Whether you're planning to buy or have already bought your child an iOS device, parental controls are key to keeping them safe. Mac has a special option called, and on iPhones and iPads it is called Restrictions. To learn how to enable and use this option, follow the simple steps below.
Turning on Restrictions
Step 1: Open the settings.
Step 2: Go to General and then to Restrictions.
Step 3: Click Enable Restrictions.
Step 4: Create a password for the restrictions to configure or disable later.
Configuring Restrictions
Allow - select apps and services to be allowed
The first section of allowed applications and services is for standard applications. It includes Safari, FaceTime and the iTunes Store. Just swipe the button to turn it from green to gray and the application will be disabled.
You will notice three settings for allowing the installation and uninstallation of applications, as well as for purchasing them.
Allowed Content - Decide what content is acceptable
There are eight different categories under “allowed content”, which include movies, TV series, and websites. Each category has its own settings, so each must be viewed separately.
Age qualification
Here you just need to choose your country from the list. When you make your selection, the rating restrictions are applied to the categories you selected.
Music, podcasts and news
There is a common toggle here that allows explicit content in these four categories. To disallow such content, simply swipe the radio button to make it gray.
Films
There are more details in the Movies category, you can select the ratings you want to allow. You will notice that several ratings will be automatically banned when you select the ones that are suitable for children. For example, if you select an R rating, the NC - 17 rating will automatically be banned.
Moreover, you can prohibit all movies altogether, allow any or enable displaying only movies downloaded from the cloud.
TV show
Books
Programs
You can completely deny or allow apps, and choose an age group for apps from four years of age and up. Don't forget that age indicators are sourced from the App Store.
Siri
Web sites
If you do not allow all websites, you will be prompted to enter links to specific sites that will be allowed. In limiting adult content, you have to enter both allowed and forbidden sites. But if you want to allow certain sites, you only need to enter them.
Confidentiality - select privacy settings
By scrolling through each item in the list, from “geolocation” and “calendars” to ads and media library, you can allow or deny changes in these categories. If you allow changes in a category, all applications related to it can be configured individually.
Keep in mind that these settings are privacy related and should not be confused with the next paragraph.
Allow changes - choose which settings can be changed
Unlike the privacy settings, this item contains almost all the basic settings of the device. It includes accounts, cellular usage, content updates, and volume limits. Each category can be allowed or denied.
Game center - enable or disable options
Game center is the last item in the restrictions. There are three categories here that you can enable or disable. These include playing with multiple friends, adding friends, and screen recording.
What you should pay attention to
Moving apps
If you decide to enable restrictions and experiment, you may notice that the arrangement of applications on the screen will change. So if you decide to do this on your device, you can shuffle the apps by changing the settings.
If you bought an iPhone for your child or just often give it to him and want him not to see materials prohibited for him, then make the appropriate setting.
The iOS system is very different from Android. Her functions have more restrictions in terms of customization for use by children. But nevertheless, it is possible to make a device for children, and with the help of standard means. In terms of physical protection, the iPhone has a much better case.
In general, you have several software tools at your disposal that allow you to customize for your child:
- System limitations
- Guide access
- "My friends", working with geolocation
The list is small, but it is difficult to get confused.
How do I set limits?
You will find this tool in "Settings" - "General" - "Restrictions".
At the very beginning, you will be prompted to create a password. It is not necessary to make it the same as the unlock code. After installation, five sections will become available to you:
- Permissions for applications and system functions that can be customized with active restrictions. These are iOS apps, iTunes and iBooks stores, AppStore settings, as well as Siri and AirDrop. There are no additional options, you just need to turn off what you yourself do not need. If one of the programs is turned off in this way, it will hide from the main table.
- Allowed Content. Here you can set rules for files stored in the device's memory or purchased, downloaded or viewed.
- You can indicate your country in order to more accurately determine the age scale. Each category has its own restrictions, for sites is established smart filter and allowed access to a limited number of services.
- Privacy settings . This function makes it possible to determine the access rights of the program to the content stored in iOS, as well as the hardware capabilities of the gadget. For example, for WhatsApp, you can prohibit sending photos, and Instagram can record sound through a microphone.
