iPhone
Our age is 13. Caution because of the App Store, messaging and the open web.
Checked October 2026.
- Our rating
- Use Caution
- Controls
- Screen Time
- Made by
- Apple
- Setup
- 9 stops, about 15 minutes
Do these three first
- Set up Family Sharing and Ask to BuySettingsFamilyAdd MemberCreate Child AccountA Child Account is required under 13, and Ask to Buy is on by default for them.
- Choose which apps, websites and shows are allowedSettingsFamilyChild's nameApps & WebsitesRestrictionsApproved Websites Only is on by default under 13 and Limit Adult Websites under 18; check they match what you want.
- Choose who your child can contactSettingsFamilyChild's nameAllowed ContactsContacts must be on in iCloud on your child's iPhone for this to work.
About iPhone
What is iPhone?
The iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones among children and teens. It offers robust built-in parental controls through Apple's Screen Time feature, integration with Family Sharing, and generally strong privacy and security. However, its app store and communication features mean significant parental oversight is still needed.
Pros for Child/Teen Use
Strong Built-in Parental Controls
Screen Time offers comprehensive controls without needing third-party apps.
Family Sharing Integration
Easily manage purchases, location sharing, and app requests across family devices.
Privacy and Security
Apple's focus on privacy means less data collection and stronger security than many alternatives.
Ask to Buy
Parents can approve or decline app and purchase requests remotely.
Find My
Built-in location sharing for safety.
Cons for Child/Teen Use
Expensive
iPhones are costly, creating pressure and making children potential targets for theft.
Peer Pressure
iPhone vs. Android social dynamics can create social pressure among peers.
App Store Content
Despite curation, many apps contain mature content or enable concerning connections.
Workarounds Exist
Tech-savvy teens may find ways around Screen Time restrictions.
Key Safety Features
Comprehensive parental control system built into iOS.
Set Screen Time Schedules, Time Allowances, app and website approval, and who your child can contact. Communication Safety, which blurs detected nudity and, from iOS 27, gore and violence in Messages, FaceTime, AirDrop and shared albums, is on by default for children under 18.
Manage family Apple devices from one account.
Enable purchase controls, location sharing, and Screen Time management for all family members.
Requires parent approval for app downloads and purchases.
Requests arrive in Messages on your phone to approve or decline. On by default for children under 13.
Age Recommendations
Under 10: We recommend simpler devices like GPS watches or basic phones rather than smartphones.
Ages 10-12: If a smartphone is necessary, an iPhone with strict Screen Time settings and family oversight can work.
Ages 13-15: iPhone with Screen Time, Allowed Contacts, and regular check-ins.
Ages 16+: Gradual independence with ongoing conversations about responsible use.
The complete guide includes:
- Step-by-step Screen Time setup
- Allowed Contacts setup
- Content & privacy restrictions
- Age-specific setting recommendations
- Handling Screen Time bypass attempts
Talk about it
- What should happen when your Screen Time runs out in the middle of something?Agreeing ahead of time on how limits end saves arguments when the phone locks.
- When you ask to buy an app, what would help me say yes?Makes Ask to Buy a short conversation instead of a request that just sits there.
- Who would you like to be able to text and call?Setting up Allowed Contacts together lets them have a say in their own list.
- If you get a message or photo that feels wrong, what will you do?Communication Safety catches some things, and a plan to come to you covers the rest.
The full route: 9 stops, about 15 minutes
- Start parental controls for your child
- Set a Screen Time Schedule
- Set Time Allowances
- Choose which apps, websites and shows are allowed
- Set a Screen Time passcode
- Choose who your child can contact
- Set up Family Sharing and Ask to Buy
- Turn on location sharingoptional
- Check your settings
Start the setupFree to follow. With Family, your progress is saved for each child.
The complete iPhone parent guide, with age-by-age settings, is part of the Family plan.
The full guide
The iPhone is often a child's first smartphone, and Apple's built-in parental controls cover most of what a family needs. In iOS 27 (September 2026) Apple redesigned them: you now manage everything from your own phone under Settings > Family > your child's name, and several features have new names.
