The children of today are growing up in a world where technology has been around since their birth. The widespread use of mobile devices further pushes this generation into a life that involves having access to everything right there at their fingertips. The most important priority of a parent has always been the safety of their children. Many parents even shy away from allowing their children to use mobile devices until they reach a certain age. This no longer needs to be done as Apple’s iOS software has wonderful parental controls that are built right into many of their popular devices, such as iPhone, iPad and their iPod Touch devices.
That’s right, these parental controls come standard on all devices using Apple’s iOS operating system, so there is no need to go and download any expensive third-party apps from the app store in order to help maintain your child’s privacy nor do you need to withhold electronics from your child altogether. It is perfectly safe to let your child enjoy the entertainment that these Apple devices have to offer, and we are going to show you how! (P.S. It’s much easier than you think, you do not need to be some kind of computer expert to use these built-in controls!
Getting Started With iOS Parental Controls
From your child’s device, you are able to set up parental controls and control their privacy settings so that the changes you make cannot be undone. To get started, follow the steps below:
- Click the ‘Settings’ icon from your child’s device
- Click the ‘General’ section
- Click on ‘Restrictions’
- Tap ‘Enable Restrictions’
- Create A Passcode (This passcode will be used to enable/disable restrictions and change restriction settings)
* It is very important to remember this passcode. If you have lost or forgotten the passcode, the only way to recover it is by erasing your child’s device.
Changing iOS Parental Control Settings
Now that you have enabled parental controls and created a passcode for restrictions, you are ready to dive a little bit deeper into the specifics of what you now have control over. Enabling these restrictions will now give you control over nearly every aspect of your child’s device. It may actually seem overwhelming when you see just how much you now have control over. Keep on reading to see what all of these different options and settings mean.
Allow Use Of Native Apple iOS Apps & Features
Any app or feature that is turned off under parental restrictions will simply prevent your child from having access to it. This does not actually delete the app or feature off of the device completely, it simply just hides the icon from their home screen.
A common example is parents not wanting their kids to be able to take pictures or videos. If you disable the ‘Camera’ feature under parental controls, your child will not be able to access it. Additionally, any other apps that require access to the camera will no longer be able to use it.
You will now be able to restrict access to the following iOS apps:
- Safari
- Camera
- Siri
- FaceTime
- AirDrop
- CarPlay
In addition to the apps themselves, there are also features native to Apple’s iOS that you can restrict access to, such as preventing your child from downloading new apps or making in-app purchases on any other apps they may use or games they play. The features that you can restrict access to are:
- iTunes
- Music
- iBooks
- Podcasts
- News
- Installing Apps
- Deleting Apps
- Making In-App Purchase
Prevent Access To Explicit Content On iOS Devices
Various TV shows, movies, songs, apps, and even games have ratings based on whether or not they contain explicit or graphic content. Under this group of settings you will find a new set of options to configure and restrict. Below is a description for what each of these options mean:
- Ratings For: Different countries have different rating systems. Select your country to ensure the proper ratings are applied to the relevant content.
- Music, Podcasts, & News: This option allows you to prevent your child from hearing something that may contain explicit content, whether it’s a song they’re looking for or a news article they have stumbled across.
- Movies: Allow your child to access only certain movies with a specific rating.
- Apps: Prevent apps with specific ratings from being used or downloaded.
- Siri: Prevent Siri from searching and finding explicit content on Google and Wikipedia.
Prevent or Allow Access To Certain Websites
Another widely used feature of Apple’s iOS restrictions is the ability to grant or deny access to certain websites through the Safari web browser and other apps on your child’s device. You can create a list of websites and either allow your child to only access those websites or to have only those websites blocked. You can also filter out all websites with adult content. To access these settings, follow the steps below:
- Click the ‘Settings’ icon
- Go to ‘General’
- Tap ‘Restrictions’
- and click on ‘Websites’
From here you can create a list of specific websites to block or create a specific list of websites that are only allowed by your child to visit.
Privacy Settings
This area of the iOS restrictions allow you to control which apps can access data that is stored directly on the device, such as contacts, photos, and location services. From here you also have the ability to restrict apps from trying to access the microphone on your child’s device.
Another commonly used setting in this area of restrictions is the ability to configure advertising and facebook settings. You are also able to configure whether or not your child can go in and change the privacy settings themselves, thus adding an extra layer of security and safety for your child and their device.
Changes To Other Settings And Features
Above we mentioned taking away your child’s ability to change privacy settings. This section is similar in the sense that you can restrict your child from changing other various settings and features. These are some pretty specific settings, but are also some that are commonly searched for.
- Accounts: Control whether or not your child can configure settings for accounts and make password changes
- Volume Limit: Control how much your child is able to turn up the volume on their device in order to ensure safe listening to avoid hearing damage or loss
- Do Not Disturb While Driving: If you have a child who is just learning to drive, you can force their phone to go into Do Not Disturb mode whenever they are driving.
The other options in this area of restrictions are self explanatory, such as preventing your child from playing multiplayer games or prevent them from using screen recording features.
You (and your child) are all set!
As you can see, there is certainly no need to pay for third-party apps when Apple’s iOS comes stock with numerous features to help ensure every bit of your child’s safety.
Now that you feel more comfortable about your child having a mobile device, head on over to Gadget Fix to get them a device that they can use safely. Gadget Fix can also repair that old device you have lying around so that you can safely pass it down to your child. Contact Us today with any questions!