- The section for allowing changes makes it possible to avoid editing an account, saves traffic, sets the time for content updates, and also limits the sound. You can also prohibit replacing parameters in the application. "Find friends ".
- Limitation functionality Game Center. Moved the sliders to an inactive position and you will be blocked multiplayer in the game and the ability to add new friends.
Guide - access
Guide — Access is primarily intended for commercial use of the iPad and iPhone as an online guide, restaurant menu, or simply a demonstration device.
Its main feature is to block the exit from the running application, sometimes it is not superfluous to block clicks on certain areas of the screen. But in this case, the access guide will not allow the child to accidentally close the game or developing program, and some controls can be covered with inactive zones. For example, in the player, you can leave only the key available. "Play / pause", and in an interactive book, block the exit button in the menu.
To activate the function open Settings - Universal Access - Guide - Access... Each of the options has a detailed description, so you don't get confused about them. It is best to limit yourself to enabling this option, and leave the password and keyboard shortcut off, so as not to complicate things.
Now the guide will be active for you. Open any application and press the Home key three times. This will open the mode settings menu.
Here you can turn off or leave on the volume keys, off, screen and accelerometer.
To define the area to block clicks, "paint" on the preview of the application. After the end of the procedure, press the button "Begin " and give the device to the kid. To turn off the guide-access or open the settings again three times click the button "Home".
"My friends "
This application is the most valuable of all from Apple for each parent because it makes it possible to always be aware of where your child is. Unlike similar ones on Android, this will not interfere with the child, so you can not worry about the moral side of the issue. And at the same time you don't have to worry about where your child is.
My Friends iPhone app
- Further on each of your devices enter Apple ID and enter the section "My friends ".
- By the way, the kid does not need to know this data at all, so that he cannot turn off the location display.
- Open the item "Friends ", click on «+» and add new users. This feature is great for the whole family as you can now see where all of your added family members are.
- Send requests to add friends, confirm and in the next window a map with location all devices.
- The system will also show when the last data was received and the distance in kilometers.
How do I set up My Friends for my iPhone?
- Of course, this is not all the functionality of the option. "My friends "... From the app, you can run message history and get directions to places where is the desired contact or activate notifications about movements from a specific location. For example, you will receive an alert when your child leaves school or when you come home.
- Of the parameters, only "Hiding from observation"... It is initially inactive. Probably not worth explaining why it is needed. When installing a lock on a device, after the initial setup, the application will not ask for a password. Therefore, in the section "Restrictions" be sure to set the block to make changes.
An iOS tablet or phone can be easily turned into a great device for a child. Take a little time and your baby will have personal educational games, a library with many books, a cartoon player and many other entertainments.
- a resource where you can find content for every taste: educational, musical, humorous, etc. However, YouTube also hosts videos that are not quite suitable for children. For parents who want to protect their children from viewing inappropriate content, the service provides “ Safe mode”Or, more simply, the parental control function.
This mode relies in part on videos marked by other users or authorities as "inappropriate for children", therefore activating it does not guarantee that children will be fully protected from "adult" content.
How to enable YouTube parental controls on a Windows or Mac computer
2. Go to the YouTube settings located at the bottom of the page. Among others, you will see the option “ Safe mode»;
3. Open the dropdown menu " Safe Mode". Additional information about the function will be indicated here, as well as a warning that the settings are imperfect and cannot be 100% secure;
4. Turn on " Safe mode»;
How to set up parental controls on YouTube mobile
A large number of YouTube users view content not only on PCs or laptops, but also on mobile devices. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to mention that changing the YouTube settings in the browser does not affect the account itself. That is, you will have to turn on the parental control function on each of the devices you use.
2. Click on the profile icon at the top of the screen to log into your account;
3. In the menu, select the section " Settings»;
4. Click on the option " Search filtering»;
5. In the displayed menu, select the option " Strict". Unlike Netflix, which filters content based on age, YouTube only offers two options - “ Strict filtering" and " Do not filter»;
6. Press the return button (arrow-shaped) to confirm the settings;
7. Your settings will now be saved as "C touching».
Reading time: 2 minutes
In this article, we'll take a look at the Parental Controls feature on the iPhone: how to activate it and why you need it.
