Are there parental controls on iPhone?

Yes. Screen Time comes with parental controls that can help you manage the apps and websites your child can access, who they communicate with, when they use their device, and more. You manage them from your own iPhone or iPad under Settings > Family > [child's name], as long as you're the Family Sharing organiser or a parent/guardian in the Family Sharing group and your child has their own Child Account.

How do I set up parental controls on my child's iPhone?

Set up Family Sharing and create a Child Account for your child (Settings > Family > Add Member > Create Child Account). Update your own iPhone and the family's devices to iOS 27 or later and, under Settings > Family, tap Get Started to update the parental controls for your family. Then, on your own device, go to Settings > Family > [child's name] to set a Screen Time passcode (Manage Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings), Content & Privacy Restrictions, website filtering, Ask to Buy, Allowed Contacts, Communication Safety, a Screen Time Schedule and Time Allowances.

Do I need Family Sharing to use parental controls on iPhone?

Apple says you can set parental controls from your own iPhone or iPad as the Family Sharing organiser or a parent/guardian in the Family Sharing group. If you set up a new iPhone for your child and chose a child age range, age-appropriate default settings are enabled automatically, but to let your child download apps, or to modify the parental controls, you need to finish creating a Child Account and add them to your Family Sharing group.

Does Apple check my age in the UK, and does it affect parental controls?

Apple's UK support page says adults will have to confirm that they're 18 or older to use certain services or features, or to take certain actions on their Apple Account. Apple calls this age confirmation. News reports said Apple began rolling it out to UK users in March 2026, but Apple's own page gives no start date. The methods Apple lists are a credit card that belongs to you, a passport, a driving licence, a PASS-accredited Proof of Age card (CitizenCard, My ID Card, TOTUM ID card or Young Scot National Entitlement Card), or a selfie, which needs iOS or iPadOS 27.2 or later (released on 26 October 2026). Debit cards and gift cards aren't supported. In the UK, Web Content Filter and Communication Safety are turned on automatically for children and teens as well as adults who haven't confirmed their age. If you choose not to confirm that you're an adult you can carry on using your device, but you need to confirm before you can adjust those safety settings. To check your status, open Settings, tap your name, then Personal Information, then Age Confirmation.

Can my child turn off Screen Time without my passcode?

No. Once you set a Screen Time passcode, your child sees a passcode prompt whenever they try to change Screen Time settings on their device and can't make changes without it. It's separate from the device passcode your child uses to unlock their device. If you think your child has worked out the passcode, you can change it at any time under Settings > Family > [child's name] > Manage Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode, and 'Last used' on the Manage Screen Time screen shows the date and time of the last passcode entry.

Do I need to update every Apple device in the family to use the new parental controls?

For the updated parental controls, every device in your Family Sharing group needs iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 and/or visionOS 27 or later; Apple also advises updating all devices to the latest software version so your settings sync across the group. Settings > Family > View Family Devices shows which devices still need updating. Devices that can't be updated are listed under Legacy Devices and can still use Screen Time and Family Sharing settings from iOS 26 or earlier, and you can also adjust the controls directly on your child's device. Once everything is updated, go to Settings > Family > Get Started to transfer your existing parental controls or set up new ones.

Apple

Parental Controls on iPhone: Built-In Setup & Safety Guide

Yes, iPhone has built-in parental controls. How to set up Screen Time and Family Sharing for your child: website filtering, Ask to Buy, allowed contacts and time limits.

iPhone is Apple's smartphone, running iOS with built-in Screen Time parental controls that let families set content ratings, app limits, downtime schedules, and communication restrictions.

Yes — iPhone has built-in parental controls. Apple's Screen Time comes with parental controls that help you manage the apps and websites your child can access, who they communicate with, and when they use their iPhone. You set them up from your own iPhone or iPad, as the Family Sharing organiser or a parent/guardian, through Settings > Family > [child's name], once your child has their own Child Account in your Family Sharing group. The iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones among young people in the UK, and with proper setup it can be a reasonably safe first smartphone for older children. Not all parental controls are available on all Apple devices, and depending on your state, country or region and your child's age, some are on by default and can't be removed. In the UK, Apple also asks adults to confirm that they're 18 or older to use certain services or features on their Apple Account, and turns Web Content Filter and Communication Safety on automatically for children, teens and adults who haven't confirmed their age (see the FAQ below). To use the updated parental controls described here, which came with iOS 27 on 14 September 2026, every device in your Family Sharing group needs iOS 27 (or the matching iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 or visionOS 27) and the parental controls need updating for the family group; if you can't update every device, you can keep using the previous version of Screen Time and parental controls, or adjust the controls directly on your child's iPhone.

