Block Apps
How to Block Apps on a Kids iPhone
Permanently prevent a child from accessing certain apps on an iPhone or iPad.
If you are trying to prevent your child from accessing an app on an iPhone or iPad, you might have noticed that this process is not straightforward.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the iPhone-specific instructions for blocking an iOS app using approaches that work for parents managing a child's iPhone. We'll also go through strategies for permanent or temporary app restriction.
Step 1: Prepare your child's iPhone for maximum app control
Apple Screen Time provides some app management capabilities that can be used alongside other app blocking techniques.
Before continuing with this app blocking guide, do one of the following:
Access instructions for both options using our dedicated guide for parents setting up parental controls on an iPhone .
Step 2: Require approval to download new apps on a kid's iPhone
Ask To Buy is a feature that can be enabled by using Apple Family Sharing. Parents need to enable it for their child, and once enabled, your child needs to send a request to you before they can purchase any app. Your child also needs approval for free apps.
However, parents should also close a common loophole, which is to stop their child from redownloading apps that have already been purchased. This is because Ask To Buy only applies to apps that haven't been added to your child's purchase history (which includes free apps, too).
Step 3: Block apps during bedtime or study hours
Screen Time has a useful feature for blocking distracting apps during bedtime or study hours called Downtime . Apps that aren't included in Downtime exceptions will be blocked from being accessed during downtime.
To get started, access Screen Time downtime settings by doing one of the following:
There is the chance that you might need to make some exceptions for apps that should never be blocked, even during downtime. For example, maybe you've installed a parental control or monitoring app:
Apps that are added to the Allowed Apps section won't be blocked during Downtime.
Step 4: limit how much time a child can spend on an iPhone app
Screen Time provides the option to add App Limits, and this can be used to “block” certain apps that have been used for a certain period of time. For remote-restriction approaches, see our guide on how to automatically restrict a kid's iPhone .
Set an app limit from the Screen Time page:
Step 5: Monitor Activity
After setting up Screen Time on your child's iPhone, we highly recommend setting up screenshot-based parental monitoring for iPhone and iPad . This ensures you can review your child's iOS app activity as if you were glancing over and looking directly at their screen.
For example, the LivingRoom for Families app records the screen as your child uses their device and sends screenshots of app activity to the parents' dashboard for review.
Reviewing these screenshots helps a parent determine if certain apps need to be restricted based on how their child is using them. It can also monitor apps that are typically very difficult to monitor, like Snapchat , Instagram , or even text messages .
