How Can You Remotely Lock Your Child’s iPhone?

As parents, we are more concerned about our children’s safety in the digital world. With the prevalence of cellphones, it is critical to put appropriate safeguards in place to protect our children from potential internet hazards. One such measure is remotely locking your child’s iPhone, which gives you control over their device usage.

In this post, we’ll look at many methods and technologies that allow parents to remotely lock their child’s iPhone, giving them piece of mind while also encouraging a secure and healthy digital environment for their children.

What are the Reasons to Lock My Child’s iPhone Remotely

There are several compelling reasons to remotely lock your child’s iPhone. Here are some crucial factors to consider:

1. Protecting Personal Information: By remotely locking the iPhone, you can prevent unauthorized access to your child’s personal information, including contacts, messages, and photos.
2. Safeguarding Against Inappropriate Content: Remote locking enables you to restrict access to explicit or age-inappropriate content, shielding your child from potentially harmful or disturbing material.
3. Managing Screen Time: With remote locking, you can set time limits and schedules for device usage, helping your child develop healthy digital habits and ensuring they have ample time for other activities.
4. Preventing Cyberbullying: By remotely locking the iPhone, you can limit your child’s exposure to cyberbullying incidents, providing a safer online environment and promoting their emotional well-being.
5. Mitigating Online Predators: Remote locking allows you to control your child’s online interactions, reducing the risk of them falling victim to online predators or engaging in unsafe conversations.
6. Protection against Scams and Malware: By having remote control over the iPhone, you can prevent your child from accidentally downloading malicious apps or falling for phishing scams that can compromise their security.

Consider these reasons and use remote lockout capabilities to actively secure your child’s digital well-being while encouraging their healthy development.

How to Lock Your Child’s iPhone Using Screen Time

Apple allows its consumers to secure their child’s iPhone with features such as Family Sharing and Screen Time. To use these services, your child must have their own Apple ID. Children aged thirteen and up can create their own Apple IDs, as can you. You’ll also need to create a Family Sharing group and add your child to it. Screen Time allows you to manage several aspects of your child’s iPhone from your own device.

To create an Apple ID for your child:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap on your name.
3. Select Family Sharing.
4. Choose Screen Time.
5. Tap on Add Family Member.
6. Select Create a Child Account.
7. Tap Next.

To create a Family Sharing group:

1. Tap Set up Screen Time for Family.
2. Follow the instructions to add a child to your Family Sharing group. You can also add other family members later in the Family Sharing settings.

Note: To use Screen Time with Family Sharing, you must be the family organizer or parent/guardian in your family group. Your device must be running iOS 12 or newer. Your youngster must be under 18 years old and use their own Apple ID on a device running iOS 12 or a later version.

Once you have created your child’s Apple ID and the Family Sharing group, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Screen Time.
3. Tap Continue, and then choose “This is My [Device].”
4. Tap Use Screen Time Passcode to set a passcode.
5. Re-enter the passcode to confirm. (In iOS 13.4 and above, you may be asked to enter your Apple ID and password after this confirmation to allow passcode reset in case you forget it.)
6. On your child’s phone, go to Settings.
7. Select Screen Time and tap Use Screen Time Passcode.
8. Enter the passcode you created on your phone.
9. Re-enter the passcode to confirm. (Without this passcode, your child won’t be able to change the settings.)
10. Use Family Sharing to set locks and parental controls on your child’s iPhone.

Set a Screen Time Limit on Apps

You can set a screen time limit for individual apps, or even all apps, on your child’s iPhone. When the time restriction is reached, the app immediately locks. Apple has categorized programs to make this procedure easier. For example, you can select categories such as Social or Games and set a time limit for all apps in that category or just a few of them. This effectively restricts access to all apps on their iPhone, virtually locking it.

To set a screen time limit on your child’s apps, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to Screen Time.
3. Select App Limits.
4. Tap Add Limit.
5. Choose the desired apps or categories.
6. Set a time limit (you can also customize the days).
7. Turn on Block at End of Limit.

Set a Downtime Schedule on Your Child’s iPhone

During downtime, only the apps, calls, and messages you have authorized can be accessed. Your youngster can receive calls from approved contacts and utilize the apps you’ve chosen at any time.

Enabling downtime sends your youngster a five-minute notice before it begins. Apple allows you to set up downtime for your child at any moment, either directly on their device or via Family Sharing on your own device.

