Step 2: Create a Child Account
Creating a Child Account gives your child age-based protections that you can adjust anytime based on your family’s needs. When you create a Child Account and add your child to your Family Sharing group, you can add other adults as parents or guardians to help manage their parental controls and share purchases and subscriptions with them. To take advantage of the new parental control experience, you and your family need to update your devices.
Note: A Child Account is required for children under 13 and available for children up to 18. The minimum age required to create a Child Account may vary across countries and regions. For more information, see the Apple Support article Create an Apple Account for your child.
To get started creating a Child Account, go to the Settings app (or System Settings on Mac), click or tap the Add Child button, then select Create Child Account. Depending on your situation, you can also do any of the following:
If you’re setting up your child’s first iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch: When you set up an Apple device for your child for the first time, you’ll be guided through the steps to create their first Apple Account. You can also set up Screen Time and other parental controls during this process. See Set up an iPhone or iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch for your child.
If you’re handing a device down to your child: If someone else is signed in to the device your child uses, sign out of that Apple Account, then set them up with a Child Account using Family Sharing. This way, your personal information stays separate, and you get access to age-based parental controls. See the Apple Support articles What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch.
If your child’s age isn’t accurate: Some children may have an Apple Account that wasn’t set up with their correct birthday, so age-based settings and suggestions might not work as expected. You can correct the birthday and, if needed, convert it to a Child Account. This way, your child can have age-based parental controls that you can customize based on your family’s needs. See the Apple Support article If you change an Apple Account to a Child Account.