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What you need before you begin
Have the following ready:
- An Apple Account for the parent or guardian who manages the family group.
- A separate Child Account for the child. Apple describes this as the starting point for age-based safeguards and parental controls. Account age thresholds and required information vary by country or region; check Apple’s Child Safety guidance for your location.
- The parent’s Apple device, if you want to manage settings remotely through Family Sharing.
- The child’s iPad, its Apple Account password, and the latest iPadOS version that the hardware supports.
- A Screen Time passcode that the child does not know. Store it in a password manager or another secure place so you can recover it.
Check the software version first in Settings > General > About. Apple’s redesigned parental-control system is documented for iPadOS 27 and requires all relevant family devices to run compatible version 27 software. If one family device cannot update, Apple says the earlier Screen Time controls remain available, or you can configure controls directly on the child’s iPad. Older Apple guides show iPadOS 26 and earlier menu names, so do not assume a label from one version appears unchanged in another. See Apple’s current parental-controls support article for the version your family uses.
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Choose the right setup route
There are two supported ways to manage an iPad. Family Sharing is usually better for a child because the parent can change settings from their own device and the child uses a separate account. Direct setup is useful when the parent does not have a compatible Apple device in the family group or when the family cannot update every device to the redesigned controls.
| Route | Best for | Where settings are changed | Passcode recovery | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Sharing | A family with a parent or guardian Apple device | Parent’s device: Settings > Family > child’s name > Screen Time (the exact label can differ by version) | Managed through the family organizer or parent account, using Apple’s Family Sharing recovery flow | Family devices must support the controls you want; redesigned controls require compatible iPadOS 27, iOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, or visionOS 27 where applicable |
| Direct on the iPad | No compatible parent device, or a mixed-version family | On the child’s iPad: Settings > Screen Time | Uses the recovery method configured on that iPad, normally the Apple Account associated with Screen Time recovery | The parent must return to the child’s iPad to review or change settings |
Apple’s Customize iPad for your child guide and its Family Sharing setup guide show the version-specific screens.
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Set up Family Sharing and the child’s Apple Account
Do this before configuring limits. A child account keeps the child’s data, purchases, and permissions separate from the adult’s account and lets Apple apply age-based defaults.
- On the parent or guardian’s iPhone or iPad, open Settings and tap your name.
- Tap Family (or Family Sharing on an older release), then choose Add Member or the option to create an account for a child.
- Follow the prompts for the child’s name, birth date, Apple Account address, password, and any consent or verification required in your region. The birth date matters because Apple’s defaults and available safety features are age- and location-dependent.
- When the account is created, accept the family invitations and purchase-sharing choices you actually want. You can change most sharing choices later.
- On the child’s iPad, open Settings, tap the account banner, and sign in with the child’s Apple Account. Do not sign in with the parent’s account if you want separate Screen Time reporting and age-based restrictions.
Apple identifies creating a Child Account with Family Sharing as the first and most important step for a parent or guardian. Its child-safety guidance explains why the account’s age and region affect the available protections.
Set up a new iPad with Quick Start
If the iPad has not been configured, Quick Start can apply a child setup through Family Sharing. Apple says this route requires iPadOS 16 or later and Bluetooth.
- Turn on the new iPad and place it near the parent’s unlocked iPhone or iPad.
- Follow the Quick Start animation and authentication prompts.
- When the setup asks who will use the iPad, select the child’s Family Sharing account rather than the parent’s account.
- Review the age-appropriate safety prompts, create or confirm a Screen Time passcode, and finish setup.
- After the Home Screen appears, open Settings > Family > child’s name > Screen Time on the parent device to verify that the iPad is listed and reporting usage.
If Quick Start does not offer the child option, check Bluetooth, update both devices as far as their hardware allows, and confirm that the child is actually in the same Family Sharing group. You can finish the iPad setup and use the manual Family Sharing path instead.
Link an iPad that is already set up
You do not need to erase an existing iPad. First make sure the child’s Apple Account is in the family group and signed in on the iPad.
- On the parent’s iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Family.
- Tap the child’s name, then open Screen Time. Follow the prompts to turn on management if it is not already enabled.
- If the child’s device is not shown, on the iPad open Settings > Screen Time and start setup there. Sign in with the child’s account when prompted, then return to the parent device.
