Apple Screen Time: Core Parental Controls

What Changed

Apple's Screen Time, managed through Family Sharing, is the built-in way to supervise a child's iPhone or iPad. Its core tools are Downtime (scheduled time away from the device, adjustable for different days), App Limits, Communication Limits on who the child can call and message, Always Allowed exceptions, and Content & Privacy Restrictions covering app age ratings, web content and explicit media. It also hosts the switch for Communication Safety. Screen Time settings can be protected with a passcode so the child cannot change them, and Apple adjusts the options across iOS versions, so re-review after major updates.

What to Review

• •Set up Family Sharing and Screen Time for your child's device if you have not, protect it with a passcode your child does not know, and walk through Downtime, App Limits, Communication Limits and Content & Privacy Restrictions in turn.

Parent Actions