Apple really is to blame, Smith & Wesson and Hechler & Koch all do a better job with their parental controls than Apple does. Just look at how few deaths happen at schools/colleges etc. McDonalds/BK/Coke etc should also put parental controls on their packaging so that kids can only open the packages between certain times and they only get access to the healthy options like a salad and not big whopper! Fridges and Microwave manufactures as well as cupboard designers are also to blame for all your obese kids by allowing them unrestricted access. In fact Nike is probably the biggest offender allowing their shoes to take kids into shop to buy it in the first place! Shoe Manufactures you are killing our children!
Teachers send emails and messages regarding homework and assignments.
One parental control I wish Apple would implement is to allow the parent to define who they can send to or receive from email, text or phone calls. Of course you would also need to block apps like WhatsApp as well. Apple does not offer any Restrictions regarding phone, messages, or email. None whatsoever. I contacted Apple to request these parental controls but never heard back, so I called them and all I got was a comment that they don't support those features.
This is absolutely crucial. Apple has done very little in this area. Apple got out of the router game, but even when they did actively develop AirPort Extreme, there was no way to limit internet usage by the total number of hours for each user. You could set the time periods for access but not the total number of hours. However, kids could just switch to LTE and bypass all the restrictions.
Apple should definitely come up with parental controls that encompass all of its devices and allow parents to administer controls from one web-based portal. Additionally, content filtering should be an option. Maybe all children’s internet activity should be proxied via the Apple’s servers that carry out filtering. Maybe the filtering rules should be pushed to end devices. Either way, there should be a way to restrict where kids can go on the web if Apple’s devices are used.
You won’t get this if you are still living in your parents’ basement, so don’t bother to respond. Get back to me when your kids start reaching the age of Internet use if Apple hasn’t developed content filtering tools by then.
YouTube is a prime example: it has a ton of stuff that appeal to pre-school and grade school aged kids, but it also has R and X rated stuff. Apple's only choice for that app is a "Yes or No" for the app itself...
There is no X-rated content on youtube.
Well there is I guess some would consider X Rated content on YouTube, but its for educational purposes and ONLY educational purposes. Its not uploaded with the intent of it being pornography.
If you have a younger child why not just disable Safari? Then you don't have to worry about where they go on the internet. At that age, they probably shouldn't be on the internet anyways.
Basically, what @sirozha wants is an MDM for parents. Apple does make this. Its called Profile Manager and is built into Server, which is compatible for any Mac running Sierra or High Sierra and it's only $20. The downside is that you have to know what the hell you're doing when you setup it up. I guess Apple could make a cloud based MDM solution for parents and try to make it simple enough to where any parent can use it. I don't know if Apple could do this with some sort of family iCloud account and link the phones to that account or something and then they and manage them that way or what.
ScreenTime is a MDM and there is a lot more fine grained control in android than iOS.
Teachers send emails and messages regarding homework and assignments.
One parental control I wish Apple would implement is to allow the parent to define who they can send to or receive from email, text or phone calls. Of course you would also need to block apps like WhatsApp as well. Apple does not offer any Restrictions regarding phone, messages, or email. None whatsoever. I contacted Apple to request these parental controls but never heard back, so I called them and all I got was a comment that they don't support those features.
That's an interesting idea... You can already block texts and phone calls from certain sources, so it makes sense that you could have an 'only accept from' list as well... I'm not so sure how feasible that would be with email since that's usually just a third party, but if anybody could do it, it would be Apple. But, if they can't, then who knows? Maybe your son will inherit that fortune from the Nigerian prince?
Apple really is to blame, Smith & Wesson and Hechler & Koch all do a better job with their parental controls than Apple does. Just look at how few deaths happen at schools/colleges etc. McDonalds/BK/Coke etc should also put parental controls on their packaging so that kids can only open the packages between certain times and they only get access to the healthy options like a salad and not big whopper! Fridges and Microwave manufactures as well as cupboard designers are also to blame for all your obese kids by allowing them unrestricted access. In fact Nike is probably the biggest offender allowing their shoes to take kids into shop to buy it in the first place! Shoe Manufactures you are killing our children!
Yeh, that's a good example of the ideological arguments I was talking about before. They sound good and sell well to the less well informed. But they have no place in the real world or in reality. At least not for responsible parents who want the best for their kids.
I'm not so sure how feasible that would be with email since that's usually just a third party, but if anybody could do it, it would be Apple.
If the only email the child had was an iCloud address, Apple would have control end to end. That feature is already available on macOS, but only for email, not messages. macOS has much better parental controls than iOS but still not enough in my opinion. It should be more like firewall settings. Deny everything first and then add privileges with a very granular scope.
