Parental Controls on iPhone & Android, Step by Step

Exact walkthroughs for Screen Time, Content & Privacy Restrictions, Family Link, SafeSearch, and app approvals.

Every phone in your house already has powerful parental controls built in for free - the problem is that the menu paths are buried three or four screens deep and change slightly with every software update. This guide gives you exact, numbered walkthroughs for both iOS and Android, covering purchase approvals, content restrictions, communication limits, and app time limits. If a menu name looks slightly different on your specific device, look for the closest match - Apple and Google occasionally rename these settings, but the underlying feature is almost always still there.

iOS: setting up Screen Time and Content & Privacy Restrictions

Step 1: Go to Settings > Screen Time > Turn On Screen Time, and choose "This is My Child's iPhone" if setting it up for your child's own device. This links it to Family Sharing so you can manage it remotely from your own phone.

Step 2: Set a Screen Time passcode different from the device unlock code, under Settings > Screen Time > Use Screen Time Passcode. Without this, your child can simply turn restrictions off themselves.

Android: setting up Google Family Link

Step 1: Install the Family Link app on your own phone and on your child's Android device (or set it up during initial device setup if it is brand new). Create a Google Account for your child specifically through Family Link rather than letting them create their own.

Step 2: In Family Link on your phone, select your child's account and go to Controls > Content restrictions > Google Play to set age-based ratings for apps, games, movies, and TV shows they can download or view.

Checklist

• Screen Time (iOS) or Family Link (Android) is active and passcode-protected
• Content & Privacy Restrictions or Family Link content ratings match your child's age
• Ask to Buy or app-install approval is required for every download and purchase
• Communication Limits or approved contacts list is current
• SafeSearch is turned on and YouTube is set to a supervised experience