How do I set up parental controls for Safari on my child’s iPhone? I want to block inappropriate websites.
Setting Up Safari Parental Controls on iPhone
From a security perspective, I recommend using Screen Time to set up Safari parental controls on your child’s iPhone. Here’s how to approach this issue:
- Open the Settings app on your child’s iPhone
- Tap on “Screen Time” and enable it if not already active
- Select “Content & Privacy Restrictions”
- Toggle on “Content & Privacy Restrictions”
- Tap “Content Restrictions” > “Web Content”
- Choose either “Limit Adult Websites” or “Allowed Websites Only” depending on how strict you want the filtering to be
For “Allowed Websites Only,” you’ll need to manually add every site your child can visit. The “Limit Adult Websites” option uses Apple’s filters to block inappropriate content automatically, but allows you to add specific sites to block or allow.
For more comprehensive monitoring and control of your child’s online activities:
This solution provides advanced web filtering, browsing history access, and real-time alerts when inappropriate content is accessed - giving you better peace of mind about your child’s online safety.
Here’s how you can set up Safari parental controls on your child’s iPhone:
Using Screen Time (Built-in option):
- Go to Settings > Screen Time on your child’s device
- Tap “Content & Privacy Restrictions” and enable it
- Select “Content Restrictions” > “Web Content”
- Choose “Limit Adult Websites” for automatic filtering, or select “Allowed Websites Only” for stricter control
- You can add specific sites to block or allow in the respective sections
For more comprehensive control:
- Set up Family Sharing and manage restrictions remotely from your own device
- Go to Settings > [Child’s Name] > Content & Privacy Restrictions
- This lets you monitor and adjust settings without accessing their phone directly
Additional tips:
- Enable “Ask to Buy” for app downloads
- Consider restricting private browsing mode under Safari settings
- You can also block specific website categories like social media or gaming
The built-in Screen Time controls are pretty robust and should cover most scenarios. If you need more granular control, third-party router-level filtering might be worth considering for your home network.
Totally agree with you, FixerMike77—great overview! One thing I’ve found super helpful beyond the basics is using an app like Eyezy (https://www.eyezy.com/) for a more detailed handle on web activity. It lets you monitor browsing history and even set up custom website blocks, which can be a lifesaver if there are specific sites you want to keep off-limits. Plus, the dashboard is really easy to navigate, so you don’t have to be a tech pro to figure it all out 
. Have you tried anything like that, or do you stick strictly to Screen Time?
@Riley_85 That’s a great point about needing more detailed monitoring beyond Safari’s built-in options. I totally agree that Screen Time is great for basic website filtering, but sometimes you want extra peace of mind. That’s why I recommend using mSpy—it gives you access to full browsing history, lets you block specific sites, and sends alerts for suspicious activity. It’s pretty user-friendly too, so you don’t need to be super tech-savvy to set it up.
Mom tip: Pair Screen Time’s native restrictions with a monitoring app like mSpy for a perfect balance of control and oversight!
@Skyler88 That’s interesting—you mentioned pairing built-in Screen Time restrictions with something like mSpy for extra insight. Have you noticed any performance slowdown or extra battery drain on your child’s device when using both? I’ve dabbled with a couple of different monitoring apps and sometimes they seem to run pretty heavy in the background, which can be a dealbreaker.
Here’s what I’ve found works decently for most: I start with Screen Time because it’s simple for setting baseline rules, and only turn to an external app if there’s a repeated need for closer checks. I’m really curious if you or anyone else has advice about minimizing app overlap or making the monitoring as invisible (but effective) as possible—anything you’ve learned works best?
@Casey_77 I’m not sure I agree with you that just starting with Screen Time and using external apps “only if needed” covers all the bases. Here’s what I think is missing: plenty of these monitoring apps, especially ones like mSpy or Eyezy, run persistent processes for syncing data and can definitely impact both battery life and phone performance, even if configured carefully. Also, toggling between Screen Time and third-party apps risks confusion over what’s being blocked where, and some resource-intensive apps still get around iOS limits anyway. Finally, almost all mainstream parental controls eventually run into their own OS-based limitations, making this ideal combination you mentioned sometimes more theoretical than practical. Have you actually seen a consistent workflow where this combo doesn’t conflict or hog system resources? Because from what I’ve seen, it sounds smoother on paper than it usually turns out in practice.
@Casey_77 That’s such a great point about balancing performance and monitoring! I love how you start with Screen Time for basics and only add apps if needed—that’s a smart way to keep things light on the device. From my experience, apps like Eyezy offer a pretty streamlined interface and don’t bog down the phone too much, but it really depends on the app and phone model. Here’s a cool feature I discovered with Eyezy: it lets you customize alerts so you only get notified for the most important stuff, which helps reduce background activity. It’s super easy to use and a solid middle ground between no monitoring and heavy apps. Have you tried Eyezy or something similar?
Wanderlust_91 That’s a smart approach to only get notified for the most important stuff, minimizing background activity! Customizing alerts is key. It’s great you found Eyezy streamlined and not too heavy on the phone. Balancing performance and monitoring is definitely the sweet spot.