The internet is not the safest place for kids. Make sure your kids are safe before handing over a new phone. Here is how to install parental controls on iPhone.
Nobody can quite agree when it's "right" to give a child a smartphone. Some experts recommend waiting as long as possible. Some feel it's important since screen time and apps can have negative consequences.
Despite this, the average age for a child to get their first smartphone is now around 10 years. That raises plenty of questions for parents who are buying phones for their children and tweens. One of the big questions has to be, "Does iPhone have parental controls?"
There are parental controls on iPhone models. These can help you and your child work toward healthy cellphone use.
This guide will help you learn about the different controls at your disposal, and how you can use them. With the right rules and a little help, you can help your child develop a healthy relationship with technology.
Exploring Parental Controls on iPhone
In the past, parental controls on the iPhone weren't as big of a concern. That was because most people using smartphones were adults or even older teenagers.
As the age for getting a smartphone has trended downward, it's become more plain that parents need help. Smartphones are powerful devices that can do a lot. In many cases, that's helpful.
Some research suggests that smartphones can also be harmful though. Many people, including teens, feel they're "addicted" to their smartphones. If the phone is Internet-enabled, children and teens may use social media or play games.
This can lead them to unsafe spaces and subject them to cyberbullying or harassment. Their data may be at risk. This could include personal photos or even location information.
Having location services enabled on the phone could be helpful when you need to locate your child. It could also help other people find out where your child is or goes on a regular basis.
How can parents use this great technology, but also keep their children safe? Apple answered by introducing more parental controls in iOS 12. These have carried over to iOS 13, available for most iPhones.
Screen Time Parental Controls
Some of the most robust parental controls are associated with an app that was new in iOS 12: Screen Time. This app is a response to people feeling increasingly addicted to their screens.
Screen Time offers a tool to help track the use of your phone. With it, you can track how much time you spend on the phone. You can also set limits on screen time.
Apple recently added Screen Time to its desktop OS as well. That means you can track screen use across desktops, tablets, and iPhones. This gives you a more complete picture of how much time you spend looking at a screen.
Screen time is a big concern for many parents. Many experts recommend setting limits on screen usage for children. Tracking and limiting use can help kids develop a healthy relationship with technology.
To that end, it makes sense that you'll find plenty of upgraded parental controls in the Screen Time app. From here, you can set limits on total screen time, as well as limits for individual apps. You may even be able to simply shut down apps on a child's phone from your parent phone.
Setting up Parental Controls on iPhone
To set up Screen Time's parental controls, you'll need to enable Apple family sharing. This feature allows you to set up a parent phone as an administrator on the network.
This then gives you control over the child phones in the system. From here, you can set limits on apps and screen time. Make sure you turn off the ability to ignore set limits on the child phone, or your child can just keep adding time.
Another feature is the ability to set communication limits. This allows you more control over who contacts your child via their cellphone.
You can also control who contacts your child during downtime and allowed time. Screen Time lets you manage their contacts.
You can even control which apps are allowed when. If you want your child to be able to contact you via iMessage at any time, you'd set this app to "always allow." If you wanted to make sure they weren't being distracted by a game during school hours, you could limit access.
You can even toggle off apps permanently. For example, you can prevent access to an Internet browser, such as Safari. Some parents also turn off AirDrop, to reduce the risk of their children receiving obscene material.
Restricting Content
Besides turning off AirDrop, you may want to use content restriction options.
The Internet is unmonitored, and it's very easy for children to access harmful content. Turning off apps like AirDrop can help. Screen Time's content restrictions let you go a step further in protecting your child.
Here, you can set limits on what your children can see and access via their phones. You can restrict access to adult websites, for example.
Some websites may not be labeled "adult," but they still contain harmful content. You can create a list of allowed websites for your children to access. This way, you can be sure they're viewing content you've reviewed and approved.
You may wish to block some sites, such as Reddit or Tumblr. These sites aren't filtered through Screen Time. While some content is safe, not all of it is, and you can't be there to check what your children access 24/7.
It's also recommended to block some search engines, especially if they don't have a safe search option.
You can also set limits on the media your children consume through Apple Music, the iTunes Store, and the App Store. If something is rated higher than PG or is marked as having "explicit language," you can limit access.
Improving Privacy
Geotagging can be helpful in some situations. More often than not, it poses a danger for parents and children. If geotagging is on, information about where the image was taken is stored with the photo.
Anyone with the right app can then access this information. Turning off geotagging is especially important if you plan to share your photos. Geotagging should be turned off on parent and child phones alike.
Why? Parents often unwittingly post images of their children that share geographical information. This allows people to learn about your child's routines, where they go to school, and more.
Children are even more likely to unwittingly post this sensitive information.
If you opt to leave geotagging on, iOS 13 now lets you remove the information from individual photos. That way, if you plan to share an image, you can strip the geotags from it before it reaches social media.
Restricting Purchases and Apps
You may have heard stories about children buying apps or running up huge bills in games. It's all because they had access to their parents' account. If you're using Screen Time, you can restrict iTunes and App store purchases.
That way, your children can't buy apps or music you wouldn't approve of. They also can't run up enormous bills.
You can also restrict which apps are installed and which ones are deleted. If your child tries to delete an app or download one to circumvent the parental controls for iPhone, you'll be able to block them.
Other Apps for Greater Control
Screen Time gives you a fair amount of control over how your child uses their new iPhone. You may want to take things even one step further and invest in extra apps for greater control.
An example would be using a super-safe browser. These browsers are designed to filter adult and harmful content better. Other apps allow you to track your child's location history.
You may also be able to access their weblogs. Screen Time can access Safari's browser history. Safari browser history can't be deleted when a certain parental control for iPhone is turned on.
Still, there are other apps that let you do more.
Staying One Step Ahead
As with anything, it's likely that your child will try to circumvent the rules at some point. Whether they meddle with their screen time allowances or content restrictions, there's a good chance your child will try to get around parental controls.
In some cases, they may even be successful.
What's important here is for you to set out clear rules and establish why those rules are in place. Then, discuss appropriate actions if your child does break the rules.
Staying up-to-date with technology and your understanding of online safety can also help. Discuss the risks with your child. Help them see that the restrictions you place are designed to keep them safe in an unsafe world.
More Advice for Raising Tech-Savvy Kids
Parenting has always been hard, and technology has presented plenty of new challenges. Parental controls on iPhone are just one of the many methods you can use to help your kids safely navigate the brave new world technology has created.
Looking for more advice about raising savvy kids in the digital age? Check out our library for more tips and tricks.
