Use Ask to Browse to approve the websites your child can access

Screen Time comes with parental controls — like Ask to Browse — so when your child wants to visit a new website in Safari and other supported browser apps on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, they have to ask for your approval. Each approved website gets added to the allowed list, which you can adjust at any time.

Before you get started

1. Make sure you have Family Sharing set up.

2. Create a Child Account for your child, if they don't have one already. Then make sure your child's account is part of your Family Sharing group. It's important that your child has their own Apple Account, and isn't sharing an Apple Account with anyone else, like another family member.

3. Update all devices in your Family Sharing group to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, or visionOS 27. Then update your parental controls, which are required to use Ask to Browse.

4. Make sure the Family Sharing organizer or a parent/guardian is added to the child's contacts list so their requests can be sent for approval.

Turn on Ask to Browse

With Ask to Browse, you decide which websites your child can visit in Safari and supported browser apps.¹ When they want to visit a new website, they have to request approval. You can also allow websites ahead of time so your child always has what they need (for example, a website for school). If you approve an Ask to Browse request, your child will be able to access the website unless you choose to block it later. If you decline the request, the website won't be available on your child's device.

Access to websites containing adult content is limited. Ask to Browse is on by default for children under 13 and Limit Adult Websites is on by default for children under 18.²

On your iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app, tap Family, then tap your child's name.

2. Tap Apps & Websites, then tap Restrictions.

3. Scroll down to the Websites section, then tap Filtering.

4. Choose Approved Websites Only or Limit Adult Websites. Enter your Screen Time passcode if asked.

   

On your Mac

1. Choose Apple menu , click System Settings, then click Family.

2. Click your child's name, then click Apps & Websites.

3. Click Restrictions.

4. Scroll down to the Websites section, then click Filtering.

5. Choose Approved Websites Only. Enter your Screen Time passcode if asked.

   

Approve or decline an Ask to Browse request

The Family Sharing organizer or a parent/guardian can approve or decline a request on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Or they can approve or decline on the child's device by using the Screen Time passcode.

Approve or decline on your device

1. Open the message to see the website that your child wants to access.

2. Approve or decline the request.

Approve or decline on your child's device

1. On the website that your child wants to access, tap Ask Permission.

2. Tap Enter Screen Time passcode, then follow the onscreen instructions.

After the website is approved, your child will have access. If you decline a request, your child receives a notification that you declined the request. If you don't respond within 24 hours, the child will need to make the request again.

Block a specific website

If you already approved a website for your child, it'll appear under the Allowed section in Apps & Websites. You can block a specific website in Safari and supported browser apps for your child's device at any time.

On your iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app, then tap Family.

2. Tap your child's name, then tap Apps & Websites.

3. Tap the website from the list, then tap Block Website.

   

4. Tap Block Website again to confirm. Enter your Screen Time passcode if asked.

On your Mac

1. Choose Apple menu , click System Settings, then click Family.

2. Click your child's name, then click Apps & Websites.

3. Click the website from the list, then click Block.

   

4. Click Block Website to confirm, then click Done.