Recommended age: 11+

Main risks

• Unrestricted access to the internet and social media apps
• In-app purchases and subscription sign-ups without parental approval
• Location sharing with strangers through apps and services
• Exposure to inappropriate content via Safari or third-party browsers

Initial setup steps

Create a Child Account through Family Sharing

If you haven't already, set up Family Sharing: open Settings, tap your name, tap Family, then tap Continue and follow the onscreen instructions. Then, on the Family Sharing organiser's device, go to Settings > Family, tap the Add Member button, then tap Create Child Account and Continue. Enter your child's name and correct date of birth, then follow the onscreen instructions to finish setting up their Apple Account. Parents or guardians have to create an Apple Account for children under 13 (age requirements vary by country or region), and your child should have their own Apple Account rather than sharing one with anyone else.

Update your family's devices to iOS 27 and update the parental controls

The steps below that start 'On iOS 27 or later' use Apple's updated parental controls, which need iOS 27 or later (or iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 or visionOS 27) on every device in your Family Sharing group. Update your own iPhone first: go to Settings > General > Software Update and follow the onscreen instructions. Once your iPhone is on iOS 27 or later, go to Settings > Family > View Family Devices to see which devices in your family still need updating, and update them. Then go to Settings > Family and tap Get Started to transfer your existing parental controls or set up new ones. The Family Sharing organiser or a parent/guardian needs to update the parental controls for the family group. If a device can't be updated, see step 8.

Set a Screen Time passcode

On iOS 27 or later: on your own iPhone, open Settings, tap Family, then tap your child's name. Tap Manage Screen Time, then tap Lock Screen Time Settings. Enter a four-digit passcode, then enter it again to confirm it. Follow the onscreen instructions to set up passcode recovery with your Apple Account, so you can reset the passcode if you forget it. Apple suggests choosing a passcode your child won't guess and avoiding birthdays, phone numbers or common patterns like 1234; you can change it later under Manage Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode.

Open your child's controls and set content ratings

On iOS 27 or later: on your own iPhone, open Settings, tap Family, then tap your child's name. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions (enter your Screen Time passcode if asked), then select a type of content under Content Restrictions and choose Don't Allow, Unrated, Allow All, or a specific age rating. Many of these settings are applied automatically based on your child's age, but you can adjust them at any time.

Filter websites and require purchase approval

On iOS 27 or later: go to Settings > Family > [child's name] > Apps & Websites > Restrictions. Under Websites, tap Filtering and choose 'Limit Adult Websites' or 'Approved Websites Only' (which uses Ask to Browse). Under Ask to Buy, turn on Require Purchase Approval. Ask to Buy and Ask to Browse are already on by default for children under 13 (ages may vary by country or region), so check they haven't been turned off.

Set Allowed Contacts and turn on Communication Safety

On iOS 27 or later: go to Settings > Family > [child's name] > Allowed Contacts. Tap During Screen Time and choose Contacts Only, then tap When Device Paused or Unavailable and choose an option. Turn on Manage Contacts to choose the contacts you approve; before you can manage your child's contacts, they need to approve your request, which appears in their Screen Time Settings or in their Notifications. Turn off Allow Contact Editing if you want your child to have to send you a request before they can add a new contact. Then go back, tap Communication Safety and turn it on.

Set a Screen Time Schedule and Time Allowances

On iOS 27 or later: go to Settings > Family > [child's name] > Screen Time Schedule, turn on Schedule, scroll down, tap Add Schedule and select the days it applies to. Then tap Time Allowances, tap the Add button and follow the on-screen instructions to set daily time budgets for categories like Games and Social Media.

If your child's iPhone is on iOS 26 or earlier

Apple says devices that can't be updated can still use Screen Time and Family Sharing settings from iOS 26 or earlier. To see which of your family's devices can't be updated, go to Settings > Family > View Family Devices > Legacy Devices (View Family Devices appears once your own iPhone is on iOS 27 or later). For a child's iPhone that is on iOS 26 or earlier, use this earlier path from Apple's App Store guidance instead of steps 3 to 7, because the menus differ: open Settings and tap Screen Time; if it isn't set up, tap Turn on Screen Time, tap it again and choose 'This is My Child's iPhone', then follow the on-screen instructions. Next tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, enter your passcode if asked, and turn Content & Privacy Restrictions on.