What Changed in iOS 27
| Old name (iOS 26 and earlier) | New name (iOS 27) |
|---|---|
| Downtime | Screen Time Schedule (the hours outside "Available From" and "Available Until") |
| App Limits | Time Allowances |
| Communication Limits | Allowed Contacts |
| Web Content filter | Apps & Websites > Restrictions > Filtering, plus Ask to Browse |
The new controls only switch on once every device in your Family Sharing group runs iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 or watchOS 27. To see which devices still need updating, go to Settings > Family > View Family Devices. Devices that can't update keep the iOS 26 version of Screen Time, which is managed from Settings > Screen Time > your child's name.
Before You Start
You need two things:
- Family Sharing on your own iPhone
- A Child Account for your child, added to your family group. Apple requires one for children under 13 and offers it up to 18.
Apple recommends managing your child's controls from your own device. If you use Family Sharing, the Screen Time passcode has to be set on your device, not your child's.
Setting Up Family Sharing
Create a family group
On your iPhone:
Follow the onscreen steps to set up your family group.
Create a Child Account
Enter your child's name and correct birthday. Apple uses the birthday to switch on age-based protections automatically. If your teen already has an Apple Account, choose to invite them instead.
Walk through the setup
Once every family device is on iOS 27, go to Settings > Family > your child's name and tap Get Started. Apple walks you through websites, content ratings, contacts, the daily schedule, school hours, Time Allowances, and a Screen Time passcode, in that order.
Ask to Buy and App Store Settings
Ask to Buy sends you a request in Messages whenever your child wants to download or buy an app, including in-app purchases.
Turn on Require Purchase Approval. Ask to Buy is on by default for children under 13.
In the same Restrictions screen you can:
- Set an Age Rating for apps. App Store ratings are 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+ and 18+.
- Allow or block Installing Apps, In-app Purchases and App Clips
If your child asks for an app rated above the limit you set, you get an exception request in Messages and can approve or decline it.
Websites
Choose one:
- Approved Websites Only: your child sends an Ask to Browse request for each new site. On by default under 13.
- Limit Adult Websites: blocks many adult sites automatically. On by default under 18.
- Unrestricted
Ask to Browse works in Safari and other supported browsers. Any site you approve or block shows up in the Allowed and Blocked lists under Apps & Websites.
Apple's filter catches most adult sites but isn't perfect. A filtered DNS service on your home router adds another layer.
When They Can Use the Phone
Screen Time Schedule
This replaces Downtime. You set the hours apps are available on weekdays and weekends; outside those hours most apps and notifications pause.
Turn on Schedule, then tap Add Schedule and pick the days. You can add time windows such as Before School, School and After School, and choose which app categories work in each. A good starting point is an end time an hour before bed.
Pause During School Hours
During setup you can turn on Pause During School Hours with a start and end time. Entertainment, Games and Social Media pause; everything else keeps working.
Time Allowances
This replaces App Limits. It covers three categories by default, Entertainment, Games and Social Media, with one shared daily total and a limit for each category.
Tap the Add button and follow the steps. Apple shows age-based guidance as you drag the slider. When time runs out your child can tap One More Minute or send you a request, which you can approve for 15 minutes, an hour or the rest of the day.
Always Allowed
Apps and people your child can always reach, even when the device is paused or a Time Allowance is used up. FaceTime, Maps, Phone and Messages are included by default.
Keep this list short. Anything here skips your schedule and allowances.
Quick controls
At the top of your child's page in Settings > Family you'll find buttons to pause their device, allow unlimited use for the day, or change today's schedule.
Content & Privacy Restrictions
Many of these are set automatically from your child's age. Check:
- Content Restrictions: age ratings for Books, Movies, TV Shows and Music in Apple's apps
- Siri: choose Siri AI (Beta), Siri Classic or Don't Allow Siri. Siri AI isn't available to children under 13. You can also block Writing Assistance, Image Creation, Explicit Language and Extensions (ChatGPT).
- Other Features: block built-in features such as Camera or AirDrop
- Allow Changes to Settings: stop your child changing things like Accounts, Face ID & Passcode, Location Services and Share My Location
Game Center
Choose Allowed or Blocked for options such as Multiplayer Games, Connect with Friends and Private Messaging.
Who They Can Talk To
Allowed Contacts
This replaces Communication Limits and covers Phone, Messages and FaceTime.
- During Screen Time: Contacts Only, Contacts & Groups with at Least One Contact, or Everyone
- When Device Paused or Unavailable: who can still get through
- Manage [Child's] Contacts: see and edit their contact list from your phone. Your child approves this request once on their device.
