How to Set Up Parental Controls on iPad: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents

While the internet provides kids a broad landscape for socializing, learning, and playing games, it’s not without dangers. The bright side is that parents aren’t without help. Learn how to set up parental controls on iPad and create a safe cyberspace for children with this comprehensive guide.

Contents:

• What Do Parental Controls on iPad Actually Do?
• Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Parental Controls on Your Child’s iPad
  • What is Screen Time?
  • Content & Privacy Restrictions
  • Guided Access
• Kids360: An Additional, Helpful Tool
• Best Practices for Digital Parenting
• FAQs

What Do Parental Controls on iPad Actually Do?

Parental controls on iPad help parents create a sort of safety fence around their child’s internet habits. These tools give parents the ability to set limits on what their child can and can’t access, protecting them from harmful content and interactions.

Some of the functions of parental controls on iPad include:

• Scheduled downtime: Parents can set when the child’s iPhone or iPad will turn off for the day, managing a child’s screen time, preventing children from using their device too late into the night or too early in the morning.
• Guided access: Ideal for smaller children, guided access lets parents disable parts of the screen and hardware buttons while locking the iPad to one app only, preventing children from switching apps, pulling down the Control Center, or accessing other areas of the device.
• Block inappropriate explicit content and websites: Certain filters can prevent children from accessing inappropriate content in Safari by eliminating adult content from search results. Similarly, parents can tap content restrictions to completely block certain websites or nominate a list of allowed websites.
• Restrict app installs and deletes: App restrictions prevent children from installing new apps or deleting apps from the device. It can also restrict apps that fall under specific ratings and categories.
• Limit communication: This important feature ensures that children communicate only with people that their parents have allowed, like family members and trusted friends. Parents can also set times when a child is free to communicate to prevent unsupervised calls and messaging at odd times.
• Purchase restrictions: When parents tap iTunes, Books, Movies, and TV shows, and other apps under the Content & Privacy restrictions option, they can restrict in-app purchases to prevent children from making payments in the App Store or in different apps.
• Control location sharing: Because some apps track a user’s location, posing a security threat, this feature lets parents allow or block location sharing with apps or friends and family.
• Monitor and review activity: Parents can get an overview of their child’s iPad usage, including screen time, website activity, apps used, and other insights that help them understand where adjustments can or should be made.

Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Parental Controls on Your Child’s iPad

Here’s a step-by-step guide to set up parental controls on a child’s iPhone or iPad:

1. On the parent’s or family organizer’s device (iPhone or iPad), go to Settings.
2. Tap the Apple ID at the top.
3. Tap Family and tap Continue on the next prompt.
4. Tap Create a Child Account and enter the child’s name and birthdate (if the child already has an Apple ID, you would invite them to Family Sharing instead).
5. Proceed to follow the prompts to create an Apple ID for the child.
6. On the child’s iPad, log in to the newly created Apple ID.
7. After that, choose Set Up Screen Time and configure other functions like Downtime, App Limits, and Content & Privacy Restrictions.

Parents can also set up Screen Time directly on the child’s device without creating a Family Sharing group.

What is Screen Time?

Screen Time is the main parental control feature that gives parents an overview of their child’s device use, as well as management options for the controlled iPad.

Some of its features include:

• Usage tracking: Shows how much time a child spends per app, website, and app category.
• Select app limits: Provides options to limit access to specific apps or app categories (games, educational, social media apps, etc.)
• Downtime: When downtime starts, the iPad can’t be used or can only access certain built-in apps (like the Phone/Messaging app). This prevents children from late-night and early-morning use without barring them from important emergency features.
• Content & Privacy restrictions: Blocks explicit content, iTunes App store purchases, web access, and other settings inappropriate or unnecessary for children.
• Activity reports: Provides parents with weekly summaries of their child’s screen usage and app activity.
• Communication limits: Controls who and when a child can call or message for better communication safety.

To set up Screen Time on a child’s iPad or Apple device, follow these steps:

1. On the child’s device, open the Settings app.
2. Tap Screen Time. 
3. Tap Turn on Screen Time.
4. Tap Continue, and then choose This is My Child’s iPad.
5. Set a Screen Time passcode (4-digits) that only you can enter. Screen Time will require password access every time the settings are accessed to prevent children from changing any of the settings that the parent sets.
6. From there, a parent can configure:
   • Downtime
   • App Limits
   • Always Allowed (apps that the child can access with no time or schedule restrictions)
   • Content & Privacy Restrictions
7. Tap Use Screen Time Passcode to confirm your settings.

