Parental Controls Are Essential, and Here’s How to Set Them Up on a Mac
A Mac is a fantastic tool for children to explore and work on their class projects. But it also gives them access to the wide world of the internet, with all the dangers that brings. It is therefore highly recommended Set up parental controls on a Mac your child will usean essential layer of protection.
Let’s tell you everything you need to do step by step to set up parental controls on a Mac. From creating an Apple account for your child to setting up different protections on Mac. Just like you can enable parental controls on an iPhone or set these restrictions on an iPad, you can do it on Mac.
Step 1: How do I create an Apple account for my child?
First of all, Your child must have their own Apple accountthis will help a lot to set up parental controls on this account. This will be the account that the child will have to use on the Mac. You can create an Apple account for your child from the iPhone, iPad or the Mac itself. Here are the steps to do it from a Mac:
- Go to System Settings on your Mac and tap your name above.
- Click on the Family Sharing section and then on Add Member.
- Now tap Create Account for Kids.
- Follow the instructions. You can use a child’s email account for the Apple ID and remember to enter the date of birth correctly, which you cannot change later, and the account password.
Instead of sharing an account with your child, which could give them unwanted access to your personal data, create an Apple ID for them. This way, you can easily set age-based parental controls and they can use Family Sharing, Messages, the App Store, and other Apple services.
Apple sets a minimum age to have an Apple account, which varies depending on the country:
- Under 14: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, USA, Italy and Lithuania.
- Under 15: France, Greece and the Czech Republic.
- Under 16: Germany, Brazil, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Ireland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Singapore.
- Under 13 in other countries.
Step Two: Set Up Family Sharing
Since the System Settings > Family Sharing You can configure several important sections, being able to choose whether you want to share subscriptions, music, movies, apps, books, iCloud or if you want to locate your child at any time from the Find app. Your child should already be automatically added to your family, so by tapping on their profile you can change all of these settings.
Step 3: Set Parental Controls on Mac
THE Parental controls on Apple devices are managed from Screen Time. This is a function that we have in the system settings and that allows us to set limits on almost everything we can do with the Mac. We can block or limit applications, websites and specific functions of the device and only we can change them for a certain time. password.
Limiting Adult Websites on a Child’s Mac
It probably is one of the main measures of parental controlsomething that all parents want and should control. Here’s what you should do:
- Go to System Settings and the Screen Time section.
- Now click on App & Website Activity.
- Click on Enable “App & Website Activity”.
- Tap Content & Privacy and turn on the switch.
- Now click on Content from Stores, Websites, Siri, and Game Center.
- Under Access to web content, tap No restrictions and select Limit adult websites.
- If you select Only allowed websites, tap Customize to choose which web pages can be opened in Safari.
Limiting App Usage on a Child’s Mac
Another parental control allowed by the Mac is limit the amount of time you use an app. For example, you can say that you can only spend one hour a day browsing the Internet. Here’s how to enable it:
- Go to System Settings and the Screen Time section.
- Enable usage limits in apps.
- Tap Add limit and select apps or app types.
- Select the maximum time you want to spend per day.
- Now press Ok.
Restricting Explicit or Rated Content on a Child’s Mac
If you don’t want it Your child sees explicit content and only displays what is recommended for their age.Regardless of what application it is displayed in, here is what you need to enable:
- Go to System Settings and the Screen Time section.
- Now click on Content and Privacy.
- Click Restore Restrictions.
- In each drop-down menu, choose the different age restrictions.
Avoid receiving and sending nude images
Apple says that through communications security settings, you can Detect nude photos and videos on your child’s device before they are sent or viewed. Additionally, age-appropriate resources may be provided to help you make the safest decision. Of course, Apple does not have access to these photos or videos in any way. Here’s how they’re enabled:
- Go to System Settings and the Screen Time section.
- Click on Communications Security.
- Activate the communications security switch.
Additional Tips for Safely Using a Mac for Your Child
In addition to these features, there are a number of interesting settings that can also prove very useful.
Locate your child’s Mac
Locating your child’s Mac is really easy if enable the Search functionalthough this is usually enabled automatically when we set up the device for the first time. To check it, go to System Settings, tap on the account at the top and then iCloud, See all and Search.
Once Find My Mac is active, you can Locate your Mac from the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad, in the Devices section. From here you can play a sound, activate lost mode, or delete it remotely.
Set Password on Screen Time
It is crucial that the Screen Time section has a password so that it cannot be easily changed. In System Settings and Screen Time sectionturn on the screen time lock settings switch, create the password and try not to forget it.
Block downloads outside the App Store
If you don’t want your child to download anything strange onto their Mac from the Internet, you can limit app installations to the App Store. Enter System Settings > Privacy & Security > Allow apps from and select App Store.
This is how Set up parental controls on a Mac. Screen Time has a lot of interesting options, so you can impose restrictions on just about everything. This is a section with a lot of potential.
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