Limiting content for children on iPhone. Parental controls on iOS and Android: total surveillance of your child

— a resource where you can find content for every taste: educational, musical, humorous, etc. However, YouTube also hosts videos that are not entirely suitable for children. For parents who want to protect their children from viewing inappropriate content, the service provides “ Safe mode"or, more simply put, the parental control function.

This mode relies in part on videos that have been labeled as “inappropriate for children” by other users or authorities, so activating it does not guarantee that children will be fully protected from “adult” content.

How to Enable Parental Controls in YouTube on Windows or Mac

2. Go down to YouTube settings located at the bottom of the page. Among others, you will see the option “ Safe mode»;

3. Open the drop-down menu " Safe Mode " It will be indicated here Additional Information about the function, as well as a warning that the settings are imperfect and cannot be 100% secure;

4. Turn on " Safe mode»;

How to set up parental controls on YouTube mobile

A large number of YouTube users view content not only on PCs or laptops, but also on mobile devices. Therefore, it is worth mentioning that changing YouTube settings in the browser does not affect the account itself. That is, you will have to enable parental controls on each device you use.

2. Click on the profile icon at the top of the screen to log into your account;

3. In the menu, select the section " Settings»;

4. Click on the option " Search filtering»;

5. In the menu that appears, select the option " Strict" Unlike Netflix, which filters content based on age, YouTube only offers two options: “ Strict filtering" And " Don't filter»;

6. Press the return button (shaped like an arrow) to confirm the settings;

7. Now your settings will be saved as "With touching».

As a matter of fact, there is simply no such thing as “parental controls” in iOS. However, the device can be configured in such a way that the child simply is not able to perform certain actions, such as installing new programs or visiting any websites.

Limitations in iOS

In order to limit any actions of a child (or even another adult), you need to go to “ Settings» — « Basic» — « Restrictions" If you are going there for the first time, you will first need to enable the restrictions. In this case, you will need to specify a password, which will need to be entered each time you subsequently enter this settings section.

The very first section in the restrictions settings is “Allow”. In it, you can generally prohibit certain actions. Such as launching Safari, installing or uninstalling programs, using the camera, or using the iBook Store. Moreover, after disabling, some of the icons are completely hidden. For example, Safari or FaceTime. Please note that if they were previously in folders, then after returning they simply appear on the desktop again.

There is also a possibility self-installation or deleting applications, making internal purchases. By disabling these items, you can be sure that your child will not download any expensive application or delete anything important.

The next section is “Allowed Content”. In it you can, for example, ban applications that have a certain age limit. So, if you select programs with a rating of 9+, then all others with a higher rating will simply disappear from the screen (but will remain in the device’s memory and will not be deleted). There you can also make sure that all third-party applications are hidden, then only the standard set will remain on the screen.

Another important item in the “Allowed Content” section is “Websites”. In it, you can limit your child’s journey on the Internet to only a few specific sites, generally excluding the very possibility of visiting any others. Restrictions for books, films, music, etc. are also set there.

But the “Privacy” section has nothing to do with children, but with third party applications, which set restrictions on the use of any privacy settings. For example, in the “Contacts” item you can deny access to your contacts from applications like Skype or ICQ.

In the “Allow changes” item you can prohibit making restrictions on Accounts. There you can also set a ban on updating applications and even adjusting the sound volume. And finally, restrictions in Game Center mean the ability to play with other users and add friends.

Guided access

The Guided Access feature limits your device's use to just one application you're running. At the same time, you can set some restrictions on the use of screen areas. For example, make the area in which advertising messages appear inaccessible for clicking.

To enable Guided Access, use " Settings» — « Basic» — « Universal access» — « Guided access" Enable the feature and set a password.

Now you can launch Guided Access in any app by triple-clicking the Home button. After this, you will be asked to circle the areas that cannot be pressed on the screen, set the parameters for the action of the hardware buttons, and also indicate whether the device should respond to movement. After launching the function, the Home button does not work, and the user does not have the opportunity to launch another application. Rebooting the device does not help; guided access does not turn off.

