All parents should check ‘must-know’ feature on iPhone right now

IF your kids were lucky enough to get an iPhone or iPad this Christmas, you might want to check some important settings first.

Apple has built a number of special parental controls so young ones keep out of mischief online.

GettyApple has a load of settings to help parents out[/caption]

Screen time

Screen time is a great way to limit how long your child spends on their devices.

You can set it up by going to Settings and finding Screen Time.

Select Turn On Screen Time, then the blue button which also says Turn On Screen Time.

Next, tap This is My Child’s iPhone (or iPad).

Here you can select which content you wish for them to be able to access – Apple offers a bit of help if you say their age.

But the best bit is time away from screens, where you can set a downtime period where the device won’t work, such as between 9pm and 7am when they should be asleep.

You can also set app and website limits for specific categories of your choosing.

Avoid huge App Store purchases

It’s probably not a good idea for your bank details to be on an iPhone used by your kid as they could just go and download anything they like.

The same goes for in-app purchases.

You can restrict them by going to Settings, then Screen Time.

Find Content & Privacy Restrictions – you may be asked to enter your passcode.

Go to iTunes & App Store Purchases, then select Don’t Allow.

Prevent explicit content

You can prevent young ones from getting hold of some things not meant for their age, like music or TV shows with swearing.

It works if the content has a specific rating in place – which all apps must carry.

Go to Settings, then Screen Time.

Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then Content Restrictions.

Choose the settings you want for each feature or setting under Allowed Store Content.

Limit access to adult content on the web

The web is full of things not meant for young eyes.

iOS and iPadOS can filter website content automatically in Safari.

Go to Settings, followed by Screen Time.

Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then your Screen Time passcode.

Choose Content Restrictions, then Web Content.

Choose between Unrestricted Access, Limit Adult Websites or Allowed Websites. 

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]

  Read More