How to set up and use age restrictions on iPhone? IOS vs Android: where and how to enable parental controls on a smartphone How to enable restrictions on iphone

The doors of technology that open different virtual worlds to us force us to become more open and vulnerable. Children are among the most defenseless. Of course, they adapt to innovations more easily, but at the same time they absorb information more strongly, including negative ones.

How to protect children from inappropriate content? Should their app and internet usage be monitored? Is an “electronic leash” useful for tracking where a child is at one time or another? There is no clear answer to these questions.

But if you think that parental control within reason, then the developers of mobile platforms and applications are ready to help you implement it.

Together with experts from Roskachestvo, we studied which of the two operating systems - iOS and Android - copes better with this mission, and which mobile applications provide the best opportunities for this.

What can you prohibit your child from using an iOS device?

enjoy various services and applications and third party browsers. It is possible to disable the Camera, FaceTime, Siri voice assistant applications and block access to the iTunes Store and iBooks.

If you think this is too much, there is an option not to ban applications entirely, but to limit the content received through them. For example, a child will not be able to buy songs with profanity. You can also assign Siri to recognize curse words. In addition, you can configure the age rating of the films you watch and books read, downloaded through Apple services. The Internet is controlled separately: in the appropriate section you can specify allowed websites.

Parental controls on iOS also make it possible to define the boundaries of privacy, but the service has no restrictions on the time of use of the device, as well as tracking the child’s location (the latter is done through a special “Find Friends” application).

How to Enable Parental Controls on iOS

This can be done in “Settings”; by default, parental controls are disabled.

To activate it, select the “General” tab in “Settings” and open “Restrictions”. You need to click on the “Enable restrictions” button and come up with a four-digit password, which will be needed to manage and remove restrictions.

In the first block, you can prohibit your child from using various Apple services and applications (by default their use is allowed). Please note that browser blocking only applies to Safari; other browsers cannot be blocked in this way. But you can also prevent applications from being installed and uninstalled.

The second block determines what content is available to the child. You can prevent downloading music, movies, podcasts and other media files from iTunes. At the same time, Apple focuses on metadata “hard-wired” into the content, as well as standard divisions of content by age (0+, 6+, 12+, and so on). In the same block you can specify only allowed websites.

The next block allows you to configure privacy settings. You can block all or some apps from accessing location services, contacts, calendars, photos, microphone, and so on.

Pay attention to the next block, it contains a lot of useful information. For example, it can prohibit data transfer via cellular communications, so that a child will not be able to use mobile Internet without knowing the password (even if he has already mastered the technology of enabling data transfer through the “ cellular"). Here you can also set the volume limit for listening to music.

The last block allows you to prohibit online games with other Game Center players, adding friends there, and also record screens during the game.

What restrictions can be set on a child’s Android smartphone?

Android has much fewer options: all you have to do is set an age rating for downloaded applications from Google Play and prohibiting access to songs with obscene content. But Google has a Family Link service that allows you to do what iOS cannot - set the device lock time and get statistics on application usage. However, we hasten to disappoint you, the application is not sold in Russia. Separately from operating system There is a device location tracking function.

How to enable parental controls on Android?

Since restrictions are introduced only on downloading applications and content, you can enable them - which is logical - through Play Store.

You can also enable requests to make in-app purchases on Android. To do this, open the “Play Store” application, select “Account / Family subscription / Add/remove members” in the “Menu” and click on the name of the family group member. If there isn't one yet, you will be prompted to create one.

As for the device tracking feature, it is enabled by default. But it is only effective for young children, since, unlike iOS, a child can easily turn it off in Google Settings.

The Best Mobile Apps for Parental Controls

In addition to the built-in iOS and Android services, Roskachestvo experts tested 11 of the most popular mobile applications. The study was conducted according to 24 criteria (20 related to functionality, 4 to safety). Unfortunately, none of the applications received the maximum score from the strict experts of Roskachestvo, since none of the services has all the possible functionality of mobile parental control.

The best security ratings were Kaspersky SafeKids and Kidslox services (for both OS), as well as Mobile Fence Parental Control for Android. The most functional are Mobile Fence Parental Control for Android, Kaspersky SafeKids and Kidslox for iOS. The mLite Android app received the lowest security score, as antivirus software identified it as containing malware. The fewest features were found in Screen Time for both platforms and Norton Family parental control for Android. A table compiled by Roskachestvo experts will help you compare the functionality of all applications.

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So where are parental controls most effective?

Let's summarize. The built-in parental controls of iOS are more functional than those of Android, but applications must be dealt with separately, and there is no “ideal” one among them.

