How to set parental controls on your child's iPhone

March 5, 2025 by Neapolitan Family Staff

Learn how to set up parental controls on your child’s iPhone with step-by-step instructions. Manage screen time, restrict content, block app downloads, and keep your child safe online.

Start the Settings app and then tap Screen Time.
On the Screen Time page, tap Turn on Screen Time.
Tap Continue.
Tap This is My Child’s iPhone.
On the Downtime page, configure the hours you want your kid’s iPhone to be offline. Regardless of what hours you choose, calls and text messages will still get through.
On the App Limit page, you can choose how long your child can use various kinds of apps then tap Set App Limit.
On the Content & Privacy page, tap Continue, then create a passcode so you have access to the Screen Time parental controls, but your child does not.

After this initial setup, you can return to Screen Time in Settings at any time to make changes to this initial configuration.

(Note: you can only do this if you have an Apple device as well)

Start on the Settings app and then tap your name to manage your Apple ID and account settings.
Tap Set Up Family Sharing and following the instructions to link each of your child’s accounts

How to specify which websites your child is allowed to visit on an iPhone and filter adult content

Once you’ve configured parental controls, you might want to specify which websites the iPhone is allowed to visit.

Start the Settings app and then tap Screen Time.
On the Screen Time page, tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. You might need to
enter your Screen Time passcode.
If it’s not already turned on, swipe the button for Content & Privacy Restrictions to the right.
Tap Content Restrictions.
In the Web Content section, tap Web Content.

Note: This feature will only work on the Safari browser that came already installed on the device from the Factory. If you allow your child to download or install other browsers, such as Firefox, Google Chrome, and many others, they will still be able to access inappropriate content from those browsers.

How to control iTunes and App Store purchases on an iPhone

Start the Settings app and then tap Screen Time.
On the Screen Time page, tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. You might need to enter your Screen Time passcode.
If it’s not already turned on, swipe the button for Content & Privacy Restrictions to the right.
Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
Choose which settings you want to allow or not allow. You can also choose to always require a parental password to be entered for purchases.

How to restriction app deletion with parental controls for iPhone

Launch the Settings app.
Tap on General.
Tap on Restrictions.
Tap on Enable Restrictions if they aren’t already. If they are, skip to step 6.
Choose a password that only you will know.
Toggle Off the options for Deleting Apps under the Allow section.

If you ever want to remove an app, or supervise your child removing an app, like a game they’ve long since stopped playing, you can easily go back into Settings and temporarily re-enable app deletion. Then, when you’re done, you can enable it again.

Note: If they select “don’t allow” for installing apps then it will remove the App Store from visibility on the device, so they won’t be able to access it. Most parents won’t want to go to this degree since it will not allow their child to even browse games, they will have to allow it and supervise the browsing. I recommend “allowing” the installing and simply “control the rating level restriction” for the types of apps they can search for and if they do try to be sneaky, they won’t be able to delete it so they will get caught when the parent checks the apps on the device and sees an app they instructed them not to download.

Turn off ability to make account or password changes

Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If prompted, enter your passcode.
Under Allow Changes, select the features or settings you want to allow changes to and choose Allow or Don’t Allow.

Here are some features and settings you can allow changes for:

Passcode Changes: Prevent changes to your passcode
Account Changes: Prevent changes to settings for Accounts & Passwords

Note: You don’t want to allow your child the ability to make account changes since this would allow them to do things such as change the account password, delete their iCloud account and install a new one, or change the password for the device, thereby locking you out of accessing the device at all.

Prevent them from turning off location services

First set up the device for Family Sharing, turn on the location services on your child’s device and then have your child start sharing their location with you.

Tap Settings > [your name]. Tap Set Up Family Sharing > Get Started, then follow the onscreen steps.

Second turn off Allow Changes to Location Services

Go to Settings>General>Restrictions, and turn off Allow Changes, and check Locations Services. Make sure you don’t forget the passcode that you use for Restrictions.

How to restrict use of the device during certain hours, such as bedtime

In Screen time tap downtime.
Enter the parent passcode.
Turn on downtime.
Select the schedule to apply to Every Day or Custom Days.
Select the hours and days you want downtime to apply.
Turn on block at downtime.

How to set time limits for use of apps

You can choose to limit the amount of time per day you child is allow to use all apps or specific apps

In Screen time select App Limits.
Turn on App Limits.
Select Add Limit.
Select Block at End of Limit.
Select the time period you want to allow.
Select the app category of either all apps and categories or select the specific apps you want that rule to apply to.

How to set limits for communication

You can choose who your child is allowed to communicate with and manage their contacts remotely

In Screen Time select Communication Limits
Choose which contacts to allow during screen time and which to allow during downtime
Choose if you want your child the ability to edit contacts

How to set up family sharing so that you can remotely make changes and monitor your child’s device