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How to Block Apps on Your Child’s iPhone or iPad

Use Apple’s child app restrictions to block an app, or Screen Time when that menu is unavailable. Blocking hides an app; separate controls handle time limits, downloads, purchases, and websites.
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To block one app, open Settings > Family > [your child’s name] > Apps & Websites > Restrictions on a compatible iPhone or iPad, select the app, tap Block App, and confirm. The app is hidden or dimmed on the Home Screen; it is not deleted. If that menu is missing, use the Screen Time controls available on the child’s device. Apple’s menus and options vary by iOS version, account setup, the child’s age, and region.

Block a specific app on your child’s iPhone or iPad

Apple’s newer child-safety controls can let a parent or guardian block an individual app through the child’s Apps & Websites restrictions. The menu is not available on every device or account configuration.

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  1. On the child’s device, open Settings > Family > [your child’s name] > Apps & Websites > Restrictions.

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  2. Select the app you want to restrict, tap Block App, and confirm.

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Apple describes a blocked app as dimmed or hidden on the Home Screen, not uninstalled. To restore access, return to the child’s app restrictions and change the block setting. See Apple’s instructions for blocking or allowing apps and websites.

If the Family and Apps & Websites menu is missing

Use the Screen Time interface on the child’s device. The exact controls shown depend on the software version and account setup.

  1. On the child’s iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Screen Time. Select the child if prompted.

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  2. Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.

  3. Use the app and feature controls offered there to restrict access. For built-in apps and features, look for Allowed Apps & Features; turning one off temporarily hides it from the Home Screen rather than deleting it.

  4. Set a Screen Time passcode so the child cannot simply change the restrictions. If Screen Time is configured directly on the child’s device, Apple says an Apple Account can be used to reset a forgotten passcode.

For setup details, see Apple’s guides to setting up Screen Time for a child and using Screen Time to manage a child’s device.

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Manage restrictions from your own device with Family Sharing

A parent or guardian can manage a child’s restrictions from their own device when the adult is the Family Sharing organizer or a designated parent or guardian and the child has an Apple Account in the family group. In Settings, open Family, select the child, and use the available Screen Time or Apps & Websites controls.

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Apple’s newer parental-control features may require current operating systems on compatible devices across the family group. If the family cannot update every device or does not see the newer interface, Apple says the previous Screen Time experience can still be used, or controls can be changed directly on the child’s device. The available menus and defaults can also vary by age and country or region. See Apple’s Family Sharing parental-control setup and its parental controls overview.

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Choose the right control: block, limit, or schedule

These controls solve different problems. Blocking is for denying access to a particular app; App Limits set a time allowance; Downtime restricts use during scheduled periods.

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  • GOOGLE KIDS SPACE AND EASY PARENTAL CONTROLS – tablet comes with Google Kids Space, giving children access to age-appropriate books, videos, creative activities, puzzles, and educational apps. Parents can manage screen time, approve or block apps, filter content, and set daily limits through parental controls, helping create a safer and more balanced digital environment for children ages 3 and up.
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Goal Use What it does
Prevent access to one selected app Apps & Websites app restriction Blocks the selected app so it is hidden or dimmed, not deleted.
Allow some time in an app or category App Limits Sets a time allowance for an individual app or app category; it is not an all-day block.
Restrict use at particular hours Downtime Schedules a restricted period. Calls and apps marked as allowed remain available.

Apple explains App Limits and Downtime in its Screen Time guide. If Screen Time’s Share Across Devices setting is enabled, settings or schedules can apply across devices signed in to the same Apple Account; check this if the child uses more than one device.

Stop app downloads and purchases

Blocking an installed app does not replace controls for downloads or purchases. Use Screen Time’s App Store purchase and download restrictions for those actions. Ask to Buy is a separate Family Sharing approval feature that can cover downloads and in-app purchases in supported contexts; its availability and defaults depend on eligibility and account settings.

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Apple’s guides explain app, download, and purchase controls and safety settings for websites and apps.

Restrict websites separately

App blocking does not automatically block a website with similar content. Screen Time has separate web controls, including blocking specific URLs, Limit Adult Websites, and Approved Websites Only. Which options appear depends on the software and child-account settings. Apple’s iPhone guide to blocking apps, websites, downloads, and purchases covers these separate restrictions.

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