- Set a Screen Time passcode and test that the parent device can view the child’s usage report before handing the iPad back.
The wording can differ between iPadOS 26 and iPadOS 27. Use the Screen Time entry Apple shows for your installed version instead of looking for an exact label from an older screenshot.
Configure Screen Time in the order that prevents problems
Once Screen Time is enabled, configure broad schedules first, then individual app and content rules. The parent controls are grouped under the child in Family Sharing; direct setup uses Settings > Screen Time on the child’s iPad.
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1. Set Downtime for device-free periods
Open Screen Time > Downtime (or the equivalent schedule control in the redesigned interface), turn on the schedule, and choose the days and hours when most apps should be unavailable. Consider school, sleep, and family routines rather than selecting a schedule that conflicts with them. During Downtime, only apps and contacts allowed under the exceptions remain available.
Use Block at Downtime if the option appears and you want the restriction enforced rather than merely displaying a reminder. Some newer releases rename or rearrange these scheduling controls; follow the description on your screen.
2. Add App Limits by category or app
Open Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit, select categories or specific apps, set a daily allowance, and assign different limits to different days if the version supports that option. A category limit applies to every selected app in that category, so add individual apps when you need more precise control.
App Limits measure use across the child’s devices when Apple’s family settings synchronize them. Allow a limit extension only from the parent’s Screen Time prompt; do not share the Screen Time passcode as a way to approve extra time.
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3. Decide which apps remain available
Use Always Allowed to keep essential communication or accessibility apps available during Downtime. Remove games, video, or social apps from this list if you expect Downtime to block them. Check the list after installing a new app because availability choices can change when the app is added.
4. Set communication limits and safety options
Open the communication controls under Screen Time and specify who the child can contact during normal use and during Downtime. Depending on age, region, and software version, Apple may also offer communication-safety warnings for sensitive images or videos. Some child accounts receive safety options by default, but defaults are not universal; review every item instead of assuming it is enabled.
Communication limits do not replace an emergency plan. Keep the contacts a child must be able to reach in the allowed list and confirm that those contacts can call or message during Downtime.
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Restrict web, media, purchases, and privacy changes
Open Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn the main switch on. Work through each subsection; turning on the main switch without reviewing its categories leaves important choices at their defaults.
Web content
Under the web-content controls, choose the level that matches the child’s age and your supervision. Options can include unrestricted access, limiting adult websites, or allowing only approved websites. Test Safari after saving the setting, because a site that was open before the restriction may remain in history even though a new visit is blocked.
App ratings, media, and built-in features
Set age ratings for apps, films, television, books, and other media where those controls are offered. You can also prevent installation or deletion of apps, block in-app purchases, and hide or disable built-in apps and features. Ratings and available media controls vary by country or region.
Purchases and downloads
Use the purchase and download settings to require approval before the child obtains an app or makes an in-app purchase. Family Sharing’s purchase-approval feature may be called Ask to Buy; turn it on for the child and confirm which adult receives requests. A purchase restriction does not automatically remove payment methods from the family, so review the family payment setup separately.
Privacy and account changes
Prevent changes to location services, contacts, photos, Bluetooth sharing, microphone, advertising, passcode, and account settings when appropriate. Locking account changes is especially important if the child knows the device unlock code. Leave a setting changeable only when the child genuinely needs to manage it for school or accessibility.
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Apple’s website and app safety guide describes the available content and privacy controls, while the Screen Time guide shows the iPadOS 26 arrangement.
Use Guided Access for a single focused session
Screen Time manages a child’s overall use. Guided Access is different: it temporarily locks the iPad to one app, which is useful for a homework quiz, reading session, kiosk-style activity, or a long car journey.
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- Open Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access and turn it on.
- Set a Guided Access passcode or enable Face ID or Touch ID for ending a session, if offered.
- Open the app you want the child to use and triple-click the top button (or Home button on an older iPad).
- Circle areas that should not respond, choose hardware-button and time-limit options, then tap Start.
- Triple-click again and authenticate to end the session.
Guided Access is not a replacement for Family Sharing or Screen Time: it ends when the authorized adult stops the session.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Consider Screen Distance on supported iPads
Screen Distance can warn a child who holds the iPad too close for an extended period. Availability is model-dependent; Apple’s iPad guide identifies iPad Pro models with Face ID as supported hardware. Look in Settings > Screen Time > Screen Distance. If the option is missing, the model or software does not support it. Do not treat its warning as a substitute for breaks, lighting, or an adult’s judgment.
