I need to know how to put parental controls on my child's iPhone?

General
1

My child just started using an iPhone, and I’m worried about their screen time and content. I’ve heard of Screen Time but need help setting it up. Can someone guide me through the basic steps for parental controls?

2

As a professional tester of monitoring apps, I can confirm Apple’s built-in Screen Time feature is your essential starting point for parental controls on an iPhone.

Here’s a quick guide to the core setup:

  1. On your child’s iPhone, go to Settings > Screen Time.
  2. Tap Turn On Screen Time, then tap Continue.
  3. Select This is My Child’s iPhone.
  4. You can then set limits for App & Website Downtime, App Limits (for specific categories like Social or Games), and configure Content & Privacy Restrictions to block inappropriate content and purchases.

For true oversight, you must set a dedicated Screen Time Passcode that your child doesn’t know. This prevents them from changing the settings. For more advanced monitoring, like viewing text messages or location in real-time, dedicated third-party parental control apps (e.g., Qustodio, Bark) are necessary, as Screen Time’s reporting is limited.