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iPhone Parental Controls

iPhone parental controls are built into Screen Time, and you manage them from your own iPhone through Family Sharing. Apple redesigned them in iOS 27, so many older guides now point to menus that have moved. Here’s how to set them up, step by step, on your child’s iPhone or iPad.

By the CITA Editorial TeamUpdated October 3, 20268 min read

Fast Facts About iPhone Parental Controls

  • You can set parental controls from your own iPhone or iPad, as long as you’re the Family Sharing organizer or a parent or guardian in the group.[1]
  • To use the redesigned controls, every device in your family needs iOS 27, iPadOS 27 or the matching update.[4]
  • Ask to Buy and Ask to Browse are on by default for children under 13, and adult websites are limited by default for children under 18.[1]
  • Communication Safety blurs photos and videos with detected nudity before your child views or sends them. It’s on by default for children under 18.[8]
  • App Store age ratings are 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+ and 18+.[9]

Before You Start

  1. Set up Family Sharing, with you as the organizer or as a parent or guardian in the group.[1]
  2. Give your child their own Apple Account. Children under 13 need a Child Account, which a parent creates. The age is higher in some places, including under 18 in Texas. Your child shouldn’t share an account with anyone else.[1][6]
  3. Update every device in your family to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 or visionOS 27. Then go to Settings, then Family, and tap Get Started to set up the new parental controls or transfer the ones you already have.[4]
  4. Add yourself to your child’s contacts, so their requests can reach you for approval.[1]

To create a Child Account, go to Settings, then Family, tap the Add Member button, then tap Create Child Account. Enter your child’s correct birthday, because it sets their age-based protections.[5][11]

If a device can’t update, it can keep using the iOS 26 version of Screen Time. To see which devices those are, go to Settings, then Family, then View Family Devices, then Legacy Devices.[4]

How to Set Up Parental Controls on iPhone

After your family updates, iPhone walks you through a short setup for each child. If you skip it, you can start any time from Settings, then Family, then your child’s name.[3]

  1. Choose what your child can see. Pick how they can browse in Safari: Ask to Browse, where you approve each new site; Limit Adult Websites; or unrestricted. Then set age ratings for books, movies, TV shows and music.
  2. Choose who your child can talk to. When your child wants to message or call someone new, you approve that contact first. For group chats, you can require approval for everyone or just one approved contact in the thread. You can also turn on protection from sensitive photos and videos.
  3. Choose when your child can use the device. Set Available From and Available Until times, with separate schedules for weekdays and weekends. Outside those hours, most apps and notifications pause. This used to be called Downtime.
  4. Set school hours. Turn on Pause During School Hours to pause entertainment, games and social media apps during the school day while other apps stay available.
  5. Set Time Allowances. These replace App Limits. Set a total daily time across entertainment, games and social media, then adjust any one category. A slider shows whether your choice falls within a suggested range for your child’s age.
  6. Create a Screen Time passcode. Choose a four-digit code your child can’t guess. You’ll need it to change parental controls later.

The steps above come from Apple’s setup guide for version 27.[3] Apple says to set your child’s Screen Time passcode on your own device, not your child’s.[2]

Ask to Buy and App Store Age Ratings

Ask to Buy makes your child request permission before downloading or buying apps. It’s on by default for children under 13, and in some states and countries it can’t be turned off for children under 18.[1]

  • Turn it on: Settings, then Family, then your child’s name. Tap Apps & Websites, then Restrictions, then Ask to Buy, and turn on Require Purchase Approval.[1]
  • Answer requests: requests arrive in Messages, where you can approve or decline them. If you don’t answer within 24 hours, your child has to ask again.[12]
  • Expect to re-approve sometimes. If an app you approved makes a significant change, such as a higher age rating or a new feature, you may have to approve it again.[7]
  • Block an app: in Apps & Websites, select the app and tap Block App. It stays on the device but is dimmed and can’t be used.[1]

If your child tries to download an app rated above the limit you set, they can send you an exception request instead.[7] App Store ratings are 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+ and 18+.[9]

Website Filters and Ask to Browse

Go to Settings, then Family, then your child’s name. Tap Apps & Websites, then Restrictions, then Filtering under Websites, and choose a setting:[1]

  • Limit Adult Websites blocks access to many adult sites. It’s on by default for children under 18.
  • Ask to Browse means your child has to ask before visiting any new website. To use it, set the filter to Approved Websites Only. It’s on by default for children under 13.

You can approve sites ahead of time, such as a site for a school project. In iOS 27, Ask to Browse works in Safari and other supported browser apps.[1]

Who Your Child Can Talk To

You decide who your child can reach in Messages, FaceTime and Phone. If someone new messages your child, your child can’t see the message until you or another parent or guardian approves.[1] Contact approval is on by default for Child Accounts up to age 13, and you can turn it on for older children.[3]

  • Set who can reach them: Settings, then Family, then your child’s name. Tap Allowed Contacts, then During Screen Time, and choose Contacts Only, Contacts & Groups with at Least One Contact, or Everyone.
  • Manage their contacts: in Allowed Contacts, turn on Manage Contacts. Keep Allow Contact Editing off if you want your child to send you a request before adding anyone new.