Educational games and programs, extensive libraries of online books, videos and cartoons help in the development and education of the child. The Internet is replete with a wide variety of content and not all of it will be useful for a young user. And to protect the child from "adult" sites and applications, Apple programmers have implemented the "Restrictions" function in their devices, in other words, parental control.
The option will allow you to restrict access to some functions and programs of the phone, requiring you to enter a password at startup. By enabling this option, you will prevent your child (and any other user) from playing music, watching videos, or opening separate folders and files on your iPhone.
In addition, the "Restrictions" function allows you to block certain web pages that you do not want to view, or vice versa, open access to only a few sites, blocking all others.
Parental Controls will prevent you from changing the privacy settings of default services and programs, such as Photos, Contacts, GPS, or Bluetooth, and Siri will disable the ability to recognize obscene language for the “smart assistant”.
Activating parental controls on iPhone
Connecting the function is extremely simple. Launch "Settings", select "General" and find the item "Restrictions". In the menu that opens, click "Enable restrictions". The program will ask you to come up with a password for blocking. Enter it and you're done. The main thing is not to forget it later, because password recovery is a long and complicated process.
You can also go into detailed settings by checking the boxes above the selected applications and phone functions. Here you can also configure the ability to install or uninstall applications, make internal purchases. Determine below which media files, books and programs you want to block.
Advertising banners often pop up in applications offering certain services. If the phone is in the hands of a child, accidentally clicking on an advertisement can lead to unplanned purchases, subscribing to spam, or even downloading malicious software. To exclude this, use the Guide-Access service. It allows you to lock specific areas of the screen while the application is running.
The desire to control everything that a child can do on his iPhone or iPad can visit any parent who dares to donate a cult gadget by the beginning of the school year. What should you pay attention to when choosing software for iOS devices?
Parental control tasks can include a ban on visiting unwanted Internet sites, restricting a child's access to communication services, as well as controlling the use of applications on the device. As an option, there can be remote monitoring of what exactly (and not in the classroom) the child is doing at the moment.
However, not every developer includes all the components in his product, and sometimes even "redoubts" erected by companies that have eaten a dog on information security surrender almost without a fight.
The iOS operating system has its own "restraining" function, and therefore there are an order of magnitude fewer alternatives and additions in the App Store than, for example, in Google Play. Parental controls built into iOS allow you to restrict the use of some standard applications, as well as prohibit the installation and / or removal of software. Among the programs that can be turned off are the Safari browser, a client for watching videos on YouTube, a camera, an application for shopping in the iTunes online store of audio and video content.
To protect parental settings, a four-digit password is used, which gives about 10,000 combinations. However, even if the child is patient, it will not be easy to guess the password: after several unsuccessful attempts, the device gradually increases the timeout before the next attempt. In addition, the number of unsuccessful attempts is displayed on the password entry screen, which will give out a young hacker with a head.
There are no settings for filtering sites in Safari. When you disable an application, it simply disappears from the menu. You can only leave the ability to use respectable resources with the help of third-party solutions.
The iOS platform imposes strict requirements on developers, which prevents them from creating programs that operate at the system level and control other software without violating Apple's prohibitions. Thus, in fact, the only way to filter web content is to use a third-party browser that provides this functionality. In this case, all other browsers must be removed (along with blocking the installation of programs), and the standard Safari is disabled: otherwise, the meaning of using the "guard" is lost.
In the absence of other browsers, Kaspersky Parental Control, released for iOS, can help. The application from "Kaspersky Lab" is presented by the authors just as a means of monitoring visits to "non-childish" sites. However, the program works on the basis of its own "black" lists of sites, and these lists cannot be changed or supplemented. In addition, this protection can be easily circumvented. The K9 Web Protection Browser is better at resisting attempts to get to forbidden fruits: the authors have blocked the search for images and videos.
