Parental lock over iPhones and Android phones is crucial in today’s digital age. Smartphones have become integral to our daily lives, and children are no exception. While smartphones offer numerous benefits, such as communication and education, they can also expose children to various risks, such as cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and online predators.
Parental locks make parents regulate and monitor their child’s smartphone usage. Parents can ensure that their children are safe and protected while using their phones by setting limits on screen time and restricting access to inappropriate content.
In addition, parental locks provide parents with peace of mind knowing that their children are not engaging in risky online behavior. Parents can also use parental locks to monitor their child’s online activity and have meaningful conversations about responsible smartphone usage. Protecting children from online risks and promoting responsible technology use is essential.
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Why Parents Are Considering Locking Their Children’s iPhones
Here are some common reasons why parents are locking their child’s iPhones:
- To Restrict Access To Inappropriate Content
Children can easily access inappropriate content online, such as violent or explicit content, which can harm their development. By locking their child’s iPhone, parents can restrict access to such content and ensure that their child only access age-appropriate content.
Excessive screen time can negatively impact a child’s physical and mental health. By locking their child’s iPhone, parents can set limits on screen time and ensure that their child is not spending too much time on their phone.
- To Prevent Addiction
Smartphones can be addictive, and children can quickly become hooked. By locking their child’s iPhone, parents can help prevent smartphone addiction and promote a healthier relationship with technology.
- To Prevent Unauthorized Purchases
Children may inadvertently or intentionally make purchases through apps or in-app, resulting in unexpected charges to the parent’s credit card. By locking their child’s iPhone, parents can prevent them from making unauthorized purchases and ensure they control all purchases made through the device. Apple provides various tools for parents to manage their child’s purchases.
Family Sharing allows parents to share purchases with their family and approve purchases made by their children. Ask To Buy, on the other hand, requires parental approval before a child can make a purchase. Parents can also set up a passcode for purchases to prevent unauthorized purchases even if children have access to their Apple ID.
- To Protect Privacy and Security
Smartphones can contain sensitive information such as personal contacts, photos, and messages, which others can access if the device is not properly secured. Children may also be targeted by online predators or scammers, putting their personal information and safety at risk.
Parents can use various security features such as passcodes, Touch ID, or Face ID to ensure that only authorized individuals can access the device. Parents can also use a parental lock to restrict access to certain apps or features, such as location services, to protect their child’s privacy and prevent them from sharing sensitive information.
- To Monitor Online Activity
Parents may want to monitor their child’s online activity to ensure they do not engage in risky behavior or communicate with strangers. Locking their child’s iPhone allows parents to monitor their child’s online activity and have essential conversations about responsible online behavior.
How To Put Parental Controls on iPhone
This section lists three standard methods for parents to set parental locks on their kids’ iPhones. There is no need to download extra apps. Most importantly, they are easy, with only a few clicks.
Configuring Parental Controls for App Limits
To successfully configure parental lock for app limits is a simple task. Just follow these steps, and you can achieve the desired lock to limit your child’s usage.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your child’s iPhone and tap on Screen Time.
Step 2: Tap Turn On Screen Time if Screen Time is not already enabled.
Step 3: Follow the prompts to set up your child’s account and password.
Step 4: Tap on your child’s name under “Family.”
Step 5: Tap App Limits to set a new limit. Choose the category of apps you want to limit, such as Social Networking or Games.
Step 6: Set a time limit for the selected app category from here. You can also choose to customize the days and times when the limit is in effect and set up a passcode to override the limit. Tap Add to save the boundary.
Configuring Parental Locks for Content Restrictions
With just 6 steps, you can prevent your child from accessing harmful content.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your child’s iPhone and tap on Screen Time.
Step 2: Tap Turn On Screen Time if Screen Time is not already enabled.
Step 3: Follow the prompts to set up your child’s account and password.
Step 4: Tap on your child’s name under “Family.”
Step 5: Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Toggle the switch to turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions. You will be prompted to create a passcode. Enter a passcode that only you know, as this passcode will be required to make changes to these settings in the future.
Step 6: Tap Content Restrictions and choose the type of content you want to restrict, such as Movies, TV Shows, or Music. Select the appropriate age rating for the content you want to allow your child to access. You can also restrict explicit content, block specific websites, or set up a passcode to override these restrictions.
Configuring Parental Controls for Privacy Settings
Follow Step 1 to Step 5 from the section above on Configuring Parental Lock for Content Restrictions.
Step 6: Tap Privacy and choose the type of content you want to restrict, such as Location Services, Contacts, or Photos. Select the appropriate option for each data type, such as Don’t Allow Changes or Allow While Using App. You can also restrict access to certain apps, such as a camera or microphone, or set up a passcode to override these restrictions.
Lock Your Child’s iPhone for Parental Control With FamiSafe
FamiSafe is a mobile parental lock app designed to help parents monitor and manage their children’s online activity. You can install the app on both Android and iOS devices, and it offers various features to help parents keep their children safe online.
The application is accessible on iOS and Android devices and can be effortlessly installed on the targeted device. Once the installation is complete, parents can configure the application to remotely monitor and regulate their children’s device usage through a web dashboard or mobile app.
FamiSafe has recently enhanced the iOS screen time limit by introducing new features such as the ability for children to control the start and pause times within the time limit, launching a countdown component that corresponds to the child’s device, and enabling parents to set a timer by day and week.
The following section will show how you can activate screen time on your iPhone using FamiSafe.
Step 1: Download and open FamiSafe. Tap the Set Rules icon, then tap Screen Time Rules on the following page and select Screen Time Limit.
Step 2: To active this feature, tap on the Enable Screen Time Limit
Step 3: You have two options: Everyday or Custom. Selecting Everyday enables you to establish a fixed amount of time for your child’s phone usage. On the other hand, opting for Custom permits you to set different durations of screen time for different days. After done the settings, click the Save button.
Step 4: While your child is using their phone, a countdown timer will be visible to let them know how much time remains. They can request additional time by clicking the Ask for more time button.
- Web Filter & SafeSearch
- Screen Time Limit & Schedule
- Location Tracking & Driving Report
- App Blocker & App Activity Tracker
- YouTube History Monitor & Video Blocker
- Social Media Texts & Porn Images Alerts
- Works on Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Chromebook
Conclusion
Protecting children from online dangers is pertinent for their safety. The Internet can be a dangerous place for children, and smartphones give them access to the Internet. Children may be exposed to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, or online predators if not monitored properly. Parental locks can help parents monitor their children’s online activity and limit screen time, ensuring children use their smartphones safely and responsibly.
FamiSafe is a robust solution designed to assist parents in safeguarding their children against online hazards. It offers multiple features such as content filtering that ensures children access only age-appropriate material, app blocking that prohibits access to specific apps that parents consider inappropriate, location tracking that tracks the location of children’s devices, screen time management that restricts screen time and allows scheduling of device usage, and social media monitoring.