Protect and recover the Screen Time passcode
The Screen Time passcode is separate from the iPad unlock code. Choose a code the child cannot guess, but do not choose one you cannot recover. Apple documents different recovery paths depending on whether Screen Time was configured through Family Sharing or directly on the child’s iPad.
- Family Sharing setup: the organizer or managing parent opens the child’s Screen Time settings from the family section and uses the passcode-change or recovery option shown there.
- Direct setup: on the child’s iPad, open Settings > Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode, then follow Apple’s account-verification and recovery prompts.
If recovery information was never configured, do not repeatedly guess the code. Review Apple’s Screen Time recovery instructions for the iOS or iPadOS version involved. Apple does not promise that a child can never bypass a restriction, so keep the iPad updated, protect the device passcode, and periodically inspect the settings and usage report.
What changes with iPadOS 27
Apple’s support article published October 8, 2026 describes redesigned parental controls in iPadOS 27 and the corresponding version 27 releases for other family devices. The redesigned controls work only when all relevant devices are compatible and updated. If your family has a mixture of versions, you may see the previous Screen Time layout or need to configure controls directly on the child’s iPad.
Do not postpone essential restrictions while waiting for every device to update. Set the available Screen Time controls now, then revisit the family settings after updating. Apple’s current support page is the authority for the labels and requirements in your region.
Region, age, and account caveats
- Apple changes Child Account age thresholds, consent requirements, communication-safety features, media ratings, and purchase rules by country or region.
- Age-based defaults can turn some protections on automatically, but a default is not proof that every restriction you want is active.
- Some settings apply only to children below a particular age, while others remain available for older children with different prompts.
- Family Sharing features can differ when the parent and child use accounts registered in different countries or regions.
If a menu or option described here is missing, verify the child’s account region, the iPadOS version, and whether the feature is supported on that model. Then use the Apple help page for your location rather than changing the account’s birth date or region to force an option.
Troubleshoot the most common setup failures
The child is not listed under Family
Confirm that the invitation was accepted, the child’s account is signed in on the iPad, and both devices have internet access. Sign out only as a last resort; first restart the devices and check for pending software updates. A child account in a different region may also limit which family features appear.
Screen Time reports no activity
On the iPad, open Settings > Screen Time and confirm that Screen Time is on and that the account shown is the child’s account. Check that the date and time are set automatically, then allow synchronization time. If the iPad was restored or the child’s account changed, recheck the family device list.
A blocked app or website still opens
Check whether the app is in Always Allowed, whether an App Limit was set for the correct category, and whether the website rule was saved under Content & Privacy Restrictions. Close and reopen the app after changing a rule. Also check for a second browser or an alternative app that provides the same content.
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Verify that Ask to Buy is enabled for the correct child and that the approving adult is signed in to the Apple Account used for Family Sharing. Check notification permissions and the family organizer’s device, then have the child submit a new request. Approval settings do not apply retroactively to a purchase already completed.
You forgot the Screen Time passcode
Use the recovery path for the original setup method—Family Sharing on the parent device or direct Screen Time recovery on the child’s iPad. Do not erase the iPad before checking Apple’s recovery instructions, because an erase can remove data without guaranteeing that every family setting is restored as intended.
Final setup checklist
- The child has a separate Apple Account in the correct Family Sharing group.
- The iPad is signed in to the child’s account, not the parent’s account.
- Screen Time is visible from the parent device or enabled directly on the iPad.
- Downtime and App Limits match the child’s actual routine.
- Always Allowed includes essential contacts and accessibility tools only.
- Communication, web, media, purchase, download, privacy, and account-change rules have been reviewed individually.
- The Screen Time passcode is different from the unlock code and stored securely.
- Ask to Buy and notification delivery have been tested with a small request.
- Guided Access or Screen Distance is enabled only if the iPad model and the situation make them useful.
- You have checked the current Apple instructions for the child’s country or region and iPadOS version.
After setup, review the usage report and settings with the child rather than treating controls as a one-time installation. Update the rules when the child’s age, school needs, devices, or Apple software changes.
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