Smartphones like the iPhone have changed our everyday lives forever, giving us direct access to information, news, and media. We spend several hours every day staring at our screens. Hardly surprising really, given the fact that smartphones can do almost anything. However, these handy devices also pose some risks. Especially when it comes to kids, there are dangers that parents should be aware of and actively try to prevent. Read on to learn about the features and settings of iPhone’s parental controls and how you can make your children’s iPhone or iPad safer. Also discover how to use Avira Free Security to strengthen the protection of every smartphone in your family.
What are parental controls?
Parental controls are protective measures, features, and settings designed to safeguard children. What most parents probably think of first are physical parental controls on doors, windows, sockets, or cupboards. Nowadays, digital parental controls on devices are also very important. These were developed to protect children and minors from inappropriate content. In addition, they ensure that daily screen-time limits are set and enforced.
Parents can restrict or completely prevent access to content, apps, and media, ensuring kids use a smartphone in an age-appropriate and healthy way. This is not only important to comply with applicable youth protection laws but also to not negatively affect the child’s development, especially at a young age.
What options do iPhone’s parental controls offer?
First of all: This article refers to the Apple iPhone. That said, you’ll find the same settings and features on other iOS devices such as the Apple iPad — plus you can customize them in the same way.
Most modern smartphones offer practical parental control settings. The iPhone is of course no exception. Apple is generally considered a pioneer and innovator in many fields, which is why the issue of parental control is taken very seriously. For example, it’s possible to hide apps on the iPhone — plus, since iOS 12, the Screen Time option has allowed you to customize a host of options for true parental control. These settings are protected by a four-digit code, so you don’t have to worry about your children removing or altering the restrictions themselves.
But what options do iPhone parental controls offer? Let’s take a look at areas that are covered comprehensively:
- Apps: You can set time limits for apps or specific app categories. These settings mainly affect the browser, social media, video games, and entertainment apps such as YouTube and Twitch.
- Content and data protection: These settings primarily affect the browser, the App Store, Apple Music, and iTunes to restrict access to inappropriate online content. In addition to protection against explicit content, the purchase and download of apps and media content is also managed.
- Communication: These settings allow you to control and restrict communication with others. You can then set boundaries regarding who can be contacted and when.
- Screen time: Provides detailed insights into your children’s actual screen time and iPhone usage. This gives you information such as the number of times the device has been unlocked and the exact screen time usage for each app.
- Downtime: Allows you to set up times when your device can’t be used. Using exceptions, you can exclude emergency calls, calls to specific people, and even certain apps.
Your guide to setting up iPhone parental controls
The iPhone parental control settings can be found under the menu item Screen Time. To get to them, first open the Settings app on the device and, if necessary, enter the email address associated with your child’s Apple ID. Then open Screen Time.
This is home to all the settings you need. First, set a Screen Time Passcode. This four-digit code prevents your kids from messing with the settings. Once the code is on, you can tap through the individual sub-items and customize them to suit. The key features of Screen Time are:
- Weekly report: Gives you detailed information about screen time usage for the past week. This gives you a quick overview of which day the device was used, for how long, and for what purpose.
- Downtime: Here you set when the iPhone can’t be used. Typically, bedtime is set (for example, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.). You can set different rules for each day.
- App limits: You decide which apps can be used and for how long. This feature is interesting if you only want to allow your child to use an app for a certain number of minutes or hours every day.
- Communication limits: Here you set restrictions on who you can communicate with.
- Privacy: In this menu item, you have numerous options for location services, contacts, calendar, reminders, photos, location, Bluetooth, microphone, advertising, and tracking.
- Restrictions: With content restrictions, you can block unsuitable content based on certain age ratings so it’s no longer accessible.
The individual restrictions include:
- Allowed Store content: Any music videos and profiles, movies, TV shows, apps, and books. Particular apps like Monkey are aimed at children and minors, but are unsuitable and even dangerous for them.
- Web content: Key settings to keep your kids safe online. You can choose between Unrestricted access, Limit Adult Websites, and Only Approved Websites.
- Siri: Options for the voice assistant Siri. Here you can set whether Siri Web Search can search the internet for answers and display offensive language.
- Game Center: This is very important especially for youngsters. Here you’ll find settings for who your child can play with and who can be added as a new friend, as well as whether screen recordings and private messages are allowed.
Note: The name, order, and availability of individual settings may vary depending on the iPhone version. However, the path to parental controls via Settings -> Screen Time is the same for all models. You can also turn off any restrictions whenever you want by going to that menu item.
How to change the settings on your iPhone via Family (or Family Sharing)
Now you know how to customize parental controls on your child’s iPhone. This is exactly why your screen time passcode is so critical. Since only you know this code, you’re the only one who can change the iPhone parental control customizations.
As an alternative to the settings directly on the iPhone, Apple offers you a kind of “remote control” via the Family feature, allowing shared access to paid content, subscriptions, and apps within your family.
As the family organizer, you can add up to six family members to your group without everyone having to use the same Apple ID. The advantage of this is that you can create a separate Apple ID for your kids. By giving the year of birth, inappropriate content, downloads, and apps can be blocked automatically.
To set up Family, open the Settings app, tap your name, then tap Family and select Set Up Your Family. In the next step, follow the instructions and invite your family members to your group. As the family organizer, you can customize permissions and restrictions on your child’s smartphone via your own device.
By the way: You can also get third-party solutions to control and restrict your children’s activities. To learn more, check out our article on parental control apps.
Ask to Buy: Managing iTunes and App Store purchases
When inviting individual family members to your family group, you can also choose whether your child needs permission for downloads and in-app purchases. If you turn on this feature, your child will have to ask you every time they want to download or make a purchase from the App Store, iTunes, or Apple Books. You’ll then be notified of this request on your iPhone and can decide whether you want to approve or reject it.
Use of GPS tracking for additional security
Another feature of Family is tracking. The Find My feature allows you to track your child’s iPhone whenever you want. The location of that iPhone is then always shared with the family group.
Surf the internet even more safely with Avira Free Security
You can control and restrict your child’s use of the smartphone thanks to the many different settings offered by iPhone’s parental controls. You decide which content can be consumed at what times and to what extent the device can be used. That said, it’s a good idea to add extra safety measures if you do allow your kid to surf the internet within the framework of these specific rules or restrictions.
With Avira Free Security, you can make your child’s iPhone even more secure. Potential threats are detected in real time and the VPN function prevents the device from being found and manipulated by third parties, even on public networks. You can also consume content from other countries from anywhere in the world. Especially when you’re vacationing together, your child can stream all of their favorite series and movies that are normally only available in your home country.
