Set up parental controls on your child’s device

Step 1: Get started

After you and your family update your devices, you’ll be invited to set up parental controls for your child. You’ll be able to set up apps your child can explore, which Contacts they can communicate with, when they can access apps and websites, and more.

Tap or click Get Started to begin. If you can’t complete these steps now, you can get started at any time by going to Family Sharing Settings > (your child’s name).

Step 2: Choose what content your child can access

Decide which apps, websites, and content your child can access. You’ll select two settings:

• Manage their website access in Safari: With Approved Websites Only or Ask to Browse, your child needs your approval before visiting a new site in Safari. Once approved, that site stays accessible. With Limit Adult Websites, access to many adult websites is limited. Or you can give unrestricted access to the internet.

  Note: Ask to Browse is on by default for children with a Child Account under 13. Limit Adult Websites is on by default for children with a Child Account under 18. Children under 13 need to request to browse new websites and children under 18 need permission to browse all blocked websites. (Ages may vary by country or region.)

• Choose their access to content: Set age ratings for books, movies, TV shows, and music available through Apple apps like the Books app. For example, you can select an age rating or block explicit content.

  Note: Age-based Content and Privacy Restrictions are turned on by default for children under 18 with a Child Account and can be adjusted at any time. (Age may vary by country or region.)

Tap or click Continue when you’re done.

Step 3: Choose who your child can communicate with

Manage who your child can communicate with using the Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps, and help protect them from sensitive content.

• Decide who they can talk to: When your child wants to message or call someone new, you review and approve that contact first. You can choose whether everyone in the group needs approval, or just one approved contact in the thread.

  Note: Contact management is on by default for children with a Child Account up to age 13, and can be turned on for children with a Child Account age 13 and up. (Age may vary by country or region.)

• Help protect them from sensitive images and videos: Help protect your child from sending or receiving photos that may contain detected nudity or gore.

Tap or click Continue when you’re done.

Step 4: Choose when your child can use their device

Set the hours your child can use apps and websites, with separate schedules for weekdays and weekends. Outside these hours, most apps and notifications are paused—this is the feature formerly called Downtime—now built into your child’s daily schedule. Choose an Available From and Available Until time for each.

Tap or click Continue when you’re done.

Step 5: Set up school hours to help your child focus

You can pause app categories like Entertainment, Games, and Social Media during school hours to help your child stay focused at school. Other apps and websites stay fully accessible.

Turn on Pause During School Hours, then set a Start Time and End Time for the school day.

Tap or click Continue when you’re done.

Step 6: Set Time Allowances

Time Allowances, previously called App Limits, now apply to the app categories families most often want to manage: Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. You can set a total amount of time across all three, then adjust the time for any single category.

As you set a limit, you see guidance based on your child’s age, informed by research from clinical and child development experts. Drag the slider to adjust the time and see whether it falls within the suggested range.

You can also add categories or change which apps belong to a category—to fit what works for your family.

Tap or click Continue when you’re done.

Step 7: Create a passcode

Create a four-digit passcode that your child shouldn’t be able to guess. You’ll need to enter this passcode any time you change parental controls or child safety features.

Tap or click Continue when you’re done.