Follow these instructions to set up a downtime plan on your child’s iPhone that will automatically lock their device when the scheduled time is reached.

1. On your child’s iPhone, go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Turn On Screen Time, then tap Continue, and select This is My Child’s iPhone.
3. To set the downtime schedule, enter the start and end times, and then tap Set Downtime.
4. Create a Screen Time passcode for your child’s Screen Time settings.

Turn on Block at Downtime

You can also entirely disable your child’s device during downtime, either on their own or via Family Sharing on your device. Here’s how to disable your child’s iPhone during downtime:

1. Navigate to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Activate Screen Time by turning it on.
3. Tap Downtime.
4. Enable Block at Downtime.
5. To disable downtime instantly, tap Turn Off Downtime.

Lock Your Child‘s iPhone by Turning on Lost Mode

There is an alternative option for locking your child’s iPhone, however it may not be customary. You can use the Lost Mode function on the iPhone if you have already enabled iCloud and Find My iPhone and have your child’s Apple ID password. To apply this strategy, follow the procedures outlined below.

1. Visit iCloud.com.
2. Open Find Devices.
3. Click on All Devices.
4. Select the specific device you wish to put into Lost Mode or lock.
5. Click on Lost Mode or Lock.

It’s important to consider the following points:

• Passcode: If your child’s iPhone already has a passcode, they will need it to unlock the device. If they don’t have a passcode, you can create one during this process. If you don’t want them to be able to unlock their iPhone, you should change their passcode beforehand.
• Family Sharing: If you intend to put your child’s iPhone in Lost Mode and they haven’t set a passcode on their device, you will need to enter your child’s Apple ID password.

However, we do not encourage utilizing this strategy. The Lost Mode feature was not intended to regulate your child’s screen time, and utilizing it for that purpose may cause issues for both you and your child.

Restrict Your Child’s iPhone to Phone-Only Use

iPhone also includes a lesser-known function called Guided Access, which may be used to limit your child’s device to a single app. This function can help you keep your child from accessing distracting apps on their iPhone while still allowing them to make phone calls when necessary. Guided Access allows you to restrict access to select portions of the screen and even establish a screen time limit.

While this function does not allow you to remotely lock your child’s phone, you can lock it to a specific app, such as the phone app. In essence, you can reduce their iPhone’s functionality to that of a simple phone used simply for making calls.

To set up Guided Access for the first time, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Accessibility.
3. Select and enable “Guided Access.”
4. Set a passcode for enabling/disabling Guided Access.

Once in the Phone app, on iPhone X and subsequent models, triple-click the side button to activate Guided Access. The Guided Access menu will prompt you to highlight the portions of the screen that you want to deactivate. After you’ve selected those areas, hit “Start Guided Access.” If you haven’t set a passcode for Guided Access yet, you should do so now. Re-enter the passcode to confirm.

To exit Guided Access, simply triple-click the side button again and select “End Guided Access.” Enter your passcode to complete Guided Access.

Parental Control App: Simple & Easy

mSpy is a sophisticated and comprehensive monitoring program built exclusively for parents and guardians concerned about their children’s digital well-being and safety. With its extensive features and functionalities, mSpy allows parents to properly monitor and protect their children’s internet activities.

By tracking and monitoring calls, messages, social media usage, and real-time location, mSpy delivers vital insights and information that can assist parents in making informed decisions regarding their child’s online activity. Furthermore, online monitoring and geofencing provide additional control and protection, allowing parents to keep a close eye on their child’s internet activity and set safe boundaries. With mSpy, parents may acquire a better awareness of their child’s digital world and take proactive steps to protect their safety.

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Conclusion

mSpy has a variety of capabilities, such as phone and message tracking, social media monitoring, real-time location tracking, online monitoring, and geofencing. These capabilities enable parents to acquire crucial insights regarding their children’s online activities and take proactive steps to protect their well-being.

By remotely locking your child’s iPhone with mSpy, you can successfully protect their personal information, restrict unsuitable content, limit screen time, avoid cyberbullying and interactions with online predators, and protect them from frauds and malware.

Overall, mSpy’s complete monitoring capabilities and emphasis on providing parents with the tools they need to oversee everything on their child’s phone without their knowledge and create a safe and secure digital environment for them.