To turn off Guided Access, triple-click the Home button again and enter your password.

Preparing the device for the child

In addition to the methods described above, before putting the device into children’s hands, it makes sense to perform some more actions. So, if you want to prevent the device from being used in your absence, then set a password on it. This can be done through “Settings” - “Password”. In this case, you can use a simple password consisting of 4 numbers or a password that also contains letters. In the second case, the level of protection is higher, but the usability of the device is reduced.

It would be a good idea to purchase a case for the device, then falls and bumps will be less scary for it. Although, unfortunately, this does not guarantee full protection from mechanical damage.

Well, the most important thing is to find and install various interesting children's applications, all kinds of games and educational programs. Fortunately, there is plenty of such content in App Store.

Let's figure out how to set up parental controls on your child's iPhone.

For parents who are concerned about what their children see and do on their iPhone or iPod touch No more looking over your children's shoulders all the time. Instead, they can use tools built into iOS to manage age restrictions on the content, apps, and other features that children can access.

Similar tools - called iPhone Restrictions - are Apple's full suite of services and applications. They offer interested parents ways to set age limits that can be changed as children get older.

How to enable age restrictions on iPhone

To enable and configure these features, follow these steps:

  1. Launch the application Settings on the iPhone on which you want to enable restrictions.
  2. Select an item General.
  3. Select an item Restrictions.
  4. Select an item Enable Restrictions.
  5. You will need to create a four-digit password that will allow you, not your child, to access the iPhone's restrictions settings. Every time you need access or want to change restrictions settings you will have to enter this password, so choose something memorable. Don't use the same password you use to lock your iPhone or your child will be able to change any setting age restrictions, if he can unlock the phone.
  6. Enter the password a second time and the restrictions will be applied.

Age Restriction Screen

Once you enable age restrictions on the Settings screen, you'll see a long list of apps and phone features that you can block. Review each item and make a decision based on your child's age and your wishes.

Next to each item you will see a slider. Move it to the ON position to give your child access to an app or feature. Move the slider to the OFF position to block access. On systems starting with iOS 7, the ON position is shown green slider. The OFF position is indicated by the white color of the slider.

Here's what you need to know about each part of the settings screen:

  • First part, Allow, includes several built-in apps and tools that you got with your iPhone, like Safari, Camera, Siri And FaceTime, and others. Any application or feature that you disable will be completely hidden from your child - it will not appear on home iPhone screen and it cannot be opened or used in any way. By moving the slider to the ON position, you will restore access and display of the application on your iPhone.
  • Note: If you leave access to Safari, Apple doesn't provide a way to disable Private Browsing in Safari. This means that your child will be able to use the Private Browsing feature to hide their browser history from you.

The next part controls access to Apple's online stores.

  • In this part you will find shops iTunes Store, iBooks Store, Apple Music, library Podcasts, News app, and App Store access controls. If you disable access to these stores, your child will not be able to purchase or download content from Apple.
  • For a more flexible way to manage your purchases, consider setting up Family Sharing to require your approval when downloading from these stores
  • Also in this part are presented two very useful functions: Deleting Apps And InApp Purchases. You can turn off Deleting Apps to prevent your child from deleting an app from their device. Disabling In-App Purchases will protect you from receiving a large bill from iTunes without your permission or by mistake. Among all the age limit settings, I would recommend this one to you to protect yourself from unpleasant financial surprises.