But it seems the best option- This is building a trusting relationship with the child. Excessive parental control undermines the relationship between parents and child and does not contribute to the formation of the latter’s inner core. So, at least, says psychologist Anna Monosova. In her opinion, any control creates a “corset” that can hold well for the time being. As the child grows older, it prevents the child from developing his own judgments about safety. In addition, the stricter the ban, the more you want to break it. And only trust in parents can create the most reliable protection in this world, and the ability to talk and negotiate with a child can convince him to keep an eye on the phone (don’t turn it off and charge it on time).

Mobile devices have long become lifesavers for many parents: various educational and developmental applications, watching cartoons on the iPad, reading books and much more have made iOS devices good tools in teaching, developing and raising a child. However, with access to useful content, playing with mobile device a child may unwittingly enter “adult territory.” Having foreseen a similar situation, the Cupertino team carefully added iOS system the “Restrictions” function or, as it is also called, parental control.

"Restrict" allows you to restrict the use of certain functions and programs, requiring the user to provide a password to continue the request. So, having Parental Controls enabled will prevent your child or any other user from accessing music, movies, TV shows, books, or apps on your iPhone or iPad. Also, using the “Restrictions” function, you can block access to sites containing adult content, or, on the contrary, allow access only to specific web pages, blocking all others.

The Restrictions feature can prevent you from changing privacy settings for a number of services and programs, including Location Services, Contacts, Calendars, Photos, Bluetooth Sharing, and can prevent Siri from recognizing abusive language.

Instructions for activating the “Restrictions” function on iOS

Activating the Restrictions feature or parental controls is quite simple. To do this we go to Settings – General – Restrictions:

Go to “Restrictions” and tap on “Enable restrictions”, after which you will be asked to set a password.

Ready. Don’t forget your password, and if you do forget, use the instructions for restoring the restrictions password on iPhone, iPad:

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Like Internet-connected computers, iPhones can access a wealth of information that is inappropriate for children or inappropriate in work situations. You can limit iPhone access to certain types of content.

In particular, you can use parental controls - for example, to prevent your child from making in-app purchases or watching adult films.

Click the button "Home"(Home). The home screen will open.
Click the icon "Settings"(Settings). The corresponding screen will open.
Click "Basic"(General). The corresponding screen will open.
Scroll down the screen and tap "Restrictions"(Restrictions). The corresponding screen will open.
Click "Enable restrictions"(Enable Restrictions). A screen with text will open "Enter restrictions password"(Set Passcode). It's better to use a password that's different from the one used to lock your iPhone.

Enter password. In case someone is spying on you, iPhone shows dots instead of your password. After entering iPhone password shows the same window again, this time with a message "Reenter your restrictions password"(Re-enter your Restrictions Passcode).
Enter your password again. Screen "Restrictions"(Restrictions) will open again, now with the ability to change the positions of the switches in the field "Allow"(Allow).
If necessary, move each radio button to the field "Allow"(Allow) to position "On"(On) or "Off"(Off).
Scroll down to the field "Allowed Content"(Allowed Content).

If you need to change the country for which restrictions are set, click "Age Limit"(Ratings For). On the screen that appears, select your country and then tap "Restrictions"(Restrictions).
Select settings for "Music, podcasts"(Music & Podcasts), "Movies"(Movies) "TV Show"(TV Shows) and "Programs"(Apps). For example, click Movies.
On the screen "Movies"(Movies) select the maximum allowed rating.
Click "Restrictions"(Restrictions).
Flip the switch "In-App Purchases"(In-App Purchases) to position "Off"(Off) to prevent the user from purchasing content from apps.

Set other settings in the field "Privacy"(Privacy).
Select the required values in the fields « Accounts» (Accounts) and "Volume Limit"(Volume Limit).
Change the switches if necessary "Games with Others"(Multiplayer Games) and "Adding Friends"(Adding Friends) to position "On"(On) or "Off"(Off).

What are "in-app purchases"?

Some apps allow you to buy products directly without going through App Store. This is a popular and easy way to sell among developers. additional functions applications (especially inexpensive or free ones). Moreover, it is one of the most simple ways taking money from iPhone users.

What are the privacy settings in the “Restrictions” menu responsible for?

They let you control which apps access information about your iPhone's location, contacts, calendars, reminders, and photos.

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 a complete set of services and Apple 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:

Launch the application Settings on the iPhone on which you want to enable restrictions.
Select an item General.
Select an item Restrictions.
Select an item Enable Restrictions.
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 passcode you use to lock your iPhone, or your child will be able to change any age setting if they can unlock the phone.
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 as a 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 In— App 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 the 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, Contacts, and Calendars applications.
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.