Tips from Apple for the protection of children on the network

On the occasion of the celebration today, February 7, of the safe internet day, the Apple company has wanted to publicize new functions and tools aimed at the family in which the appropriate limits and filters for children are contemplated. In this context, free educational sessions are continuously offered Today at Apple throughout Europe for mothers, fathers, tutors and teachers who want to expand their knowledge about this topic. In one of the last sessions “Your children and devices” explained how to manage content and maintain privacy with the latest iPhone and iPad features, such as Family Sharing, Screen Time, App Limits, etc. In other words, Apple is highlighting for today apps that promote child safety, privacy and parental controls, to help keep your personal information safe and have better control over what is shared online.

It should also be noted that with a web space aimed at families, the firm offers information to better configure their devices and that children make good use of technology.

security tools

iOS 16 has a new setting for child accounts that allows you to create an account with proper parental controls from the start. The family checklist includes hints and tips on how to update a child’s settings as they get older or turn on location sharing. Through content and privacy restrictions, parental controls can block or limit specific apps and features on a child’s device, restricting settings for explicit content, purchases, downloads, and privacy.

With Communication Safety, the Messages app offers resources if a child receives or tries to send photos that may contain nudity. Using on-device machine learning, Messages detects and blurs the image and offers age-appropriate guidance to help little ones make a confident decision, including contacting someone they trust, asking for help via message. This feature is available for accounts configured for under 18 years in iCloud families.

Tips for parents

Time of use allows us to know the time that users and their children spend using apps, visiting web pages and on their devices in general. They can request weekly reports or view specific app usage. Go to Settings> Usage time, to see these reports.

With Screen Time, you can also manage the amount of time your kids can spend each day on specific apps and websites. With App Usage Limits, you can group apps and websites into a single, easy-to-manage limit, and set limitations for each category, such as video games or streaming apps. With Downtime it is possible to schedule specific times, such as the break time in which apps and notifications are blocked, also choosing which ones will be allowed and which ones will not. To configure these options, go to Settings> Usage Time.

Communication Limits on the other hand allows you to determine who the little ones can communicate with throughout the day, even during Downtime, to ensure that an older one can always communicate with them.

The system can prevent new apps from being installed, such as social networking or photo sharing, and even disable Safari. Turn on Ask to Buy to approve or decline your purchases and downloads.

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You can also set your devices to limit explicit content or to only access websites selected by an adult. Likewise, tabs can be installed on the web that only allow the display of content suitable for children. To configure it, go to Settings> Usage time> Restrictions> Content restrictions.

With the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, it is possible to set children’s devices to display warnings when receiving or sending images that contain nudity. The image fades and the child receives an alert with useful recommendations and the option to send a message to someone they trust to ask for help. To configure it, go to Settings> Usage Time (select the child’s device to activate it).