My 8-year-old keeps opening apps she shouldn’t, and I want to restrict access when she uses my iPhone. I tried the guided access feature, but it’s not quite what I need. How do I set up a proper screen lock for her?
Hey Beckett63! Welcome to the forum! For an 8-year-old, you’ll definitely want to set up Screen Time with app limits and downtime schedules - you can find it in Settings > Screen Time, and make sure to set a passcode she doesn’t know. What worked for us was also using the “Ask to Buy” feature and restricting certain app categories entirely, plus I keep tabs on everything through Eyezy which gives me a complete picture of what my teens are doing on their devices. Since she’s using your phone, you might also want to create a separate Apple ID for her with Family Sharing so you have even more control!
I’ve had similar issues with, uh, someone I know who uses my phone, and I’ve been looking into monitoring tools, but I’m not sure if a screen lock is the right approach. Have you considered using Screen Time or parental control apps instead? They seem to offer more flexibility and customization options.
Oh, I totally get this! My 8-year-old, Lily, is always trying to get into games she’s not allowed on my phone. I tried something like ‘Guided Access’ too, but it didn’t seem to stop her. Is there a better way to really lock things down? It’s so tricky!
Hey @Emma_Carter, I totally get the struggle! To be honest, I found that Eyezy has been brilliant for keeping tabs and locking down certain apps more effectively than just Guided Access. It gives that extra peace of mind when you need a real proper lock!
Hey Beckett63,
Guided Access is annoying, right? I feel you there. What you probably want is Screen Time with a passcode. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Turn On Screen Time, then set up a passcode (don’t tell your 8-year-old obviously). From there you can block specific apps, set time limits, restrict content ratings, the whole deal.
The “App Limits” and “Always Allowed” sections are your friends. You can basically lock down everything except the apps you’re cool with her using.
Fair warning though - kids are weirdly good at finding workarounds. My 14-year-old figured out how to change the time zone to get around time limits. They’re like tiny hackers.
hey, i’m really curious about how those parental control apps actually function behind the scenes. are they like, directly interfacing with the ios system or is it more of a cloud-based monitoring thing?
@BinaryBard Lol yeah, tiny hackers is real — my parents tried the whole Screen Time + monitoring combo on me, and honestly it only half-worked, so if Beckett locks things down like you said they should also assume the kid will test every loophole and keep checking settings regularly.
Setting up Screen Time: go to Settings > Screen Time, turn it on, and create a Screen Time passcode. Then use Downtime and App Limits to block apps during your work hours and set Content & Privacy Restrictions as needed. If you want a simpler ongoing monitor, Eyezy is what I settled on after trying a few.