How to set up an iPhone or iPad for kids: A parental controls safety guide

The very first thing you should do before you start setting up your device for your child is to erase it completely. That not only ensures that all your messages, photos and other private data remain out of reach, but also minimizes the risk of your account logins being used by someone who shouldn’t have access to them.

Before you start, though, it’s a good idea to back up your iPhone to either iCloud or your Mac, which could save the day if something goes wrong or you realize you accidentally erased an important file. Our guide will help you through that process.

To securely erase your iPhone or iPad follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Head to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
3. Then select Erase All Content and Settings.
4. Enter your password or Apple Account password, then follow the on-screen instructions and wait for the process to be completed.

When that’s done, your device is ready to be set up like new for your child.

One of the easiest ways to remotely manage your child’s device is to use Family Sharing. This feature puts a range of tools and controls at your fingertips, allowing you to adjust what your child can do with their iPhone or iPad on the fly. Better yet, Family Sharing lets you set rules and policies for your child on your own device, which will then be automatically synced to your child’s iPhone or iPad.

To be added to Family Sharing your child will need their own Apple Account, which will also let them download apps (with the limitations you set), use shared iCloud storage, and more.

You can add a child’s Apple Account to your Family Sharing group right from their device or from your own.

To set up Family Sharing on your own device follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app and tap your name at the top of the screen.
2. Go to Family > Continue and follow the prompts to create your family group and invite family members.

To create a child account to add to your Family Sharing follow these steps:

1. Go to your family group (you’ll find it in Settings under your Apple ID) and tap the Add Member button in the top-right corner.
2. In the Invite Family screen swipe down to Tap Create Child Account and select it. (If you have already set up the ID for your child you may see it in Suggestions).
3. In the Create a Child Account screen enter your child’s name and date of birth.
4. You can then set up various restrictions, such as communication limits and screen distance settings, and require them to ask permission before purchasing apps, music and books.

Once your child has been added to the Family group, you can use the on-screen instructions to set up parental controls, location sharing, and more.

If you want to add a child’s Apple Account to your Family Sharing group from their device rather than from your own you can do so by following these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on their iPhone or iPad and select Connect to Family.
2. Follow the on-screen guidance to connect the device to your Family Sharing group – this process will also create an Apple Account for your child.

If you don’t set up an Apple Account for your child you will not be able to limit what they can do and you won’t have the ability to put restrictions on their activities.

As the family organizer in a Family Sharing group, when you purchase an eligible subscription, it can be shared with every member of your family. That means there’s no need to buy a subscription for both you and your child, saving you money in the long run. Each member can still set their own preferences and settings within apps and iOS.

One disadvantage of being the organizer is that you can end up footing the bill for purchases made by any family member if you don’t turn off turn off Purchase Sharing but note that this may mean that their purchases cannot be shared.

Screen Time is a good way to understand the ways in which you use your device (the apps you spend the most time in, for instance) and to put limits on those activities if needed. It can also be put to work monitoring and restricting a child’s account.

To get started follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your device and tap Screen Time.
2. Select Family, then tap your child’s name.
3. You’ll now see a central hub where you can control many aspects of how your child uses their device. That includes time limits for apps, age rating restrictions, communication safety policies, and more.
4. Explore all these options to make sure you’re happy with how their device is set up. Any changes you make will be synced to your child’s device.

Certain Screen Time settings – like requiring your child to get permission to make purchases – might lead to prompts on your device from time to time. That’s because your child can ask for an exception to the general rule when they reach a pre-set limit. You can respond to this request on their device (with a pincode) or on your own.

Granting access to the location of your child’s device is a tricky subject. On the one hand, many parents will feel it’s vital to know where their child is so they know that they’re safe. On the other hand, you might not feel comfortable granting location access to certain apps that might not use that information scrupulously. That often means you’ll want to take a nuanced approach to location data when preparing an old iPhone or iPad for your child.

First, we’ll start with how you can keep track of your child’s location using their device. When you first create a child account using Family Sharing, you’ll be able to share their location with every person who has been added to your Family Sharing group. This setting will also help pinpoint their device using the Find My app.

To adjust these settings later, go to Settings > Family > Location Sharing and change the toggles as required.

If you want to limit which apps have access to the location of your child’s device, you’ll need to open the Settings app on their device and go to Privacy & Security > Location Services. Here, you can turn off location services for all apps and features or go through each app and change the location permissions individually.

Note that if you switch off all location services, you won’t be able to trace your child’s lost devices using Find My.

There are a lot more content and privacy settings you can customize to ensure everything is appropriate for your child. Make the following changes on your child’s device rather than your own:

To start, head to the Privacy & Security section of the Settings app and tap Tracking, then disable the toggle next to Allow Apps to Request to Track. This will stop any apps that your child downloads from being able to follow them across the web and other apps.

Now go back and scroll down to Sensitive Content Warning. Enable the toggle here to block nude photos and videos before they are viewed on your child’s device.

Screen Time is a very useful tool when it comes to preventing inappropriate content from reaching your child – it’s not just about how long they can use their iPad for.

To start, open Settings and go to Screen Time, then tap your child’s name under Family. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and enable the toggle at the top next to Content & Privacy Restrictions.

The Content & Privacy Restrictions section is a goldmine of settings that can help protect your child. The first area is used to manage how they interact with apps and features like Apple Intelligence.

• Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases to decide whether your child can install apps and buy in-app purchases;
• Allowed Apps & Features lets you disable certain features (like the camera) or apps that you don’t want your child to access.

The App Store, Media, Web & Games section is where you’ll find age-related controls:

• Tap Movies or TV Shows, for instance, and select U to ensure your child can only watch U-rated content.
• Similarly, the Books, Apps and Music, Podcasts, News, and Fitness sections all let you set age ratings or restrictions on explicit content. Your child can be prevented from watching music videos and accessing App Clips, too.
• If you want to limit your child to only being able to visit certain websites, tap Web Content and choose from the list of sites (you can manually add your own URLs). In addition, there’s a menu to only allow approved websites or limit adult websites.

Note that a lot of these settings are automatically set when you first create a child account – each setting is based on your child’s age – so you don’t need to worry about settings being misconfigured so long as you set up their account with the correct date of birth. Still, it’s a good idea to review each of these sections to guarantee that everything is as you want it to be.