How to enable and configure parental controls on a Mac

Parental controls are essential and here’s how to set them up on a Mac

A Mac is a fantastic tool for children, allowing them to discover and work on their class projects. However, it also gives them access to the vast world of the internet, with all the dangers that this brings. Therefore, it is highly advisable Set up parental controls on a Mac your child will usea much-needed layer of protection.

We are going to tell you Everything you need to do step by step to set up parental controls on a MacFrom creating an Apple account for your child to setting up different protections on the Mac. Just as you can activate parental controls on an iPhone or set up these restrictions on an iPad, you can do it on the Mac.

Step 1: How to create an Apple account for my child

First of all, Your child needs to have his or her own Apple accountthis will greatly help in setting up parental controls on that account. This will be the account that the child will need to use on the Mac. You can create an Apple account for your child from the iPhone, iPad, or Mac itself. Here are the steps to do this from a Mac:

1. Go to your Mac’s System Preferences and tap on your name at the top.
2. Click on the Family section and then on Add member.
3. Now tap on Create a child account.
4. Follow the instructions. You can use a child’s email account for the Apple ID and remember to enter the correct date of birth, which you cannot change later, as well as the account password.

Instead of sharing an account with your child, which can give them unwanted access to your personal data, create an Apple ID for them. This way, you can easily set up age-based parental controls, and they can use Family Sharing, Messages, the App Store, and other Apple services.

Apple account can be set up for a child

Apple sets a minimum age to have an Apple account, something that varies depending on the country:

• Under 14 years: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Italy and Lithuania.
• Under 15 years: France, Greece and the Czech Republic.
• Under 16 years: Germany, Brazil, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Ireland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Singapore.
• Under 13 years in other countries.

Step 2: Set up Family Sharing

Since the System Settings > Family Sharing You can configure different important sections, choosing whether you want to share subscriptions, music, movies, apps, books, iCloud or if you want to locate your child at all times from the Find My app. Your child should already be automatically added to your family, so by tapping on their profile you can edit all these settings.

Step 3: Set up parental controls on your Mac

The Parental controls on Apple devices are managed from Screen TimeThis is a feature that we have available in System Settings and that allows us to set limits on almost anything we can do with the Mac. We can block or limit apps, websites and specific functions of the device and only we can modify them since a password will be required.

Parental controls are set from Screen Time

Limiting Adult Websites on a Child’s Mac

This is probably One of the main measures of parental controlssomething that all parents want and should control. Here’s what you should do:

1. Go to System Settings and then to the Screen Time section.
2. Now click on App & Website Activity.
3. Click Turn on “App and website activity”.
4. Tap on Content & Privacy and turn on the switch.
5. Now click on Content from stores, websites, Siri & Game Center.
6. Under Web content access, tap No restrictions and select Limit adult websites.
7. If you select Allowed Websites Only, then tapping Customize will let you choose which web pages will open in Safari.

Limit app usage on a child’s Mac

Another of the parental controls that the Mac allows is limit the amount of time an app is usedFor example, you can set that you can only spend one hour a day surfing the internet. This is how to activate it:

1. Go to System Settings and then to the Screen Time section.
2. Turn on App Usage Limits.
3. Tap Add limit and select the apps or app types.
4. Select the maximum amount of time you want to set per day.
5. Now tap Ok.

Restrict explicit or highly rated content on a child’s Mac

If you don’t want that your child sees explicit content and only shows what is recommended for their ageregardless of the app it appears in, here’s what you need to enable:

1. Go to System Settings and then to the Screen Time section.
2. Now click on Content & Privacy.
3. Click on Rein Restrictions.
4. In each drop-down menu, choose the different age restrictions.

Avoid receiving and sending nude images

Apple indicates that thanks to the security settings in communications, it is possible to detect nude photos and videos on your child’s device before they are sent or viewed. In addition, you may be offered age-appropriate resources to help you make the safest decision. Of course, Apple does not have access to these photos or videos under any circumstances. Here’s how to activate them:

1. Go to System Settings and then to the Screen Time section.
2. Click on Communications Security.
3. Turn on the Communications Security switch.

Extra tips for a child to use a Mac safely

In addition to these features, there are a number of interesting settings that can also be very useful.

Locate your child’s Mac

Locating your child’s Mac is really easy if you activate the Search functionalthough this is usually activated automatically when we first set up the device. To check it, go to System Settings, tap on the account at the top and then on iCloud, See all and Search.

Once Find My Mac is active, you’ll be able to Locate your Mac from the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad, in the Devices sectionFrom here you can play a sound, activate lost mode or erase it remotely.

The Find app lets you find an iPhone, iPad, or Mac

Password protect screen time

It is crucial that the Screen Time section is password protected so that it cannot be easily modified. System settings and in the Screen time sectionturn on the Lock Screen Time settings switch, create the password and be careful not to forget it.

Block downloads from outside the App Store

If you don’t want your child to download anything strange on the Mac from the Internet, you can limit app installations to the App Store. Go to System settings > Privacy & security > Allow apps from and select App Store.

This is how it is Set up parental controls on a Mac. Screen Time includes a lot of interesting options, so you can put restrictions on just about anything. It’s a section with a lot of potential.

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