These steps come from Apple’s parental controls guide.[1]

Communication Safety: Nudity Filters on iPhone

Communication Safety blurs photos and videos that appear to contain nudity, and in iOS 27, gore and violence, before your child views or sends them. It works in Messages, AirDrop, FaceTime, Contact Posters, shared photo albums and when your child picks a photo to share in some other apps.[8]

  • It’s on by default for children under 18 on the latest software.
  • When it blurs something, it offers your child ways to get help, like messaging a trusted adult, leaving the conversation or blocking the contact.
  • If you’ve set a Screen Time passcode, children under 13 can’t view blurred content unless a parent or guardian enters the passcode.
  • The scanning happens on your child’s device. Apple isn’t told when something is detected and doesn’t see the photos.

To check that it’s on, go to Settings, then Family, then your child’s name, then Communication Safety.[1][8]

Limits on Time, Siri and Games

  • Change time limits later: go to Settings, then Family, then your child’s name. Tap Time Allowances to add or adjust limits, or Screen Time Schedule to set routines for before, during and after school. You can also pause the device, allow unlimited use, or change the schedule for just one day.[1]
  • Content ratings: under Content & Privacy Restrictions, choose a setting for each type of content, such as Don’t Allow or a specific age rating.[1]
  • Siri and Apple Intelligence: under Content & Privacy Restrictions, tap Siri to allow or block features such as Writing Assistance and Image Creation.[1]
  • Game Center: under Apps & Websites, then Restrictions, you can block features like Connect with Friends and Private Messaging.[1]
  • Weekly reports: you can see a weekly summary of how your child uses their device and which apps they use most.[10]

iPad Parental Controls

The steps are the same on an iPad running iPadOS 27. Once your child’s account is set up, supported parental controls sync automatically to all of your child’s devices.[1][10]

If Your Child’s iPhone Can’t Update to iOS 27

On iOS 26 and earlier, Screen Time is in a different place. Go to Settings, then Screen Time, and select your child under Family. From there you can set schedules, app limits, communication limits and content restrictions, and turn on checking for sensitive images. For children under 18, Communication Safety and web content limits are on by default.[11]

Parental Controls Work Best With a Plan

Settings set the limits, but your child will grow and the rules will need to change with them. Our guide to screen time by age explains what pediatricians recommend at each stage and how to make a family media plan. For the apps your child uses most, see the online safety guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I put parental controls on my child’s iPhone?

Set up Family Sharing and a Child Account, update your family’s devices to iOS 27, then go to Settings, then Family, then your child’s name. iPhone walks you through content, contacts, schedules, time limits and a Screen Time passcode.[1][3]

Can I set parental controls from my own iPhone?

Yes. If you’re the Family Sharing organizer or a parent or guardian in the group, you can manage your child’s controls and approve their requests from your own device.[1]

What happened to Downtime and App Limits?

In iOS 27, Downtime is built into your child’s daily schedule, which you set with Available From and Available Until times. App Limits are now called Time Allowances.[3]

What is Ask to Browse on iPhone?

Ask to Browse makes your child request approval before visiting a new website in Safari or another supported browser. It’s on by default for children under 13.[1]

Can my child see a blurred nude photo?

If you’ve set a Screen Time passcode, a child under 13 can’t view it without a parent or guardian entering the passcode. Older teens see warnings and ways to get help before they decide.[8]

Do iPhone parental controls work on iPad?

Yes. The same controls work on iPad, and supported settings sync across your child’s devices.[10]

What do App Store age ratings mean?

Apps are rated 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+ or 18+. Apple added the 13+, 16+ and 18+ ratings in 2025, and ratings can vary by country or region.[9]

Sources

  1. Apple Support. (2026, September 14). Set Up Parental Controls to Manage Your Child’s iPhone or iPad.
  2. Apple Support. (2026, September 22). Use Screen Time to Manage Your Child’s iPhone or iPad.
  3. Apple. (n.d.). Set Up Parental Controls on Your Child’s Device. Apple Devices for Kids and Families User Guide. Accessed October 2, 2026.
  4. Apple. (n.d.). Update Your Family Devices to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27. Apple Devices for Kids and Families User Guide. Accessed October 2, 2026.
  5. Apple Support. (2026, September 14). Create an Apple Account for Your Child.
  6. Apple Support. (2026, September 14). Region-Specific Rules for Managing an Apple Account.
  7. Apple Support. (2026, September 14). Manage Your Child’s Access to Apps and App Requests on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
  8. Apple Support. (2026, September 29). About Communication Safety on Your Child’s Apple Device.
  9. Apple Developer. (2025, July 24). Updated Age Ratings in App Store Connect.
  10. Apple. (n.d.). Explore Parental Controls on Your Kid’s Device. Apple Devices for Kids and Families User Guide. Accessed October 2, 2026.
  11. Apple. (n.d.). Set Up Screen Time for a Child on iPhone. iPhone User Guide (iOS 26). Accessed October 2, 2026.
  12. Apple Support. (2026, September 14). Approve What Your Child Can Purchase and Download With Ask to Buy.
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