Open Settings, tap Screen Time, and choose "This is a Child's iPad"

Parental controls on iPad live inside the Screen Time feature, not in a separate menu. You reach them by opening Settings, scrolling down to Screen Time, and tapping it. The first choice asks whether this is your iPad or a child's iPad — select "This is a Child's iPad" to unlock the parental control options.

If you have already set up the iPad without Screen Time, you can still add it now. Screen Time works on any iPad running iOS 12 or later, which covers nearly every iPad sold in the last six years. You do not need to erase the device or start over.

Once you choose "This is a Child's iPad", you will create a Screen Time passcode — a four-digit PIN that only you know. This passcode protects your control settings from being changed by the child using the device. Write it down somewhere safe, because Apple cannot reset it for you if you forget it.

Key Takeaways

  • Screen Time is the built-in parental control system on iPad, found in Settings and available on any iPad running iOS 12 or later.
  • You set a four-digit Screen Time passcode that only you know, which protects your control settings from being changed by the child.
  • App Limits let you cap how long specific apps or app categories can be used each day, and Downtime blocks all apps except phone, messages, and emergency calls during set hours.
  • Content Restrictions control what movies, books, and websites the child can access based on age ratings and your own custom rules.
  • Communication Limits restrict who the child can contact by phone, FaceTime, or Messages, and you can set different rules for school hours versus other times.

Set App Limits to cap daily use of specific apps or categories

After you create your Screen Time passcode, you will see the option to add App Limits. This feature lets you set a daily time budget for individual apps or entire app categories — for example, 60 minutes per day for Games, or 30 minutes per day for TikTok specifically.

When the time runs out, the app becomes unavailable until the next day at midnight, unless you manually grant more time from your own device. The child will see a countdown warning as they approach the limit, so they are not surprised when the app locks.

You can set different limits for weekdays and weekends. Many parents use this to allow more screen time on Saturday and Sunday, or to keep limits tight on school nights. You can also set limits for multiple apps at once — for instance, all social media apps might share a single 90-minute daily budget.

Use Downtime to block most apps during specific hours

Downtime is a broader tool than App Limits. Instead of capping individual apps, Downtime blocks almost everything during hours you choose — typically bedtime or dinner time. During Downtime, only Phone, Messages, and FaceTime remain available, plus any apps you specifically allow.

You set the start and end time for Downtime, and you can make it different on weekdays versus weekends. For example, you might set Downtime from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. on school nights, but 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The child can request more time, which sends a notification to your device — you can approve or deny it without touching the iPad.

Downtime and App Limits work together. If a child has 30 minutes of gaming time left but Downtime starts in 15 minutes, the game will lock when Downtime begins, regardless of remaining time.

Control what content the child can see with Content Restrictions

Content Restrictions (also called Content & Privacy Restrictions) let you filter what movies, TV shows, books, apps, and websites are available. You can set age-based ratings — for example, allowing only PG movies and TV-14 shows — or you can block specific content by name.

For apps, you can prevent the child from downloading or deleting any app, or you can allow downloads only from apps you have already approved. For websites, you can restrict to age-appropriate sites only, or you can manually add websites to an allowed list or a blocked list.

Content Restrictions also control whether the child can use features like AirDrop, Siri, multiplayer games, and in-app purchases. You can turn off in-app purchases entirely, or require your approval each time — when you require approval, a notification goes to your device and you can allow or deny the purchase before it goes through.

Limit who the child can contact with Communication Limits

Communication Limits restrict who the child can call, text, or FaceTime. You can set one rule for during school hours and a different rule for other times. For example, during school hours you might allow only calls and messages to you and a few trusted contacts, but after school allow a wider group.

The options are: allow contacts you have chosen, allow all contacts, or allow no one. You build the allowed list by adding contacts from the iPad's address book. If you choose "Contacts Only", the child can only reach people you have explicitly added.

Communication Limits explore to Phone, Messages, FaceTime, and Mail. They do not affect apps like WhatsApp or Discord, which are controlled through App Limits and Content Restrictions instead.

Use Family Sharing to manage multiple children's devices from your own iPad or iPhone

If you have more than one child or more than one device, Family Sharing lets you manage Screen Time settings for all of them from your own device. You set up Family Sharing in Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, then add each child as a family member.

Once a child is in your Family Sharing group, you can view their Screen Time reports, adjust their limits, and approve or deny requests for more time — all without touching their iPad. You can also see which apps they have downloaded and approve or deny app downloads before they install.

Family Sharing also handles shared purchases and payment methods, so you control what can be bought on the child's device. Each child needs an Apple ID, which you create for them during the Family Sharing setup.

Review Screen Time reports to see what the child is actually using

Screen Time keeps a detailed log of how much time the child spends in each app and app category. You can see this report by opening Settings > Screen Time on the child's iPad, or by opening your own device and going to Settings > Family Sharing > [Child's Name] > Screen Time.

The report shows the past day and the past week, broken down by app and category. This helps you spot patterns — for example, if a child is spending three hours a day on a social media app despite a one-hour limit, something is wrong with the limit settings or the child has found a workaround.

Reports do not show what the child is doing inside each app, only how long they spent there. If you need to know what websites they visited or what messages they sent, you will need additional monitoring tools beyond Screen Time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my child turn off Screen Time or change the limits?

No, not without your Screen Time passcode. The child can request more time, which sends you a notification, but they cannot disable Screen Time or change any settings. If they know your passcode, they can change everything, so keep it private and do not use a passcode they can guess.

What happens if my child uses a different Apple ID on the same iPad?

Screen Time is tied to the device, not the Apple ID, so it applies to anyone using that iPad. If you set up the iPad as a child's device, all users on it will see the same limits and restrictions, regardless of which Apple ID they sign in with.

Do parental controls work if my child connects to a different Wi-Fi network or uses cellular data?

Yes. Screen Time, App Limits, Downtime, and Content Restrictions all work regardless of which network the iPad is connected to. The child cannot bypass them by switching networks or turning off Wi-Fi.

Can I see what websites my child visits?

Screen Time does not log individual websites, only total time spent in Safari. To see specific sites visited, you need a separate monitoring tool or you can check the iPad's Safari history manually. Content Restrictions can block categories of sites, but they do not provide a detailed browsing log.

What if I forget my Screen Time passcode?

Apple cannot reset a Screen Time passcode. Your only option is to erase the iPad and set it up again from scratch. To avoid this, write your passcode down and store it somewhere safe, separate from the iPad itself.