A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents – Technologist

Many kids these days own an iPhone. A survey found that children use their phones for five to eight hours a day on average. However, are iPhones really as safe as we think they are? Despite Apple’s security measures? Perhaps, but knowing how to set up parental controls on iPhones is crucial.

Below you will find a step-by-step guide to put parental control on iPhones to keep your kids safe while using their phones.

How to Protect Your Kid’s iPhone Using Parental Control

Kids who use iPhones should be cautious because the internet has a negative aspect by nature. Apple’s parental control capabilities are useful in this situation. They allow your youngster the freedom to explore the world through their screen while also assisting you in maintaining some degree of control over their phone activities.  Some of these features include:

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You can choose to restrict your child’s screen time by going to the settings and choosing a time you would like your child’s phone activity to be reduced. You can also restrict access to select apps during this downtime.

1. Open the Settings app on your child’s iPhone.
2. Tap on Screen Time.

Setting Up Screen Time:

If this is your first time using Screen Time, you’ll be prompted to set it up as “This [kids]’s iPhone” or “Set Up Screen Time for Family”.

• “This [kid’s Name]’s iPhone”: Use this if setting up Screen Time directly on your child’s device. You’ll need to create a Screen Time passcode to restrict future changes.

• “Set Up Screen Time for Family”: This option allows you to manage Screen Time settings for multiple devices linked to your iCloud Family Sharing.
• Restrict Internet Content

You can go to their browser settings and add websites that you don’t want your child to access. Alternatively, you can restrict all content and make exceptions to allow unrestricted access to certain safe websites.

Access to certain features, like cameras, locations, and photos, can raise privacy concerns. You can avoid this by changing or locking your privacy settings.

Family Share allows you to add other family members to the ecosystem, so you can share access to apps like Apple TV or Music. This gives you control over who you add and also allows you to keep an eye on the content your child is consuming.

Children might fall prey to making unnecessary in-app purchases during their games, etc. You can control their spending by disabling purchases in the Content and Privacy Restriction settings. These settings are protected by a passcode.

Third-Party Parental Control Apps for iPhones

If you aren’t satisfied with those settings alone, you can resort to using a parental control app like mSpy or mspy alternatives like Eyezy, which gives you more control and options to tweak. There are plenty of options to choose from, including Net Nanny, Kaspersky, Qustodio, and OurPact.

It is a great option, as it allows for closer surveillance of your child’s online activities. It allows you to view your child’s screen time, the messages they’re receiving and sending, the media that’s on their phone, etc. You can use this app to restrict mature or explicit content on your child’s phone and also locate them via Google Timeline.

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Bonus Tips

• Set a Screen Time password and keep it secure to prevent unauthorized changes.
• Regularly review app usage and adjust settings as needed.
• Consider using “Ask to Buy” for in-app purchases to maintain control over spending.
• Explore parental control apps for additional functionalities beyond Screen Time’s built-in features (these may require additional subscriptions).

Conclusion

As a parent, you always want your kids to be safe from threats, even if they’re virtual. Unsupervised internet access can make your kids prone to scams and predators. They may also be exposed to content that is not good for them. iPhone Parental controls help avoid that while giving you peace of mind. Let technology be a tool for exploration and learning, while ensuring a healthy balance in their digital and real-life experiences.