Kids and phones go together like TikTok and dancing.
Whether they're always borrowing your device,
or you're thinking about getting them one of their own,
it's important to set some boundaries on tech
and protect your kids and your devices.
Parental controls aren't just about keeping little eyeballs
from dangerous content.
They can also protect you
from your kids making too many in-app purchases,
and them from getting too much screen time in general.
So, today, I'll show you how to limit screen time,
make schedules for apps, limit inappropriate content,
and block in-app purchases and downloads on the iOS device.
Every parent has different rules
about how much screen time is too much.
Thankfully, iOS has a few customizable options
to let you set limits
on how long your kids can use the device.
Here's how to get started.
Go to settings and select "screen time."
Everything we'll show in this video
will be through screen time.
So feel free to dig in and explore your options.
If you don't already have this feature set up,
you'll have to activate it.
Select whether or not this phone is for your child or you.
If you're getting your kiddo an iOS device for the holidays
or on their birthday,
I recommend setting this up before giving them their gift.
If the device is for your kid,
you can set time and app limits from the start.
In this example, I'll set downtime for around school hours.
Let's say between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
But you can adjust the schedule based on time and day.
You can also limit apps and app categories
during this downtime.
Here, we've set a one-hour-limit on all apps.
Next, you can set up a passcode
that allows for more time on the app,
or use any features that you might've blocked.
Obviously, you'll want to keep that to yourself.
Once that's done, you can make more adjustments.
When their time is up,
they'll see this screen or selected apps blocked out.
You can add your passcode to give them more time in the app
or lock them out.
To make changes, use your passcode on their phone.
No matter how old your kids are,
there's inappropriate stuff out there
that's easy for them to find.
iPhones and iPads make it easy to block out specific sites
and content based on ratings and URLs.
Here's how to limit that stuff.
Again, go to screen time in settings,
find content and privacy restrictions
at the bottom of the menu.
Select content restrictions.
You'll see a long list of media types
like music, movies, TV, books, and apps.
There's also an option to adjust web content, Siri,
and games that they can access.
From here, you can address whether or not
they have access to clean or explicit media.
You can also block out all adult websites,
apps, TV shows, and movies,
and adjust how Siri reacts to explicit language
and block features on games like adding friends,
screen recording, and private messaging.
All the details are up to you,
but there are a ton of options in this menu.
Is there a game your kid's on 24/7?
Or maybe you'd like them to dial back on social media use?
Here's how to set a time limit on apps.
In this situation,
let's say our kid spends too much time on Instagram.
Honestly, I can relate.
So, again, go to screen time found in the settings app,
find the app limits,
and add "limit."
You'll see a list of app types
like social, games, entertainment, and so on.
You can limit specific apps or entire categories from here.
But, going with our example,
let's focus on limiting time on Instagram.
Set a time limit.
Let's go with one hour.
You can also add this to your schedule.
So, maybe one hour on weekdays,
and three on weekends.
Select add, and you're done.
Maybe Instagram or social media isn't your kid's cup of tea.
Instead, they've racked up a bill for in-app purchases
in their favorite game.
Here is how to limit in-app purchases
and app downloads.
Start in screen time in the settings app,
go-to content and privacy restrictions
towards the bottom of the menu,
select iTunes and App Store purchases.
From there, you can allow or block them
from downloading, deleting,
and spending money in apps,
or you can require a password
for any of these additional purchases.
We hope that helps.
It can be tough knowing
when to grant your kids extra freedom
and when to step in.
But, the good news is all of these settings are adjustable
and let you customize and change them as your kids grow.
If you have a question for us,
tag us with the hashtag #AskSafewise here on YouTube.
Thanks for watching, and stay safe.
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