How to Put Parental Controls on iPhone: Step-by-Step Guide (iOS 27)

Last checked against Apple’s iOS 27 guidance: November 2026.

Handing your child their first iPhone is exciting, and a little nerve-racking. The good news is that every iPhone comes with free, built-in parental controls. You don’t need to buy an app to block adult websites, limit games or stop surprise purchases.

This guide walks you through each setting in the order we recommend, explains what each one actually does, and finishes with suggested settings by age.

In this guide: Before you start · Family Sharing · Websites · Apps · Time limits · Contacts · Purchases · Older iPhones · Settings by age · FAQ

Before you start

Apple’s newest parental controls arrived with iOS 27. To use them, check four things first:

• Family Sharing is set up on your iPhone, with you as the organiser or a parent or guardian.
• Your child has their own Apple Account (a Child Account if they’re under 13) and is in your Family Sharing group. Never let your child share your Apple Account.
• Every device in your family group is updated to iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 if possible. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
• You’re saved in your child’s contacts, so their requests for more time or new apps reach you.

If your child’s iPhone can’t update to iOS 27, skip to the older iPhones section.

Step 1: Set up Family Sharing and a Child Account

1. On your iPhone, open Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Tap Family Sharing, then follow the prompts to set up your family if you haven’t already.
3. Tap Add Member, then Create Child Account, or invite your child’s existing account.
4. Enter your child’s real date of birth. Apple uses it to switch on age-appropriate protections automatically, so an incorrect birthday means incorrect controls.

Step 2: Open your child’s settings

1. Open Settings on your own iPhone.
2. Tap Family, then tap your child’s name.
3. If asked, enter your Screen Time passcode.

Choose a Screen Time passcode that is different from your phone’s unlock code, and never type it in front of your child. This passcode is what stops them changing everything you are about to set.

Step 3: Filter the websites your child can visit

1. In your child’s settings, tap Apps & Websites.
2. Tap Restrictions, then Filtering under Websites.
3. Choose Limit Adult Websites, or Ask to Browse and then Approved Websites Only.

Ask to Browse is the stricter option: your child can only visit sites you have approved, and can ask you for more. Apple switches it on by default for children under 13, and Limit Adult Websites is on by default for under-18s.

To block one particular site, open Apps & Websites, select the website, then tap Block Website.

Step 4: Set age ratings and block apps

1. In your child’s settings, tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
2. Under Content Restrictions, choose a content type, such as movies, music or books.
3. Pick an age rating, or choose Don’t Allow.

To block a single app, go to Apps & Websites, choose the app and tap Block App. Blocked apps aren’t deleted. They simply appear dimmed on your child’s Home Screen until you allow them again.

Step 5: Set daily time allowances

Time Allowances give your child a daily budget for categories such as games or social media.

1. Tap Time Allowances.
2. Tap Add and follow the on-screen steps.
3. Set one overall daily budget, then adjust individual categories if you want.

From iOS 26 onwards, your child can send you a request for more time when they hit a limit, and you can approve or decline it from your own phone.

Step 6: Create a bedtime and school-time schedule

1. Tap Screen Time Schedule, then turn on Schedule.
2. Tap Add Schedule.
3. Choose the days, the times and which apps stay available, such as Phone and Messages to you.

A sensible start is a school-night schedule that begins an hour before bedtime. You can also pause the device or change the schedule for a single day, which is useful for holidays or long journeys.

Step 7: Control who your child can contact

1. Tap Allowed Contacts, then During Screen Time.
2. Choose Contacts Only, Contacts & Groups with at Least One Contact, or Everyone.
3. Turn on Manage Contacts and choose who is approved. Leave Allow Contact Editing off if you want your child to ask you before adding someone new.

While you’re here, tap Communication Safety and turn it on. It helps block photos and videos with detected nudity, gore or violence in Messages and FaceTime.

Step 8: Stop surprise purchases

1. Tap Apps & Websites, then Restrictions.
2. Tap Ask to Buy and turn on Require Purchase Approval.
3. Back in Apps & Websites, tap App Store and choose whether your child can install apps and App Clips.

With Ask to Buy on, every download or in-app purchase sends a request to your phone first, including free apps.

Using an older iPhone (iOS 26 or earlier)

If your child’s iPhone can’t run iOS 27, the classic Screen Time menus still work:

1. On your iPhone, open Settings > Screen Time.
2. Under Family, tap your child’s name and turn on Screen Time.
3. Set Downtime for bedtime, App Limits for daily time, and Content & Privacy Restrictions for websites, age ratings and purchases.
4. Turn on Communication Limits to manage who your child can contact.
5. Create a Screen Time passcode when prompted.

Recommended settings by age

These are our suggested starting points, based on Apple’s defaults and what works for most families. Every child is different, so review them every few months.

Setting	Under 9	9 to 12	13 to 15	16 to 17
Websites	Approved Websites Only	Approved Websites Only or Limit Adult Websites	Limit Adult Websites	Limit Adult Websites
App age rating	4+	9+	13+	16+
Daily time allowance	Short, mostly with you	Set per category	Set per category, review weekly	Agree together
Allowed contacts	Contacts Only	Contacts Only	Contacts & Groups	Agree together
Ask to Buy	On	On	On	On or off

How kids get around parental controls (and how to stop it)

• Watching you type the passcode. Use a Screen Time passcode they’ve never seen, and change it if you think they know it.
• Using another family device. Set up controls on every iPad, Mac and shared device they use, not just their iPhone.
• Finding apps you didn’t block. Turn off app installs or keep Ask to Buy on so new apps need your approval.
• Asking for “just five more minutes” every night. Agree the rules together first. Children follow limits more willingly when they understand them.
• Logging in on a friend’s phone. No setting can stop this. Regular, calm conversations about what they do online are still the best protection.

Frequently asked questions

Are iPhone parental controls free?

Yes. Screen Time and Family Sharing are built into every iPhone at no extra cost.

Can I set parental controls without Family Sharing?

Apple recommends Family Sharing. If you don’t have your own Apple device and your child is 13 to 17, Apple lets you set up Screen Time directly on your child’s iPhone, protected by a passcode.

Can my child turn off parental controls?

Not without your Screen Time passcode. From iOS 26 they can send you a request for an exception, which you approve or decline.

Do parental controls work on my child’s iPad too?

Yes. The same settings apply across devices signed in to your child’s Apple Account, as long as those devices are updated.

## The bottom line

Setting up parental controls on an iPhone takes about 15 minutes. Start with Family Sharing, filter websites, set age ratings and time allowances, manage contacts and switch on Ask to Buy. Then sit down with your child, explain what you’ve set and why, and review it together as they grow. Find more guides in Screen Time & Tech.

Sources: Apple Support: Set up parental controls on your child’s iPhone or iPad; Apple Support: Use Screen Time to manage your child’s iPhone or iPad. Read how we create our guides in our Editorial Policy.