Protect Your Child with iPad Parental Controls start with disabling some features and turning on iPad restrictions, How you ask, keep on reading.

iPad Parental Controls
iPad Parental Controls | Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

A staggering 80% of children have access to an iPad, some from the age of just two years old. While there is great value in the educational and entertainment features of an iPad, there are also hazards. Since you can’t watch over your child 24/7, how can you make sure they don’t access inappropriate content?

For that, you need to make use of iPad parental controls. Apple gives you a huge amount of control over your child’s iPad usage, so you can have peace of mind.

Which iPad Features can you Disable?

As a parent, there are probably certain features of an iPad that you don’t want your child to use. Fortunately, you have complete control. iPad parental controls allow you to control just about every feature of the iPad. Your child won’t be able to change the settings and you can therefore give them the iPad with confidence. Your child will get all the benefits of using an iPad, with none of the risks.

Here are some of the main things you can disable using iPad parental controls:

  • App Store purchases: If you have an iPad, you probably know how easy it can be to make purchases. Whether in the App Store or in iTunes, just a tap of a button can have you buying pointless in-game features.
  • App usage: Beyond purchases, you can block your child from using specific apps. Perhaps you are happy for your child to use games but don’t want them accessing the internet. You can therefore block the safari app while keeping other apps open.
  • Content: Perhaps the most useful feature is being able to filter adult content. With this option, you can ensure your son or daughter can only view websites, search results, movies, and apps that are appropriate for a child.

How to Turn on iPad Restrictions

If this sounds like the right option for you, then turning on iPad restrictions is easy. Here’s what you need to do to enable iPad parental controls:

  • Go to ‘Settings’. Tap on ‘Screen Time’. Tap ‘Use Screen Time Passcode’. Enter a four-digit passcode. This will be a code specifically used for setting iPad parental controls. Tap ‘Content and Privacy Restrictions’. Enter your iPad parental controls passcode. Tap the ‘Content and Privacy Restrictions’ switch to toggle it to the ‘on’ position. You will then gain access to all the different restrictions. Have a play around to change the iPad’s default settings and make it suitable for your young child.

TIP: The iPad parental controls passcode is separate from the iPad device passcode. Be sure to make them different!

Practically every child is using an iPad nowadays, but only because it is so easy to control what content they see. Ideally, you should share your iPad with your children, rather than buying them their own. Once they have proven that they can use the iPad sensibly and with maturity, you can allow them their own device. However, you should still make use of iPad parental controls so that your child stays safe as they play games and surf the web.