The Advantages of Combining Supervised Mode with Apple Family
If you're looking for a comprehensive blocking system for iPhone or iPad devices, it's possible to combine supervised mode and Apple Family. Apple Family introduces several features that are native to the Apple ecosystem that are most suited for parents monitoring a child's device. Even if you aren't a parent, and want a highly restrictive setup with or without the help of an accountability partner, this combination introduces several powerful restrictions that go far beyond normal app blockers.
First, we should probably define what each of these features does before explaining how they can be combined.
Supervised Mode is a special configuration mode for iPhones and iPads that unlocks native, device-level restrictions. It's a powerful alternative to Screen Time that doesn't rely on a four-digit PIN; instead, it uses Config Files to directly enforce device settings.
Apply Family is Apple's solution for parents and families. While we prefer Supervised Mode for a more restrictive setup, many of the features available with Apple Family work remarkably well with Supervised Mode. It allows parents to monitor a Teen's account and manage Child accounts.
How Do I Set Up Apple Family?
An Apple Family Group can be started by any Standard Apple account. A Standard account is any Apple account that:
- Has a birthdate that makes the age of the person associated with the account older than 18 years.
- Is not currently associated with any other Family Groups.
You, as the Family Organizer, can invite up to 5 other members to your Group. These new members must have their own Apple account. However, they can join with their current account, or you could create a new Child account for them as the Family Organizer.
Teen and Child accounts
Apple treats Apple accounts of certain ages very differently from Standard accounts. If an account has an age older than 18 years, it's treated like a normal Apple Account.
However, if the age falls between 13 and 17 years old, Apple treats these as Teen accounts. A Teen account can join a Family Group and have restrictions enforced by the Family Organizer, but can leave the Family Group at any time.
If the age is 12 or below, Apple treats the account as a Child account. Child accounts need to be a part of a Family Group and can be fully restricted by the Family Organizer. A Child account can't leave the Family Group it's a part of without being moved to another Family Group.
If the Family Organizer creates an account for someone else, they can only create a Child account, not a Teen or Standard account.
What Restrictions From Apple Family Work Well With Supervised Mode?
Apple Family Groups use Screen Time to set limits on apps, block websites, or manage purchase preferences.
Here are the restrictions that Apple Family provides that work well with Supervised Mode:
- App Limits and Downtimes to reduce screen time
- Communication Limits and Communication Safety features
- Location and Subscription Sharing
- Ask To Buy and In-app purchase restrictions
These features are powerful, but many parents aren't comfortable giving complete freedom to their children yet. Or, perhaps you're an adult working with an accountability partner or spouse, and you'd like to ensure that common bypass methods are avoided.
That's where Supervised Mode can come in to fill the gaps. It requires a device reset and some additional setup, but it's well worth it. You can enable additional restrictions that can't be done with Apple Family alone:
- Completely block specific apps with supervised app blocklists without disabling the App Store
- Protect a content filter on iPhone more effectively using a VPN or DNS settings
- Protect other settings, for example, restrict a hard reset of the Supervised iPhone
Supervised Mode is very comprehensive and enforces these restrictions with Config Files. These Config Files can be locked to that iPhone, so they can't be removed without outside help.
These Config Files can be created and customized by using an Apple Config Generator , such as the one included for Tech Lockdown members.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I set up an account to work with my accountability partner?
Standard Apple accounts can still use some features without any additional setup, such as Location sharing. However, to enable Screen Time some restrictions, either a Teen or Child account is required.
It is possible to change the age of an Apple account . If you do this, I'd strongly recommend keeping the age between 13 and 17 years old (this makes it a Teen account).
What's the difference between a Child and Teen Apple account?
Child accounts (accounts below the age of 13), are treated very differently than most other types of accounts:
- A Child account must always be a member of a Family Group, and can only be transferred from one Group to another.
- A Child account cannot change their birthdate above 13 years old. The account will be turned into a Teen account on the 13th birthday.
- A Child account has significantly more restrictions enabled by default, and can't make certain purchases.
Teen accounts, on the other hand, could change certain details, including ones that could allow them to leave a Family Group.