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Can I Lock My Child’s iPhone Remotely – The Ultimate Parental Control Guide

Can I lock my child's iPhone remotely? My daughter is always on her phone. In the beginning, I didn’t bother myself with her obsession, but I found out she had been flunking in class. Now, I can not seem to keep her off her iPhone. What should I do? Is there any parental control tip that allows me to manage her screen time?”

Can I lock my child’s iPhone remotely

Nowadays, the internet is an absolute necessity for children to fulfill their educational tasks and get their way around the world. However, unsupervised access can lead to disastrous conclusions!

In addition, some parental control features on devices like iPhones or iPads do not have the functionalities that a modern-day parent needs to control their child’s use.

So, how do they manage their screen time and ensure the child isn’t exposed to harmful content online and they are not involved in activities unsuited for minors?

Just follow this comprehensive parental control guide to learn how to control the child’s iPhone usage.

Part 1: Why Do You Need to Lock Your Child’s iPhone?

Why do parents need to lock their child’s iPhone

The primary job of a parent is to keep their child safe and to ensure they do not sway in the wrong direction. A parent should be able to provide all the necessary means to their kid to deal with the challenges of the world, such as education, information, and communication skills.

However, there may come a time when such means can reap negative results. For instance, every child after a certain age needs a smartphone for various reasons, but the parent should always supervise its usage.

Here is why every parent should learn how to lock down iPhones for their child.

To Discipline Them

Sometimes, parents must discipline their children, especially when they have done something wrong or are acting spoiled/brash. Taking away their phone privileges for a short while is a reasonable punishment, primarily if the parent feels their kid has been spending too much time on the iPhone.

To Help Them Learn About Being Responsible

Children should be helpful around the house, doing chores and other stuff. If they act lazy and spend time on their phone instead of doing something that they were supposed to do, then locking their iPhones is a good way to help them realize and be responsible.

To Manage Their Screen Time

Too much screen time can be detrimental to the child’s physical and mental health. Plus, it could affect their grades and school performance. So, it is set parameters to have their iPhone locked after a specific time so that they can remain focused.

Part 2: 6 Common Ways to Lock Your Child’s iPhone Remotely (with the Child’s Knowing) 

Apple has introduced several features to monitor minors’ phone usage. These methods require the child’s consent and access to their iPhone for activation.

We have highlighted the 6 common ways to lock down an iPhone for the child.

2.1 Restrict Your Child’s iPhone to Phone-Only Use

Parents can enable the Guided Access feature on their kids’ iPhones/iPads to stop them from using specific apps, normally social media ones. However, with this method, the children can make phone calls or even text, making the iPhone into an old-school cell phone.

Still, this method requires manual access to the child’s iPhone and doesn’t fully lock the iPhone.

Pros

  • Free and easy

Cons

  • Not a direct way to lock the iPhone
  • Children can turn it off instantly

Here is how to set it up!

  1. On the child’s iPhone, go to Settings and tap Accessibility.
  2. Turn on Guided Access and set a passcode to enable or disable the feature.
  3. Run the app that you want to restrict. Activate Guided Access by pressing the iPhone’s side button three times.
  4. Select the areas on the screen that need to be deactivated.
  5. Once done, tap Start Guided Access.
  6. Enter the passcode again to confirm the action.

Restrict child’s iPhone to phone only use

2.2 Set a Downtime Schedule on Your Child’s iPhone

Modern iPhones have a built-in Screen Time tool that offers specific parental control features to somewhat control children’s iPhone usage. One such function is Downtime. Parents can allow specific apps on the iPhone to remain active while others remain disallowed.

Once it is enabled, the child gets a 5-minute reminder before the downtime begins.

Pros

  • Accessible

Cons

  • iPhone still remains unlocked
  • Can be disabled by the child
  • Requires the child’s permission

Follow the steps to enable Downtime on the target iPhone!

  1. Go to the child’s iPhone Settings menu and tap Screen Time.
  2. Turn on Screen Time and press Continue.
  3. Select This is My Child’s iPhone.
  4. Select the start and end times for downtime.
  5. Next, tap Set Downtime and enter the Screen Time passcode to complete the process.

Set downtime schedule on the child’s iPhone

2.3 Set a Screen Time Limit on Apps

Nowadays, children spend too much time scrolling on social media apps. This is all fun and good when done at an appropriate time without compromising on studies and household chores.

Parents can enable the Screen Time App Limit feature to prevent the kids from excessively using such applications. A time limit needs to be set, and each app needs to be selected individually for this solution to work.

Pros

  • Free and easy to enable

Cons

  • Not a complete solution to lock the phone remotely
  • Children can use websites on other browsers or alternative social media apps instead

Here are the steps.

  1. Access the iPhone Settings and go to Screen Time.
  2. Tap App Limits and press App Limit.
  3. Select the apps to limit and set a time limit.
  4. Toggle on the Block at End of Limit option.

Set App Limit time on the child’s iPhone

2.4 Turn on Block at Downtime

This specific feature in Screen Time settings allows the parents to completely lock the iPhone for children. They can not use the device at all when the time is up!

Pros

  • Effective
  • Free

Cons

  • Children can reset the iPhone to turn off the feature

Check out the steps below.

  1. Open the Settings menu and select Screen Time.
  2. Tap Downtime and activate the Block at Downtime.
  3. Set the start and end times as well here!

Turn on block at Downtime

2.5 Turn on Lost Mode

On older iPhones, parents can utilize iCloud’s features, such as Lost Mode, to lock the child’s iPhone remotely.

