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iPhone and Android: screen time and parental controls basics

Parental controls help children use phones and tablets safely, and screen time tools help adults too. They work best alongside regular conversations about what children see online.

Before you start

  • Decide the rules with your child, such as bedtime, homework time and which apps are suitable.
  • Use a passcode your child does not know.
  • Keep the device's software up to date.

iPhone and iPad: Screen Time and Family Sharing

  1. Open Settings then Screen Time.
  2. Tap Turn on Screen Time, and choose This is My Child's iPhone if it is theirs.
  3. Set Downtime for bedtime, and App Limits for categories such as games and social media.
  4. Under Content and Privacy Restrictions, you can restrict explicit content, in-app purchases and changes to settings.
  5. Set a Screen Time Passcode that only you know.

With Family Sharing, you can manage settings from your own phone, and use Ask to Buy so you approve purchases and downloads. Go to Settings, tap your name, then Family.

Google's Family Link app lets you manage a child's Android phone from your own.

  1. Install Family Link on your phone from the Play Store.
  2. Create or link a Google account for your child. Follow the steps in the app.
  3. Set daily limits, bedtime and which apps can be installed.
  4. Use the content filters in Google Play and Chrome.

Samsung phones also include their own Digital Wellbeing and parental tools. Look in Settings under Digital Wellbeing and parental controls. Wording differs between phones.

Other places to set limits

  • Wi-Fi and broadband: many UK providers offer free network-level filters. Check your provider's app.
  • Mobile providers: most have adult content filters and spending caps.
  • Apps: YouTube, TikTok and others have their own family or supervised modes.

When to get more help

Get help if the child has bypassed the controls, if you forgot the passcode, or if you have concerns about bullying or contact from strangers. For safety concerns, speak to the child's school or contact organisations such as the NSPCC. We can help you set up the controls step by step.

Did this help? If you are still stuck, email Vision Tech and tell us what you can see on the screen. Menus and button names can differ slightly between versions and makes. If something does not match, stop and ask rather than guess.

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