iPhone 101: How To Set Up Parental Controls on Your iPhone
Welcome to iPhone 101, simple tips for novice iPhone users to help you take advantage of your new device.
Maybe your kid spends way too much time browsing the internet via Safari, uses the camera in ways that are not appropriate, or perhaps they went on a spending spree in the App Store and you didn’t know until your credit card bill came in the mail. Whatever the case may be, find out how to regain some parental control by enabling restrictions after the break!
Settings
Ok, you will want to begin to go into the settings.
General
Once you are in the settings, go directly to the general tab.
Restrictions
Tap the restrictions tab and once on that screen choose enable restrictions.
You will now be asked to enter a 4 digit passcode. Do not forget this passcode, there is no way to retrieve it, and a full restore (re-installation) of the iPhone is needed to reset it.
Restriction Options
After you have entered your passcode, you will now have the ability to restrict any of the functions you see on the screen. Without going through each and every option, lets just take a look at Safari. If you turn off Safari and head back to your home screen you will see that the icon is removed and there is no way possible to reach that application any more.
To re-enable a function like Safari, return to the restriction page, authorize with the 4 digit passcode you entered above, and turn it back on.
So there you have it folks, if there is any reason you need to restrict certain apps or features on your (or your child’s) iPhone, this is how you do it.
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Best of SPE, 12 April 2009Leave a Reply
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Jeremy
Thanks for the post. FYI there is a better alternative to disabling Safari completely. Parents can install a parental control browser app designed for kids. Check out the Mobicip Safe Browser.
This Google Knol describes the setup in detail – http://tinyurl.com/cvm8m2.
Hope this helps.
Apple has done a stunningly poor job in this area. OSX at least has some rudimentary parental controls at the app and content level. Forcing a user to “restrict access” by completely disabling Safari, or the camera or any other iPhone app, is, in a word, lame.
My experience with the filter browsers has been less than stellar. It would be nice if either Apple allowed them access like safari or they would program them to be like safari.
Too many things blocked by the new browsers outside of what is or is not selected for restriction.
Ineffective and unacceptable…
Disabling Safari and using Mobicip (or equivalent “safe” browsing software) will block most novice users but the porn addict or the hormone crazed teen with average or better technical knowledge WILL be able to circumvent this EASILY.
Most free applications and several paid have links to either their main web site or to commercial web sites. If they have to go through Safari, this is fine, however most of these apps have browsers of their own WHICH ARE INDEPENDENT OF SAFARI or the “safe” browsers. If there are links to Google or Facebook, Twitter, My Space etc., they have their gateway to anything.
The novice won’t find these. The person in control of their hormones won’t use them but it’s bad juju for someone who’s trying to 12-step a porn addiction or is a teen, it’s not good enough.
I’ve found the “safe” browsers on the iPhone typically block too much of the good stuff and not enough of the bad. Sometimes this can be fixed manually by creating safe and blocked sites so it’s not completely unreasonable.
I believe other smart phones, although less safe to begin, can have Net Nanny or other better apps installed which, I believe (no personal experience) will block/restrict ALL internet access.
If someone knows how to block what I described above, I’d LOVE to hear about it. If there are apps for a jailbroken iPhone, that might be the way to go.
So far, my experience with the iPhone indicates it’s rated R and setting it to G, PG or PG-13 is nearly impossible. Frankly, I think Apple has been irresponsible on this point. (I’d like to use other language which is rated R towards the brains behind this thinking if I thought it would do anyone any good.)
Finally, the answer of disabling Safari and, in their opinion, cutting off the web is impractical and unacceptable. Why would anyone get an iPhone to be blocked from the internet altogether. The AT&T data plan is mandatory as far as I’m aware and internet access is pretty much the whole point of that.
I enabled the restriction as described above. I tested my kid and immediately when he found the safari browers missing, entered a search for it, located it and got it up and running immediately. No fuss, no trouble. So much for the built in restriction which is utterly useless.
I tried the parental controls w my 3gs v4.1 and I tried to search for safari to reinstall, not possible… I am thinking of upgrading to the iPhone 4 and giving mine to my daughter with no phone service. She would essentially have an iPod touch since she would be able to use the wi-fi… This discussion was helpful and definitively put me at ease with her restrictions.
I was considering getting an iPhone for my daughter. Like others said, the point of the iphone is to be able to use web & apps. So, not being able to filter via ratings, or SOMETHING, is irresponsible. It’s not even thinking your child would seek out porno. Currently, porno is seeking out people. Anyone with hopes of getting someone to pay! Until Apple addresses this issue the way it should be addresses, I won’t be buying any iphones for my family!
Covenant Eyes and other filtering software companies make an Internet browser for the iPhone. If you restrict Safari, this would force the user to go through the filter you setup for Internet access.
Not if they use wifi which is everywhere
I resently bought an iPhone for my 15 year old daughter. She has always been responcible and I never expect her to look up ANYTHING she shouldn’t. But I wanted to check and see if it would block things from Coming up, and it did. Porn sites, pictures (explict) and other things young men and women shouln’t see were blocked. Thanks for the Help!!
@Sker
I 100% agree with you. There is no app or option out there than can monitor internet access on the whole iphone and apple has done a very poor job at this. At least they can have it so that in Restrictions you can turn off “Clearing Browser History”. I would love a browser that stores web history and sends it to a specific email address every week so that no website is lost through the cracks (because honestly filtered browsers can always be circumvented with niche porn websites that have not been blacklisted).
I’ve installed Covenant Eyes browser and had my pastor restrict Safari. Browser is unstable but activity shows on report. What I’m learning is that app like Twitter allows access to loads of porn that doesnt flow through the browser thus xircumventing accountability reporting. Can specific apps be blocked if they haven’t been installed?
Comrades, why so much emotion?
My kid doesn’t need the world. They don’t need an iPhone. So they are going to get an iphone with safari and ‘add apps’ locked. If they want new apps they’ll have to come to me. When their older and can buy their own, then they can make their own decisions. But this combination of restrictions appears to be a guaranteed deadlock against bad online content.
I think you all need to be aware that unless you disable safari your children will not be safe. The restrictions are extremely basic. Try it. Set the restrictions and then type in something graphic. It still pops up. You have to disable safari and by an app that is child safe. I even went to the Apple store and they said there is nothing they can do on Safari for internet safety. They are working on this. I also paid ATT for parent monitoring…still doesn’t work.