Optionally, parents can enable Family Sharing so they can adjust all of these settings from their own device. Once set, the iPad will enforce all the limits and restrictions and will begin collecting metrics for weekly screen time reports.

Content & Privacy Restrictions

This feature lets parents completely block certain functions, apps, and content to prevent their child from accessing unnecessary or inappropriate media or content.

Some content restrictions include:

• Apps & App Store: Block or limit access to apps by age rating or block app categories entirely (i.e., social media, dating apps, etc.) as well as restrict purchases.
• Game Center: Parents who don’t want their child playing multiplayer games can restrict access to online games under the Game Center option. The setting also offers to allows or disallows sending/receiving friend requests in games.
• Music, Podcasts, and News: Block explicit language and content, adult content, sensitive content, and photos, and restrict media that falls within specific ratings.
• Movies & TV Shows: Restricts available options to the child’s age, based on the specific media’s age ratings, to encourage healthy viewing habits.
• Books: Block explicit, adult content in Apple Books.
• Web content: When you tap web content, you get the option to block adult websites automatically or allow only websites that the parent selects.
• Siri: Block web search content and explicit language.

Privacy restrictions include:

• Location Services: Prevents applications from accessing location.
• iCloud Contacts, Calendars, Photos, Microphone: Parents can choose the apps that will be given permission to these features.
• Advertising: Limits ad tracking and blocks personalized ads.

On top of that, these settings also prevent children from deleting and installing apps and making payments (like in-app purchases). If a child wants to make a download, they will have to ask their parent to enter the Screen Time passcode into a prompt.

To enable and adjust Content & Privacy Restrictions, follow these steps:

1. On the child’s device, open the Settings app.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Tap the child’s name, or This is My Child’s iPad.
4. Tap Content Restrictions ON under the Content & Privacy Restrictions section.
5. From there, you will be given a list of options that you can choose to Allow or Prevent.

Guided Access

Guided Access provides parents a way to give smaller children time to use an iPad or Apple device without having to worry about them accessing inappropriate content or accidentally tampering with important settings and features.

When activated, Guided Access locks the iPad to one app of the parent’s choice. The feature also gives parents the option to block out navigation features on the home screen and hardware buttons.

Parents can even block certain parts of the screen so that taps on those areas will not register, preventing unauthorized in-app purchases, messages, calls, and various other functions.

During Guided Access, children can’t drag down the Control Center or the Notifications Center, and all gestures will be disabled. The Guided Access feature also puts a time limit on how long the child can use the screen, and will automatically lock once the time is up.

How to Set Up Guided Access

1. On your child’s device, open the Settings app.
2. Tap Accessibility.
3. Scroll down to Guided Access (under the “General” section) and tap it.
4. Turn on Guided Access.
5. Tap Passcode Settings and set a 4-digit Guided Access passcode (or use Face/Touch ID). This passcode will be required to end Guided Access.

How to Start a Guided Access Session

1. Open the app you want your child to use.
2. Triple-click the Home button (or the Side button on devices without a Home button).
3. Adjust session options:
   • Disable areas of the screen your child shouldn’t tap.
   • Disable hardware buttons if necessary.
   • Set a time limit if you want the session to end automatically.
4. Tap Start to begin the Guided Access session.

How to End a Guided Access Session

1. Triple-click the Home or Side button.
2. Enter the Guided Access passcode (or authenticate with Face/Touch ID).
3. Tap End to exit the session.

Kids360: An Additional, Helpful Tool

The Kids360 app

While the native parental controls in the Apple ecosystem already provide a lot of helpful features for parents and their kids, Kids360 can help enhance the experience.

Parents install the Kids360 app on their device, while the Alli360 companion app is installed on their child’s device. This creates a link between the two devices.

Kids360 provides a lot of the same control features as Apple’s Parental Controls, but adds several unique functions that may make it a suitable, supplementary tool. Some of these added functions include:

• Incentives: Kids can earn extra screen time with task assignments set up by the parents. This can include anything from educational tasks (homework, reading, etc.) to physical tasks (exercise, chores, etc.) As kids check off their tasks, they earn extra screen time, with the exact amount determined by parents when the tasks are created.
• Daily screen limits: Kids360 provides an additional option for general screen time limits, giving the child a time allowance that locks the device once fully consumed. You enter your desired screen time, and it refreshes at the start of every new day. This keeps a child’s screen time in check. The app also has an option for controlled use during school hours.
• Emergency/attention feature: This function plays a loud signal on the child’s device, which can help to locate it if it’s lost in a space, or that can capture the child’s attention even if the device is on silent or muted.
• Location tracking: This provides real-time location tracking that shows parents where the child’s device is on a map. Only the parent can track the child’s location. The feature also provides battery status information.

