhone Safely
With all of these features that are available for parents, the iPhone has many great tools to help them keep their kid’s iPhone use secure and safe. There is a lot of explicit content online that is not safe for kids, so these tools from Apple are very important in helping parents keep their kids safe.