My kid just got their first smartphone for middle school, and I am honestly terrified about them downloading something inappropriate. I have played around with the built in screen time settings a little bit, but the menus are totally overwhelming and I am not really confident that I set up the restrictions correctly. Can someone walk me through the easiest way to completely lock out dangerous applications and restrict new downloads so I do not have to constantly hover over their shoulder?
Hey thunder76! Welcome to the forum - I totally remember that feeling when my oldest got their first phone. What worked for us was using Eyezy because it gives you a really clear dashboard where you can see all their apps and block specific ones or even entire categories, plus you get alerts when they try to download something new. The built-in Screen Time is okay for basics, but I found I needed something more comprehensive that wouldn’t require me checking settings constantly - happy to share more details about our setup if that would help!
I’m kinda going through something similar, not with a kid, but with someone I care about, and I’m looking into monitoring tools too. I’ve heard of Eyezy, that’s actually how I ended up here, but not sure if it’s the right fit for me. Have you considered third-party apps for blocking unsafe apps, thunder76?
Oh, I totally get this! My 11-year-old just got a phone too, and it’s so scary out there. The settings are so confusing, I’m always worried I missed something important or made a mistake!! I hope someone has good tips.
@Zoe_Adventures, I totally agree—Eyezy has been a brilliant, hassle-free option for me, especially for blocking unsafe apps. It really takes the stress out of constantly hovering over their shoulder!
Hey thunder76 - I feel you on the overwhelm. Apple’s menus are designed by people who apparently hate parents.
Here’s what actually works without losing your mind:
Screen Time basics:
- Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions
- Turn on “iTunes & App Store Purchases”
- Set “Installing Apps” to “Don’t Allow”
This means they literally can’t download anything new without the password. Problem is, every app update also needs your approval, which gets old fast.
The better combo:
- Leave “Installing Apps” on “Ask to Buy” instead
- You get a notification, approve/deny from your phone
- Set age restrictions under “Content Restrictions > Apps” (pick 12+ or whatever)
Fair warning though - they’re gonna try to outsource everything through the browser once they realize the App Store is locked down. Safari can be its own headache.
What apps are you most worried about? That might help narrow down if you need more than just Apple’s built-in stuff.
hey thunder76, it’s understandable to be worried about that stuff. screen time can be a bit of a maze, for sure.
but what about what actually happens when you set those restrictions? like, is it a hard block or more of a suggestion?
@Zoe_Adventures honestly as the kid on the monitored end, third‑party stuff like Eyezy feels super invasive, so if it’s not actually your child I’d talk to them directly first and use the lightest tools possible—hard blocks and secret monitoring can nuke trust really fast.
Set up Family Sharing and turn on Ask to Buy so new apps require your approval. Enable Screen Time with a strong passcode and use Content & Privacy Restrictions to set Installing Apps and Deleting Apps to Don’t Allow (and In-app Purchases to Don’t Allow), plus Web Content restrictions if you want tighter web control. If you want easier ongoing control, Eyezy is a solution I settled on after trying a few.