Setting up an iPhone for Apple Family
Setting up an iPhone for Elevated Permissions with Apple Family or Supervised Mode
Apple Family can be used to set up a child's iPhone for proper parental control features.
There are some features apps can't use without elevated permissions, like automatically capturing screenshots or adding a highly restrictive network filter that can completely disable the iPhone's internet connection. Apple doesn't allow normal iPhones to use these permissions unless either:
- The currently signed-in Apple account has an age less than 18 years old
- Supervised mode has been enabled
It is possible to set up an iPhone to combine both options , but only one of these needs to be true.
Choosing an Approach to Enable Elevated Permissions
There are a few different approaches that you can consider when setting up an iPhone correctly.
Approach 1: Enable Supervised Mode
This is the ideal approach if:
- You're an adult self-managing your own iPhone and don't have an accountability partner
- You're a parent with a child who occasionally uses your iPhone (your child doesn't have their own iPhone or iPad)
There are cases where you'd like to use an existing Apple account without making significant changes. If that's the case, then you can consider Apple's alternative to Screen Time , supervised mode.
It requires your iPhone to be reset completely, but once it's enabled, your iPhone will have the ability to use apps that require elevated permissions. With Supervised Mode enabled, you can also enforce restrictions using Config Files. Config Files are highly customizable and can be created by using an Apple Config Generator .
Approach 2: Update the Age on an existing Apple Account
There are some complications with this approach, but it's ideal if:
- You're a parent with a child with a separate iPhone, and your child already has an Apple account
- You're working closely with an accountability partner and would like to keep current Apple purchases and subscriptions
If you decide to update the age on your Apple account, I'd strongly recommend keeping the age between 13-17 years old if all you need to do is enable elevated permissions. If you set the age below 13 years old, Apple imposes strict controls over the account that are difficult to undo.
There might be situations where you'd like not to completely reset your iPhone or iPad. If this is the case, then it is possible to change the age for an existing Apple account .
Apple Family adds more convenience and oversight, so this could be combined with supervised mode if you so choose.
(advanced) Approach 3: Create a Child account using Apple Family
A Child account setup might be the right setup if you're a parent with a child who does not have their own Apple account yet, and you both plan on using separate iPhone or iPad devices.
If all you need to do is enable elevated permissions on an iPhone, then I'd strongly recommend enabling supervised mode or changing your Apple account's age to between 13-17 years old. An account set up as a Teen (instead of as a Child) has some more autonomy when it comes to app purchases or Screen Time restrictions, and these can be managed by the app you're trying to install.
A Child account is significantly more restrictive than a Standard or Teen Apple account. It can only be created by a Family Organizer using Apple Family .
The only difference between Standard Apple accounts and Child accounts is that the age is set to 12 and below. While this seems like a very small difference, it introduces many more restrictions when compared to Teen or Standard accounts:
- First, you'll need to set up the account using Apple Family as a Family Organizer.
- The account can't leave the Family Group until it naturally ages above 13 years old or is moved to another Family Group.
- The age set on the account can't be modified until the account ages naturally above 13 years old.
- Ask to purchase and full Screen Time restrictions (including websites allowed) is fully managed by the parent or Family Organizer by default.
Apple Family does add more convenience and oversight, and this can even be combined with supervised mode if you so choose.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key differences between Standard (18+), Teen (13-17), and Child (12 and under) Apple Accounts?
Standard Apple accounts (accounts with an age above 18 years) have full access to all settings, purchases, and more. You can restrict certain features with Screen Time, but if you choose to keep your account a standard one, you can still use Supervised Mode without any issues.
Teen Apple accounts (accounts with an age between 13 and 17 years) aren't obviously different from Standard accounts. However, this kind of account can join a Family Group and "forfeit" control over their account to the Family Organizer. However, the Teen Account can still choose to leave the Family Group at any time.
Child Apple accounts (accounts with an age below 12 years) are much more tightly controlled by Apple. A Child account must always be a part of a Family Group, and can only be transferred to another Family Group with the help of the Family Organizer. A Child account can't change certain settings on their account without the approval of the Family Organizer. This includes the ability to change it's age; both the Child and the Family Organizer can't do this directly without waiting for the Child account's 13th birthday.
What is a "Family Organizer"?
A Family Organizer is the main "parent" or "guardian" in a Family Group. They are always a Standard Account (above 18 years) and can make new child accounts, view and change certain Screen Time restrictions for members of the Family Group, and share subscriptions with members of the Family Group.
What is a "Family Group"?
A Family Group is a group of related Apple accounts that share subscriptions or restrictions. Different types of Apple Accounts will have different restrictions that could be enabled, and the Family Organizer can help manage Teen accounts and directly oversee Child accounts.
Why choose Supervised Mode over Apple's Parental Controls?
Supervised Mode allows you to more directly customize and lock restrictions on an iPhone than Screen Time and parental controls. There is some overlap between the two, so you could combine both restrictions at the same time with little chance of conflict.
Parental Controls and Screen Time are intended for parents and have these features:
- App limits and restrictions for Apps based on age ratings
- The ability to block websites in Safari
- Reporting of Screen Time and app usage of child to parent
- Communication limits and Communication Safety
- Downtime schedules
- Lock settings with a PIN
Supervised Mode is intended for businesses or schools. Because of this, its priorities are a bit different, so it has these additional features:
- Block Apps from the App Store with supervised blocklists and age ratings
- Protections for content-filtering VPNs
- Enforcement of iPhone DNS settings for the entire device without the possibility to disable
- Supervised website blocking
Can Supervised Mode be Combined with Apple Parental Controls?
In most cases, they can be combined effectively .
You can combine certain parental control features like app limits, downtime, and communication safety with supervised restrictions like supervised app blocking, supervised web blocking, and enforced VPN profiles.
Some settings could conflict with each other, but generally, iPhones with both parental controls and supervised mode tend to choose the most restrictive option if two settings conflict. There are very rare cases where this would be a problem, but it's surprisingly well-built.
As a Family Organizer/Apple parent, you can also see additional Screen Time data or make changes to parental controls for your children remotely. Supervised Mode is best used for restrictions that rarely need to change.
How can I prevent the age for my Apple account from being changed later?
This can only be done if, either:
- The age for an Apple Account is below 13 years old, in which case, that account must age naturally.
- Supervised mode is enabled on the iPhone. In which case, you can restrict changes to account details from the Settings app and block access to Apple's website.