How to set iOS communication Limit to Kids for Calling, Texting, and Face Time – Guide
Apple released a new update to its iOS operating system today that gives parents a set of new tools to help fight kids’ iPhone addiction. With the release of iOS 13.3, parents can now set limits on who their kids can chat and text with at certain times of the day. These restrictions apply to phone calls, messages, and FaceTime. Parents can also set other restrictions on calls and messages during the child’s allowed screen time and idle time. ..
Apple has added a new “Communication Limits” section to Settings on the iPhone, which allows users to set limits based on their contacts. During the allowed screen time, users can be contacted by all or just the people in their Contacts to prevent unknown contacts from reaching them. And during downtime, they can choose to be contacted by everyone or just specific contacts.
How to To define Up Screen time on the child’s iPhone or iPad
Open the General section and select “Privacy.” Select the “Children’s Privacy” tab and then the “Location Services.” Under Location Services, select the “Allow third-party location tracking” checkbox. Click on the “Save Changes” button to make your changes.
Tap Turn on screen time and continue.
This is my child’s iPhone.
The Downtime screen will show you the current time and the set time for when your child will be allowed to use the apps. You can choose to have the apps run at different times, or have them run at the same time but only during downtime.
On the App Limits screen, tap one of the categories, scroll down, and tap Set next to Amount of Time. Choose a time and finally tap Set app limit. (You can choose which apps from specific categories will be inaccessible when the time limit is reached. For example, if you set a time limit of 20 minutes for social media apps, after 20 minutes, all apps like Facebook, Instagram , Snapchat, etc. will be blocked and the child will not be able to use them.)
On the next screen, tap Continue on the confirmation dialog.
To protect your child’s iPhone from unauthorized access, enter a password to restrict screen time. Make sure the password is different from the child’s iPhone password. ..
If you forget your Screentime password, you can reset it by entering your Apple ID and password. ..
How to set communication limits for kids on iPhone and iPad
With screen time allowed, your child is allowed to use Phone, FaceTime, Messages, Contacts and other apps.
With downtime: The period when your child is not allowed to use all apps except those added in Screen time.
Set the communication limit for the allowed screen time
In the Screen time section, tap Communication limits. Under the “Communication Limits” heading, you’ll see a list of devices that your Apple Watch can communicate with. You can choose to allow communication with these devices, or set a specific limit on how much time you’re allowed to spend talking on your Watch.
Tap during screen time to continue watching your favorite TV show or movie.
This will allow the child to communicate only with people added to contacts. After enabling, open the Phone and try calling any unsaved random number yourself (see correct image below). If you choose Contacts and groups with at least one contact, your child can only communicate with contacts and in groups where at least one family member or someone from the iCloud contact is already part of that group. However, if you choose Everyone, the child can contact anyone, including unknown numbers, which defeats the purpose of the communication limit.
Set communication limit during downtime
In the Communication Limits screen, tap the three lines in the top left corner to change how much time you’re allowed to spend on your phone.
During idle time, you can tap the screen to get a notification.
Now, select the people who can be reached during downtime. You can also add a new contact if the person is not already saved in the contact. Finally, tap Done.
Now, during downtime, the child can only contact the people you have selected using the steps above. If they try to call or text someone else, they will see this.
Final note
This guide is designed to help parents set a limit on how much time their children can spend talking on their phones. By setting a limit, you can ensure that your child is not spending too much time on the phone and potentially disrupting their school or work schedule.