Pros

Suited for older iOS devices

Free

Cons

Access to the child’s iCloud credentials is needed

Follow the steps on how to turn on the child lock on the iPhone.

  1. Access iCloud.com on any browser and sign in using the child’s account.
  2. Tap Find Devices and click All Devices.
  3. Select the child’s iPhone and click Lock Mode or Lock.

Turn on Lost Mode to lock the child’s iPhone

2.6 Use Screen Time

This is a rather complicated method! First of all, the child must own an Apple account. Secondly, parents need to set up a Family Sharing group to lock the iPhone remotely.

Use screen time

Pros

  • Potent method

Cons

  • Only works on iOS 12+
  • Time-consuming
  1. To set up the child’s account, the steps are as follows:
  2. On the parent’s phone, go to Settings and tap the name.
  3. Select Family Sharing and tap Screen Time.
  4. Choose Add Family Member before selecting Create a Child Account. Tap Next.

Set up the child’s account

Now, make the Family Sharing group by selecting Set Up Screen Time for Family and following the onscreen instructions.

Once done, the parents can add the child’s account to the Family Sharing group. Follow the steps.

  1. On iPhone Settings, tap the name, select Screen Time, and tap This is My [Device].
  2. Tap Screen Time and set up a new passcode. Re-enter to confirm!
  3. Access the Child’s iPhone, go to Settings, and tap Screen Time.
  4. Select Use the Screen Time Passcode, and enter the passcode created earlier.
  5. Re-enter for confirmation and now set up different features that are accessible there.

Turn on Screen Time to lock the child’s iPhone

Part 3: An All-in-One Parental Control App for iPhone (without the child’s knowing)

If you are a parent and not impressed much by the iPhone’s Screen Time features and the lack of tools to lock the iPhone for your child remotely, then the answer is a parental control app, Spylix!

There is no need to pick up the child’s phone; just enter their iCloud account from your Spylix account, and you are good to go. Not only that, but it also supports tracking Android devices. So, do not fret if your kid owns an Android!

3.1 Key Features of Spylix Parental Control App for iPhone

Here is how you can remotely control the child’s iPhone!

Installed Apps – See what type of all they have enabled on their iPhone

Block Apps – Remove the apps that are unsuited for your child remotely using this feature.

Block Websites – Restrict specific harmful websites from the child’s iPhone without them knowing.

Screen Recording – View their activities on the iPhone in real-time

3.2 Why Choose Spylix as The Best Parental Control App for iPhone?

Recommendation Index: 5/5

Spylix is the safest choice for parental control due to multiple factors!

First, its installation process is easy, and you can enable it without the child knowing. It is also cost-effective, and customer support is always available to help you with the parental control features.

 In addition, it works on all Android phones and iPhones compared to the Screen Time methods that are only functional on iOS 12+ devices.

3.3 How to Monitor All Activities on Your Kid’s Phone?

Here is how Spylix can be enabled on the kid’s iPhone or Android without them knowing!

Monitor the Kid’s iPhone Activities

Step 1: Make a New Spylix Account

On Spylix’s official site, tap Sign Up Free and enter your email address to set up a new account.

Set up your account

Step 2: Enter Your Child’s iCloud Account

Share your child’s Apple ID and password to verify their iOS device.

Enter the child’s iCloud info

Step 3: Control The Child’s iPhone Remotely

Open the online dashboard and select the parental control features to control the iPhone remotely.

Control your kid’s iPhone remotely

Monitor the Kid’s Android Activities

Step 1: Create a Free Account

Go to the Spylix website and enter a working email address to make a new account.

make a new Spylix account

Step 2: Add The Spylix App

Follow the onscreen guidelines to install the Spylix app on your child’s Android device.

install the Spylix app

Step 3: Control The Child’s Android Device Remotely

Visit the online dashboard and select any parental control options to control the child’s device.

Control the child’s Android device remotely

3.4 What Else Can Spylix Do?

Besides remotely controlling the child’s iPhone or Android phone, Spylix offers these tools to monitor their online activities fully.

  • Location Tracking and Geofencing
  • Social Media Spying on All Popular Apps
  • Call Logs and Text Tracking
  • Photos and Videos Spying
  • Keylogger
  • Browser History Monitoring

Part 4: FAQs about Locking My Child’s iPhone

Check out valuable information on locking the child’s iPhone here!

4.1 Can I lock my child’s iPhone remotely from Android?

Yes, you can use Spylix to control the child’s iPhone, whether your device is Android-based or not. Just enter their iCloud info, and everything will be ready for you.

4.2 Can I turn off my child’s iPhone at night?

Yes, using the Screen Time feature, you can turn off the child’s iPhone. On their phone, just go to Settings and set the start and end times to switch off the device.

4.3 Can I lock my child’s iPhone remotely free?

Absolutely!

With Spylix, you can manage or control your iPhone no matter how far the device is from you.

4.4 Can I lock my child’s iPhone remotely if it is stolen?

Yes, you can.

Using the iCloud information, you can enable the Find My features to lock the iOS device remotely. This way, no one can access your kid’s data.

Conclusion

We hope this article has answered the question, “Can I lock my child's iPhone remotely?” for you! Though the iPhone’s Screen Time features are free and convenient, they are one-dimensional and not a complete solution to manage the child’s usage. This is where Spylix becomes a necessary choice to control the type of content children access on their iPhones.

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