- Allow Contact Editing: leave it off and your child has to send you a request before adding anyone new
Contact approval is on by default for Child Accounts under 13 and can be turned on for older teens. If someone new messages your child, they can't see the message until you approve. Allowed Contacts needs Contacts turned on in iCloud on your child's phone.
Communication Safety
Communication Safety blurs photos and videos with detected nudity before your child sees or sends them, and offers ways to get help. From iOS 27 it also blurs detected gore and violence. It's on by default for children under 18.
It works in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters, FaceTime calls and video messages, shared photo albums, and some third-party apps. Photos are checked on the phone; Apple doesn't see them. Children under 13 need you to enter the Screen Time passcode before they can view flagged content.
Location with Find My
On your child's iPhone:
Turn on Find My iPhone and Share My Location. Their location then appears in the People tab of your Find My app.
To get a notification when they arrive at or leave a place, open Find My, tap your child under People, then tap Add under Notifications.
To keep location sharing on, block changes under Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allow Changes to Settings > Share My Location.
Screen Time Passcode
The passcode stops your child changing their own settings. It's separate from the code that unlocks the phone.
Avoid 1234, 0000, birthdays and phone numbers. Set up passcode recovery with your Apple Account when asked.
Under Manage Screen Time you can also change the passcode and see when it was last used, which tells you whether someone has been trying settings.
Emergency Bypass
So your calls always ring through:
- Open Contacts on your child's phone and choose your contact
- Tap Edit, then Ringtone
- Turn on Emergency Bypass
- Do the same under Text Tone for messages
Checking Activity
Your child's page in Settings > Family shows their Daily Average and Most Used Today. Tap either for pickups, notifications and a week view.
Common Issues & Solutions
Child Found the Passcode
- Change it: Settings > Family > your child's name > Manage Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode
- Check "Last used" to see when it was entered
- Talk with them about it
Forgot the Screen Time Passcode
If you set it through Family Sharing, reset it on your own phone with your device passcode, Face ID or Touch ID. If you set it on your child's phone without Family Sharing, reset it with your Apple Account.
Requests Aren't Arriving
Requests come to you in Messages. Make sure your phone is on the latest iOS, iMessage is on for your Apple Account email, Messages notifications are on, and you're in your child's contacts.
New Controls Don't Appear
At least one family device is still on iOS 26 or earlier. Check Settings > Family > View Family Devices.
Age-Based Recommendations
We suggest a first iPhone at 13. If your child already has one younger, these are the settings for their age.
Ages 10-12 (if they already have one)
- Approved Websites Only (the default under 13)
- Ask to Buy on
- Allowed Contacts: Contacts Only, with Allow Contact Editing off
- A schedule that ends an hour before bed
- No social media apps
Ages 13-15
- Limit Adult Websites
- Time Allowances for Social Media and Games
- Consider keeping contact approval on
- App age rating 13+ at most
Ages 16-17
- Lighter settings with regular conversations
- Later schedule end time
- Hand over more decisions as they show they're ready
What If My Child Bypassed This?
Screen Time is solid but not unbreakable. Knowing the common workarounds helps you close gaps calmly.
Common Bypass Methods and Fixes
Screen Time passcode was guessed or seen
- Change it from your phone and check when it was last used
- Pick a code that isn't a birthday or a pattern
Device was erased to clear the settings
- Block account changes (Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allow Changes to Settings > Accounts) so they can't sign out of their Child Account
- Keep Find My iPhone on, then check your settings under Settings > Family and set anything missing again
VPN or proxy installed to get around the web filter
- Check the App Library for VPN apps
- Keep Ask to Buy on so new apps need your approval
Downloading apps through another Apple Account
- Block account changes: Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allow Changes to Settings > Accounts
Asking for more time every day
- If it's constant, the allowance may be too low. Try a modest increase.
- You can approve for 15 minutes rather than all day
Using a second device
- No setting covers a friend's phone. Agree that the same rules apply on any device.
After a Bypass: Practical Steps
- Change the Screen Time passcode
- Re-check your settings under Settings > Family
- Review the App Library (swipe left past your last Home Screen page) for unfamiliar apps
- Check Settings > Battery to see which apps are getting the most use
- Have a calm conversation: what were they trying to do, and why?
Quick Setup Checklist
Additional Resources
With these settings in place your child's iPhone has sensible guardrails. Check in now and then and loosen things as they grow.