How to Use iPad Parental Controls: The Ultimate Guide

Ensuring that your kids don’t watch inappropriate content online or spend a lot of time on their iPads can be a constant worry for almost all parents these days. Fortunately, there are Apple Parental Controls Settings & dedicated apps that allow you to address issues related to Internet safety for kids.

Here’s a detailed guide on How To Set Up iPad Parental Controls?

PART 1: What To Restrict On Your Child’s iPad Device?

Here are certain things you can apply restrictions on, in your child’s iPad to maintain great online safety.

• Browser Access
• Inappropriate Content
• Online Games
• Sharing Location
• App Access
• Media Streaming
• Social Networking
• Sharing Data
• In-App Purchasing & so on!

PART 2: Seven Parental Controls You Should Set Up

Before you make changes to certain settings for maintaining kids’ online safety, learn how to setup iPad Restrictions. Go to Settings > General > Restrictions >  toggle on the Enable Restrictions button. Enter 4-digit passcode > Confirm it again!

Once you’ve successfully enabled iPadOS Parental Controls, now you can easily adjust other restrictions. Here’s an overview of some of the essential settings you can explore or adjust:

Tip 1- Set Screen Time Limits

To make your child’s iPad safe & secure from the worst of the Internet & also limit the time to stop playing Stardew Valley or watching Peppa Pig. You need to establish screen time limits.

• Head to Settings > Screen Time
• Start setting rules for your kid’s iPad usage. Ranging from Downtime to App Limits, you can get a report of each week, detailing how many hours are spent on each app & weekly device usage. Follow this Screen Time Guide to set it up.
• Downtime = Lets you decide how long your child can use the phone, determined by the set timeframe.
• App Limits = Lets you set up time limits on application usage.

Tip 2- Disable Certain App Access

If you don’t want your child to access certain apps, then you can easily disable them. For example, you might not want your kid to use the camera to FaceTime. You can follow the steps to disable it:

• Go to Settings > General > Restrictions
• Tap on Enable Restrictions to button & enter the set passcode.
• From the list of content allowed to access the device, locate ‘Apps’ & see all the installed applications on your iPad.
• Start toggling off, next to each app, you don’t want your child to run or use.
• You can also restrict the app according to age ratings.

Tip 3– Changes To Privacy Settings

Certain tweaks in privacy settings would help you get control over apps that have access to your child’s information.

• Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Enter Set Screen Time Passcode.
• Privacy > Choose Settings you want to restrict.

Tip 4- Prevent Child From Turning Off Location Services

If you want to keep a tab on your kid’s whereabouts, then make sure that your child doesn’t turn off the Location Services, Share My Location & other settings.

• First, enable the necessary Geo Location settings.
• Apple Settings > Privacy > Location is enabled.
• Go to Settings > Screen Time > Location > tap on ‘Select Always’.

Stop your child from being able to disable the location services:

• Settings > General
• Enable Restrictions > Enter Passcode, if needed > go to Location Services > tap on Don’t Allow Changes.

Tip 5- Managing In-App Purchases

To prevent your child from being able to install, delete applications or making in-app purchases, you can follow the steps below:

• Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Enter Passcode, if required.
• iTunes & App Store Purchases > Choose the desired setting > tap on Don’t Allow!

Tip 6- Block Obscene Websites & Other Inappropriate Content

Yes, you can control what websites are displayed, while your child is browsing the Internet.  You can certainly block or allow access to sites, by following these steps below:

• Settings > Screen Time.
• Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions > Enter the Passcode.
• Choose desired settings from displayed options: Unrestricted Access, Limit Adult Websites, Allowed Websites Only!

Tip 7- Restrict Use Of In-Apps & Features

If you wish to turn off the use of a specific app or feature, then you can temporarily hide it from the Home Screen. It won’t be deleted but would stop appearing on your child’s device.

• Go to Settings > Screen Time.
• Content & Privacy Restrictions > Enter the set Screen Time Passcode.
• Allowed Apps > Choose the apps you wish to restrict the use for better child safety.

Tip 8-   Limit Siri’s Web Search Results

To limit the type of search results displayed by Siri:

• Launch Settings > Screen Time
• Go to Content & Privacy Restrictions > tap on Content Restrictions
• Locate Siri from the list of applications & pick your settings: Restrict ‘Web Search Content’ or ‘Explicit Language’.
• Web Search Content = Restrict Siri from searching the web, when your child asks a question.
• Explicit Language = Confine Siri from showing unambiguous results.

PART 3: Best iPad Parental Control Applications

Though the market has a lot of options to manage parental controls on the iPhone & iPad. However, the most recommended app is FamiSafe. The application is highly secure, reliable & user-friendly. You can use to it control & monitor the way your child uses their iPad from your device.

FamiSafe iPad Parental Control App offers the following features:

1. Intelligent scheduler to set time-based restrictions.

• You might want to access iPad usage at night.

2. Block/Unblock certain apps with a single tap.

• Manage unsuitable sites from one place.

3. Restrict use for the entire iPad device.

• Completely stop device usage.

4. Manage device usage for a particular location.

• Control & monitor iPad usage at Study time.

5. Block certain websites & enable the content filtering option.

• To show filtered & appropriate content according to their age.

6. Set screen time for a device or specific app

• Manage how many times your kid can use the device or spend time on a particular app.

7. Track real-time location

• Know about your child’s whereabouts in the present.

Here’s a complete round-up to such iPad & iPhone Parental Controls Apps!

PART 4: How To Prevent Your Child From Disabling iPad Parental Controls?

Unlike iPad Restriction Settings, your children can’t simply disable the parental controls implemented by you. However, parental control applications like FamiSafe helps you to prevent your children from turning off any parental control setting on the iPad or iPhone. You can even block the access of the uninstalling FamiSafe app with a passcode, hence you can easily monitor all their device activities!

Bottom Line

There you go! Now that you have learned how to set up iPad Parental Controls, you can maintain great Internet safety for kids. Aside from applying all the necessary Apple Parental Control Restrictions, we recommend you using dedicated apps as well for better child online safety. You can monitor & control your child’s phone activities, even when you are not near to them!