Use Screen Time to manage your child’s iPhone or iPad
With Screen Time, you can see how much time your child spends on their device, including which apps and websites they use the most. You can also schedule daily app limits, block content that isn’t age appropriate and more.
Set up Screen Time for your child
There are a couple of ways you can set up Screen Time to manage your child’s device.
If you have Family Sharing set up and your child’s Apple Account is part of the Family Sharing group, you can set up and manage Screen Time from your own iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Vision Pro. To make sure your Screen Time settings sync across all of the devices in your Family Sharing group, update all of the devices to the latest software version before turning on or changing your Screen Time settings. Find out how to set up Family Sharing.
If you don’t have Family Sharing set up, or your own Apple device, but your child has their own iPhone or iPad and they’re between 13–17*, they can create an Apple Account, then you can set up and manage Screen Time and parental controls using their device.
* Age varies by country or region.
Use your iPhone or iPad to turn on Screen Time
Open the Settings app, scroll down, then tap Screen Time.
Under Family, tap your child’s name.
Follow the onscreen instructions to add age-appropriate settings, get a Screen Time summary, lock Screen Time settings and parental controls, and more.
Use your child’s iPhone or iPad to turn on Screen Time
If you don’t have an iPhone or iPad, but your child does and they’re between the ages of 13–17*, you can use their device to set and manage their Screen Time settings and parental controls.
Open the Settings app, scroll down, then tap Screen Time.
Tap App & Website Activity, then tap Turn On App & Website Activity. This allows you to see a summary of your child’s device usage.
Scroll down, then tap Lock Screen Time Settings.
Enter a four-digit passcode, then enter it again to confirm.
View your child’s Screen Time summary
After you’ve set up Screen Time and enabled App & Website Activity, you can view a summary of your child’s activity. The report includes how much time your child spends using apps and websites, how often they pick up their devices, what apps send the most notifications and more.
If you can’t see a summary of their activity, they may need to use their device longer in order to show a report. Find out more about the Screen Time summary.
Manage Screen Time features and parental controls
After you’ve turned on Screen Time and created a passcode to keep the settings in place, you can add parental controls to help keep your child’s device usage safe, private and age appropriate.
Limit Usage
You can schedule specific times that your child is allowed to use their device, set limits for apps, and specify which apps and contacts they’re allowed to communicate with.
Downtime: Block apps and notifications for specific periods. When you schedule downtime, only phone calls and apps that you choose to allow are available.
App Limits: Set a time limit for a category of apps (such as games or social networking) and for individual apps.
Always Allowed: Choose who your child can communicate with during downtime. These limits apply to Phone, FaceTime, Messages, Maps and iCloud contacts. You need to have your iCloud contacts enabled to use this feature.
Screen Distance: Enable prompts to encourage your child to move their iPhone or iPad further away from their face if they’ve held it too close for an extended period. Find out more about Screen Distance.
Find out how to set schedules, add app limits and more
Communication
Communication Limits: Choose who your child can communicate with via Phone, FaceTime, Messages, iCloud contacts and other supported apps during allowed screen time and during downtime. Find out how to set limits on how and who your child can communicate with.
Communication Safety: Help protect your child from sharing or receiving sensitive photos and videos. This feature provides on-device guidance and age-appropriate resources to help your child make safe choices. Apple doesn't have access to the photos or videos. Find out more about Communication Safety.
No matter the limits you choose, your child is always allowed to communicate with known emergency numbers identified by your mobile service provider.
Restrictions
Content & Privacy Restrictions: Manage content, apps and settings for your child’s device, including blocking inappropriate content and preventing changes to privacy settings, such as Share My Location.
Find out how to set parental controls with Content & Privacy Restrictions
App exception requests
When you set up parental controls with Screen Time or enable Ask to Buy, your child can make an exception request when they've reached a limit you set for their device. As the parent or guardian, you can respond to a child’s exception request directly from their device or on your own device when you have Family Sharing set up.
Find out more about managing app exceptions for your child
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*Age varies by country or region.