For parents looking for a comprehensive solution, Kids360 offers reliable real-time GPS tracking, screen time management, and task-based incentives—so you can stay connected and support your child’s healthy device use.
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Download Kids360 today and take control of your child’s digital experience!

Best Practices for Digital Parenting

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As much as parents these days would love to give their children an analog childhood of outdoor play and digital disconnection, the reality is that modern-day children are growing up in a highly digital world.

So instead of resisting the change, it would be wise for parents to roll with the punches and grow alongside technology to make it safe and beneficial for children.

However, aside from learning the tech and setting up controls to keep device habits in check, there are other things that parents need to keep in mind:

Maintain transparency even with small children

Building trust with children relies heavily on transparency and open dialogue. The more parents are open with their child in explaining why online safety and these controls are necessary, the more trust the child will have in their parents.

Avoid setting up controls in secret and giving children the feeling of being under surveillance. During the setup process, explain every step to the child and how these controls can help create a safe space for them to learn and play.

It also helps to explain the dangers of accessing adult and sensitive content online, as well as the risks of communicating with strangers via the internet.

Read also: How to Come to an Agreement About Installing a Parental Control App on Your Child’s Phone?

Promote balance

Setting up parental controls on a child’s device doesn’t give parents the license to just leave them to it. Physical activity, socialization, study time, and extracurricular activities are all part of a child’s healthy development.

While parental controls protect a child online, it’s still necessary for parents to give them time offline and provide meaningful activities that support every part of their development.

Educate regarding proper device use

The physical use of a gadget isn’t without risks. Poor posture, damaged eyesight, and even weight gain have been associated with chronic and uncontrolled gadget use in children.

Aside from teaching a child about online safety, it helps to instruct them about the effects their iPad or iPhone can have on their physical health. Holding the screen too close to the eyes or face can damage vision.

Generally, screen distance for tablets/iPads should be between 16–24 inches from the face. Providing a child with a stand for their iPad can prevent them from holding it too close. It’s also important to provide proper seating to support their posture during iPad use.

Adjust with growing children

The settings appropriate for a child during initial setup won’t necessarily be suitable a year later. To make sure that a child’s device usage is relevant to their age, check their weekly reports routinely.

See how their habits change and adjust controls appropriately to their age. This ensures that a child gets the best use out of their device and gains access to greater information and freedoms as their age allows.

For instance, older children might be allowed to message and call more people, including other family members and their circle of friends. Adjusting communication safety features can give age-appropriate opportunities for socialization without putting them at risk of communicating with unknown contacts.

Related: Parenting In The Digital Age: How To Be An Awesome Parent.

Creating a Safe Cyberspace for Children

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With the right limits, screen time and the internet can be safe and even beneficial for children, and the responsibility to ensure that falls into the parents’ hands. Setting up parental controls on a child’s iPad creates a hedge of protection around them, allowing them to socialize, learn, and play, while minimizing the dangers and risks of unrestricted use and access.

FAQs

How do I put parental controls on my iPad?

Parents first need to use their own device to create an Apple ID for their child. This can be done by accessing Settings, then tapping Apple ID, and then choosing Create a Child Account.

Once the account is created, parents need to log into the new Apple ID for the child using the child’s iPhone or iPad. Then they can set up parental controls by navigating to the Settings app on the child’s device. Then enter Screen Time and adjust settings and controls from there.

How do I set parental controls?

All of the features for parental controls can be accessed through the Settings app on the child’s device. Locate Screen Time, tap in, and adjust the different settings for Downtime, Content Restrictions, and others.

Parents can also access these settings from their own device by Enabling Family Sharing within the Screen Time settings on the child’s device.

How do I turn my iPad into a kid mode?

iPads don’t have a ‘kids mode’ that changes the interface like some Android devices have, but they do have Guided Access. This locks the device to one app of the parent’s choice and restricts the use of various other system controls so the child can’t navigate away from the selected app.

To activate Guided Access, go to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access > toggle ON. Then tap Passcode Settings and set a Guided Access passcode.

Open the app for the child to use during the session and triple-click the power button (or Touch ID on devices that still have it) to lock the iPad to that app. During Guided Access, parents can also set a time limit and restrict certain functions and access.

How do I restrict YouTube on my iPad?

Parents can restrict YouTube (and any other app) by navigating to the Screen Time controls on their child’s iPad and toggling PREVENT on the YouTube app under the App Limits menu.

Cover image: Antlii/Shutterstock