With the recent release of iOS 12, there are many features, one of which has caught the attention of parents around the globe. Screen Time promises to help parents control what their kids can and can’t see in their absence. In this guide, we’ll see how you, as a parent, can use iOS 12’s Screen Time to set parental controls and limit the time your kids spend on iPhone or iPad.
A recent report by Common Sense Media, cited by CNN, states that children under the age of 8 spend more than 2 hours a day glued to screens. And 42% of them have their own tablet. Parents have few options and are happy to keep their kids busy so they can focus on work.
Apple wants to help them with Screen Time. Let’s see how it works.
1. Screen time statistics
Launch the Settings app and you’ll see a new option labeled Screen Time. Tap it to see a detailed report of your usage with different apps by category cluster. By default, these stats are reset at midnight. My iPhone stats show that I spend almost an hour on social media every day on average.
Tap the device name to see an app-level breakdown of device time.
Usage time will also show you how many notifications you get per day and from which apps. Then you can work to limit it.
2. Set app limits
App Limit is a Screen Time feature that allows you to set time limits for different categories of apps like games, social media, entertainment, etc. Tap App Limits and then select Add Limit . There is no way to select individual apps here.
Select individual app categories or go to All apps & categories to impose a time limit on every app. Once you’ve selected the categories, tap More in the upper right corner to continue.
You can set a time limit anywhere between 1 minute and 23 hours & 59 minutes. Every day, the screen time limit resets automatically. Just below the timer, you will see a Custom Date option. You can use it to select days of the week whether or not restrictions apply. Perhaps, you could leave the weekends out of the deal?
You can also set different time limits for different categories. Just repeat the whole process again for each category.
According to the screenshot above, that’s an hour of gaming and 30 minutes of social media on my iPhone.
What happens when the time limit expires? The icons of all restricted apps will fade out with a glass timer icon displayed in front of the app name. If the time limit is set in the Usage Period which expires at the time of using the app, you will receive the same warning with the option to increase that limit.
To make sure the kids can’t increase this time limit without your permission, Apple has encrypted a Screen Time Passcode. Go back to Screen Time and scroll to the bottom to find it.
Tap it to set a unique 4-digit numeric passcode. Your child will now have to ask you to increase their screen time, which you can choose to accept or ignore. Because it’s password-protected, kids can’t change their settings or extend their use of the device without you knowing it.
You can increase your device time by 15 minutes, 1 hour, or approve for the rest of the day. There is no way to enter a custom value.
3. Family Sharing
If you have multiple iOS devices at home, you can use the Family Sharing option. This will allow you to allow or disallow more screen time remotely through your own iOS device. You’ll get a notification when your child wants to use the iPhone or iPad beyond the set limit.
You’ll also get a weekly report on how much time your kids spend on different apps and the device itself.
4. Downtime
Downtime will allow you to choose a specific time of day when the device will be permanently locked. You can activate it during mealtime, bedtime or when kids are doing homework. Two things will happen during downtime.
You can still receive phone calls on your iPhone, and only the apps you’ve authorized can access them. All other apps will be locked.
This makes us set apps to always be allowed to open no matter what.
5. Always Allowed
Always Allowed apps, as the name suggests, are the ones that will continue to work whether device time is turned on or not. This feature will not allow you to place restrictions on an essential app or what apps can be accessed at any time.
If you’ve scheduled Downtime, apps in the Always Allowed category will continue to work as intended. These two features are meant to be used together.
6. Content & Privacy Restrictions
This is an important part of Screen Time. With this setting enabled, you’ll be able to restrict and control apps and in-app purchases remotely from your iPhone or iPad. This will help you prevent your credit card bill from flying around due to an accidental purchase.
You can also set a Content Limit here. Based on the country you live in, you can restrict video, music, TV, movies, books, web, apps, and even Siri content depending on your child’s age. This will help you protect your kids from adult, violent, and hateful content.
There are also some other settings like the ability to restrict location services, contacts, calendar and Bluetooth. You can limit the volume to a moderate level or limit mobile data if the game can be played offline. Go through it once.
It’s time to turn off the screen
With the release of Screen Time in iOS 12, Apple solved two problems at once. Parents can now not only track what their kids are watching or doing their screen time, but can also restrict access to certain apps and content. The ability to do all of this remotely is the only upside on the pie.
Next up: Do you also own an Android smartphone? Want to learn how to set parental controls in Android. Click the link below to find out.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