The third part of the age restrictions screen is called Allowed Content. Here you can control the type and age level of content your child can see on iPhone. The following items are available:

  • Ratings For: Select the country whose rating system you want to apply to content. It makes sense to choose your country of residence, but there are many other options.
  • Music & Podcasts & News: Use this option to specify exactly what content can be played or viewed on this iPhone. For music, this setting only works for songs downloaded from iTunes Store. If your iPhone has music downloaded from other services or from a CD, the phone will not know what that content is and will allow it to play. The same rule applies to movies and TV episodes not obtained from iTunes.
  • Movies: Select the highest rating you want to allow viewing, from G to NC-17. Settings TV Shows, Books And Apps work the same.
  • Siri: Control Siri's ability to speak and search in a specific language.
  • Websites: Limit your child's ability to visit adult sites (as defined by Apple). For an even greater level of control, select Specific Websites Only and create a list of sites that your child can visit and block access to all others.

In the part called Privacy You'll see a variety of privacy protections and security settings for your child's iPhone. The number of these settings is too large to describe them all in detail in this article. To learn more about them, read the article “Using Privacy Settings on iPhone.” This part sets up privacy protection for location services, contacts, calendars, notifications, camera, and other apps and tools.

Next part, Allow Changes, prevents your child from changing certain iPhone settings, among which:

  • Accounts: If you disable this feature, your child will not be able to add or delete accounts in the built-in Mail applications, Contacts, and Calendars.
  • Cellular Data Use: Use this setting to allow or block your child's ability to turn it on or off. mobile internet.
  • Background App Refresh: Using this feature will drain your battery faster, so it's best to disable it.
  • Volume Limit: To prevent damage to your child's hearing, you can set a volume limit for listening to audio recordings. This setting will prevent your child from changing this limit.
  • TV Provider: Used with the built-in TV application to determine what online video content will be available on this phone.

The last part contains settings for Game Center game services:

How to disable parental controls on iPhone

When time passes and your child no longer needs age restrictions, you can disable all these settings and return his iPhone to the initial state. You can disable age restrictions much faster than setting them up.

To disable all age restrictions, go to Settings -> Restrictions and enter your password. Then click on the button Disable Restrictions at the top of the screen.

The desire to control everything that a child can do on his iPhone or iPad can visit any parent who dares to give a cult gadget at the beginning of the school year. What you should pay attention to when choosing software for iOS devices?

Parental control tasks may include prohibiting visits to unwanted Internet sites, restricting a child’s access to communication services, as well as controlling the use of applications on the device. An option could be remote monitoring of what exactly (and whether it’s in class) the child is doing at the moment.

However, not every developer includes all the components in their product, and sometimes even “redoubts” erected by companies that have eaten the dog at information security, surrender almost without a fight.

IN operating system iOS has its own “restraining” function, and therefore there are an order of magnitude fewer alternatives and additions in the App Store than, for example, in Google Play. Parental controls built into iOS allow you to restrict the use of some standard applications, as well as prohibit the installation and/or removal of software. Among the programs that can be turned off are the Safari browser, a client for watching videos on YouTube, a camera, and an application for shopping in the online audio and video content store iTunes.

To protect parental settings, a four-digit password is used, which gives about 10,000 combinations. However, even if the child is patient, finding the password will not be easy: after several unsuccessful attempts, the device gradually increases the timeout before the next attempt. In addition, the password entry screen displays the number of unsuccessful attempts, which will give the young hacker away.

Safari does not provide any settings for filtering sites. When you disable an application, it simply disappears from the menu. It is possible to retain the opportunity to use respectable resources only with the help of third-party solutions.

The iOS platform imposes strict requirements on developers, which prevents them from creating programs that operate at the system level and control other software without violating Apple's restrictions. Thus, in fact, the only way to filter web content is to use a third-party browser that provides such functionality. All other browsers must be uninstalled (along with blocking the ability to install programs), and standard Safari must be disabled: otherwise, the meaning of using the “guard” is lost.

If there are no other browsers, Kaspersky Parental Control, released for iOS, can help. The application from Kaspersky Lab is presented by the authors as a means of monitoring visits to “non-children’s” sites. However, the program operates based on its own “black” lists of sites, and these lists cannot be changed or supplemented. In addition, this protection can be easily bypassed. The K9 Web Protection Browser application better resists attempts to reach forbidden fruits: the authors have blocked the search for images and videos.