How to Set Up Parental Controls & Monitor Messages for iPhones

In this highly requested video, I go through all the steps you need to get an iPhone set up with parental controls and text message monitoring. This is a start-to-finish guide to get your teen's iPhone protected and properly managed and monitored.

Recommended 3rd party parental control apps discount links

Watch a breakdown of parental control apps

There are 5 steps to the process

1. Get a secondary iPhone
2. Setup Family Sharing
3. Setup text message mirroring
5. Setup controls on the WiFi and Data networks

Sarah Kimmel is a Microsoft Certified IT Manager, who is also a mom. She currently helps families understand and manage the technology in their homes through YouTube Videos, Instagram posts, podcasts, and her website Family Tech Zone. She can also be found as a family tech expert on various TV news shows and podcasts.

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0:00 Introduction
2:21 GET A SECOND IOS DEVICE
5:02 SET UP FAMILY SHARING
7:54 SET UP MIRRORING
10:28 SET UP 3RD PARTY MONITORS
13:24 WIFI & DATA CONTROLS

[Nozkzs]

Thanks to this my parents can see whatever I do

[meghanwagner]

If you go to Content and Privacy Restrictions and turn it on, you can actually select "don't allow" for installing, deleting and in-app purchases. So if you've taken away an app that's already been downloaded, as long as this feature is turned on, they can't re-install apps. I also always require a password and my screen time password locks their account, so they can't make adjustments.

[ImMrLinkTV]

My 14 year old sister decided that she was going to be… “extra” and this video is extremely helpful. Thanks, now we can get her right. In no way should a 14 year old be talking to or trying to meet a 18 year old or an adult. Honestly I said trash the phone but I’ve been told to “stay in my lane”.

[tyler_joseph]

I get the “no privacy” comments on here but personally I love these features since I use them for my grandmother’s phone. She doesn’t know how a lot of things work and I just want to keep her safe online. It is actually a very helpful tool. In he past she has purchased things accidentally and she has filled out personal information on sketchy websites, this keeps her safe. I can only imagine the same goes for some children. (especially <10 y/o)

[TheQueenrevolution]

Question... for mirroring you said make sure to be using the same account on both devices but my kids phone has his account. And mine has mine. How would I do this?

[thatnewbiegaming]

I think that every family and kid is unique and there should be no universal rules. However, children only are given the amount of privacy necessary for their safety. No more no less. Some kids need a lot more supervision than others. But all kids need supervision period

[Yodaewok]

If you’re desperate about not letting them re download an app. You can actually remove access to the entire App Store.
They can’t re download a previously approved app if they can’t access the store at all.

[MikeThaPhilosopher]

Is it possible to use my iPhone and just set it up to where they can’t see my screen? & I can just turn it off and on… buying a whole new phone is ridiculous just for this

[anwamu]

Hello. Thank you for all you help. My daughters phone doesn’t have text message forwarding. How can fix this?

[TheMagicOfReality]

Thx for the attempt. It's very good for kids under 13 but doesnt work for over 13s.

[jenipimi]

Thank you so much for this! I know many disagree with monitoring kids' screen activity, but it actually saved my kid's life. I'd really appreciate it if you could help me with some troubleshooting issues: 1. Why do we need Family Sharing to mirror? Can't we just set up message forwarding between 2 devices with same apple id w/o Family Sharing? 2. Why do we toggle off message on the icloud of 2nd device? 3. The second device won't let me checkmark the phone number, just the email in send & receive. When I try to checkmark the phone number, it keeps saying: "waiting for activation" 4. In my child's phone, the text message forwarding option sometimes disappears from the settings. I tried toggling imessage on and off but it doesn't change anything. 5. Also, why might there be a huge delay (a few days to a week) in the 2nd device receiving the messages? THANK YOU.

[kchristensen]

There is not a "text message forwarding" option on my sons iphone 13. Help! Thanks great videos!

[sully]

A moment of silence for all the teenager's lives that are made miserable by this lady

[michaelridling]

Almost 4mins until she give information worth your time! OMG!!!!

[br]

Has all this technology, internet and smartphones really made our world better or made us smarter?

[youngprinceIII]

Do a video with the different features if you set it up for kids under 13 and kids over 13

[bluefreak]

Does the mirroring work for iMessages only, or non iPhone text messages as well. (The green ones)

[heidi-jill]

It will not let you mirror without setting up two-factor auth. But when you do that don't the codes get sent to the monitored phone? Please let me know how to fix this?

[rabunbike]

The iPhone SE (gen2) still gets iOS updates and is a very nice phone. Note that iPhone SE (gen1) is now end of life. I use the SE gen2 personally and its based on the iPhone 6S and its a great phone. I particularly like that its small size and long battery life and that I get all the iOS updates. The new iPhone SE (gen3) is also a good choice and has a larger screen and is also more affordable than a standard iPhone. It has the same exact OS but just not all the hardware bells and whistles of other more expensive iPhones.

[andystechsense]

When people ask me about locking down iPhones, I tell them step 1 - replace it with an android and then you'll have an easier time locking it down. I'm not an iPhone fan. They are more secure out of the box, but you can make an android device even more secure than iPhone in the end.