Parental control settings

Screen Time Passcode

Location: Settings > Family > [child's name] > Manage Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings (on your own device)

Recommended: Enabled with a four-digit passcode your child can't guess

A Screen Time passcode locks your child's Screen Time settings so they can't change them on their own, and it's separate from the device passcode your child uses to unlock their device. Once it's set, your child sees a passcode prompt whenever they try to change Screen Time settings; they can still view their Screen Time activity and settings. For Communication Safety, Apple says that once you set a Screen Time passcode, children under 13 (the age varies by country or region) can't view sensitive content without permission — they have to ask a parent or guardian to enter it.

Content & Privacy Restrictions

Location: Settings > Family > [child's name] > Content & Privacy Restrictions

Recommended: Enabled, with age-appropriate ratings for apps, music, books, films and TV shows

Lets you manage Apple content, apps and settings on your child's device — including age ratings, Game Center, Siri and privacy settings. Many of these settings are applied automatically based on your child's age, but you can adjust them at any time.

Website Filtering (Limit Adult Websites / Ask to Browse)

Location: Settings > Family > [child's name] > Apps & Websites > Restrictions > Filtering, under Websites

Recommended: Approved Websites Only (Ask to Browse) for younger children; Limit Adult Websites for older children

With Ask to Browse, your child has to request approval to visit a new website in Safari and other supported browser apps. Ask to Browse is on by default for children under 13 and Limit Adult Websites is on by default for children under 18 (ages may vary by country or region).

Ask to Buy

Location: Settings > Family > [child's name] > Apps & Websites > Restrictions > Ask to Buy > Require Purchase Approval

Recommended: Keep enabled for all children

When your child wants to make an eligible purchase or download, they send you a request and you approve or decline it on your own device. Apple says Ask to Buy is on by default for children under 13 (ages may vary by country or region).

App Installation Restrictions

Location: Settings > Family > [child's name] > Apps & Websites > App Store > Installing Apps

Recommended: Set to 'Blocked' for younger children

Stops your child installing apps on their own device, so you control which apps they use. You can also block or allow an individual app or website from Apps & Websites.

Allowed Contacts

Location: Settings > Family > [child's name] > Allowed Contacts

Recommended: Set 'During Screen Time' to 'Contacts Only', choose an option under 'When Device Paused or Unavailable', and turn on Manage Contacts

Decides who your child can have phone calls, FaceTime calls and messages with, either at all times or only during certain hours: choose an option under During Screen Time and another under When Device Paused or Unavailable. If your child receives a message from someone new, they can't see it until you or another parent or guardian in the Family Sharing group approves. Before you can manage your child's contacts, they need to approve your request, and for Allowed Contacts to work, Contacts needs to be turned on in iCloud on your child's device.

Communication Safety

Location: Settings > Family > [child's name] > Communication Safety

Recommended: Turned on

Helps protect your child from viewing or sharing photos or videos with detected nudity, including pictures and videos sent through text message or a FaceTime video call. Detection of gore and violence needs iOS 27 or later and, in FaceTime, works for video messages but not live calls. Apple notes Communication Safety is turned on by default for children under 18 (the age varies by country or region), and in the UK it is also turned on automatically for adults who haven't confirmed their age.

Screen Time Schedule and Time Allowances

Location: Settings > Family > [child's name] > Screen Time Schedule / Time Allowances

Recommended: Schedule bedtime and school hours; set daily time budgets for categories like Games and Social Media

A Screen Time Schedule lets you choose which apps your child can access at different times of the day, with separate routines for weekdays and weekends. Time Allowances set how long they can use app categories such as entertainment, games and social media.

Age recommendations

Ages 7-10

Generally not recommended. If necessary, use 'Approved Websites Only' (Ask to Browse), block apps you don't want them to use, and set Installing Apps to Blocked. Consider a simpler device instead.

Ages 11-13

Suitable with strict parental controls enabled. Use 'Limit Adult Websites' or Ask to Browse, set Allowed Contacts to Contacts Only, turn on Communication Safety and keep Ask to Buy on.

Ages 14-17

Appropriate with moderate controls. Gradually relax restrictions as your teenager demonstrates responsible use. Maintain a Screen Time Schedule during school and sleep hours.