Millions of parents must check iPhones now – simple setting change is so important

SETTING up parental controls on iPhone is a great way to help keep your children safe online.

It’s really easy to turn on using the Family Sharing feature.

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This is a special tool built by Apple that lets you create a family group.

You can then manage this group to help protect your children (and your bank balance).

“With Family Sharing, the organizer can set up parental controls for children in the Family Sharing group,” Apple explained.

“You can use Screen Time to manage how your children use their Apple devices.

“You can also turn on Ask to Buy, so children must receive approval for purchases or free downloads.”

Add a Family Sharing member

First you’ll need to add people to your Family Sharing group.

Go to Settings > Name > Family Sharing.

Then tap the + icon in the top-right corner.

Then you can invite other members who have their own Apple ID.

This invitation can be sent via AirDrop, Messages or Mail.

How to customise parental controls

Once you’ve added a child to your Family Sharing group, you can customise your parental controls.

This is also possible when you’re setting up a device – like an iPhone – for a child.

During setup, you can add age restrictions for content.

This works across apps, books, TV shows and movies.

You can also set time limits for specific apps.

There’s an option to restrict who your child can communicate with.

And you can set it up so that you personally approve any requests by the child to make a purchase – or even download something for free.

If you want to edit any Family Sharing settings later, go back into Settings > Name > Family Sharing.

For instance, there’s a built-in Screen Time section that lets you manage downtime, app use, contacts and content ratings.

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