As a parent, I think that Apple could have done more with the parent control in iOS and Mac. My teenage daughter is about to go to college in the fall. I took away her iPhone for over two years now, she still uses a Samsung feature phone. I set a rule that she could only use Mac for 2 hours a day, use it in the living room, and nothing after 9:00pm. I like the parent control on the Mac, but the iPad has a lot to be desired. For me, I'd like to have 1) limit the total number of hours it can be used, 2) limit on which Wi-Fi that it can connect to (geofencing) and for how long.
Here's what I learned from a teenage's creativity against parents. 1) load up email with books or web pages 2) load up photos with books or web pages 3) whatever you don't want them to waste on, they load up on Google Docs which the school uses, then they claim they need google docs to do homework. 4) they ask you to download an app, then secretly download a few more apps of their own 5) ...
So why are so many people opposed to Apple providing parents with modern, more effective tools to help them oversee their kid's use of iOS devices?
The arguments seem to be black and white thinking and mostly ideologically driven.
Haven't you noticed the pattern on AppleInsider that if you say anything remotely critical of Apple, you get a gigantic backlash, with dozens of comments saying that whatever improvement you're advocating is unnecessary, counterproductive or immoral? Then if Apple actually implements the desired changes, they receive praise by the commenters for being so proactive. I saw the same thing with the environmental stuff several years ago. Someone would criticize Apple for not taking recycling seriously and we'd get all these rants about eco-terrorists and trolls. Now that Apple has upped its game in this area, it's seen as admirable to recycle and use fewer toxic materials.
Anyway, the "just do your job and be a parent" argument seems extremely silly on a tech enthusiast site. The people commenting here probably think nothing of using an app to remember where their car is parked, adjust their thermostat or remind them to exercise. But for some reason, they interpret a desire for better parental controls as a lack of any parenting skills. (shrug)
So why are so many people opposed to Apple providing parents with modern, more effective tools to help them oversee their kid's use of iOS devices?
The arguments seem to be black and white thinking and mostly ideologically driven.
Um because you want Apple to step up and be a parent for you? I guess you can't handle your children?
So, your only argument is that, by Apple providing parents with tools to monitor and control their child's online activity therefor makes Apple the child's parent? ... Sorry, that's a pretty sad argument. But typical of an ideologue.
Haven't you noticed the pattern on AppleInsider that if you say anything remotely critical of Apple, you get a gigantic backlash, with dozens of comments saying that whatever improvement you're advocating is unnecessary, counterproductive or immoral?
No. I’ve noticed that here about anything that isn’t flaming liberal, but not from the staff, necessarily. Legitimate criticism of Apple has always been well allowed here. I myself am upset at the lack of timed access controls on anything other than a Mac OS device. You can’t set an Apple TV to not turn on (without a password) between the hours of X and Y, for example.
Haven't you noticed the pattern on AppleInsider that if you say anything remotely critical of Apple, you get a gigantic backlash, with dozens of comments saying that whatever improvement you're advocating is unnecessary, counterproductive or immoral?
No. I’ve noticed that here about anything that isn’t flaming liberal, but not from the staff, necessarily. Legitimate criticism of Apple has always been well allowed here. I myself am upset at the lack of timed access controls on anything other than a Mac OS device. You can’t set an Apple TV to not turn on (without a password) between the hours of X and Y, for example.
Yeh, I think you nailed it: The attacks on Apple improving parental controls came from the right wing crazies who's brains explode at the mere mention of "control" over anything anybody does....
Well another set of stupids have come out of the closet! What ever happened to the Parent being responsible for their own kid??!!?!!??? Always someone else’s fault, or problem! Now let’s blame the manufacturer because you have given an un-responsible CHILD a device that they can access things that they shouldn’t see or hear......
Am I missing something here? I am wondering why Apple has to be responsible for what kids do with Apple’s devices when it is the parents responsibility. It is nice that Apple try’s to apply some countermeasures in controlling what are kids do on iPhones and iPads, but personally I think it revolves around the parent or parents to take a active roll in the children’s lives. If a parent or parents are going to get a iPhone or iPad for their children then it is the their job to watch over and educate them. Set ground rules and if those rules are violated then their device or devices are taken away for a period of time till they have learned their lesson. I want to know when it wasn’t the responsibility of the parent or parents anymore? I am tired of people and parents whining about it always being someone else's fault, but hey let not blame the parent or parents that gave birth to the child. Who is supposed to raise them and teach them from right and wrong. So parents need to take responsibility when their child does something wrong. I don’t know? I just don’t understand today society standards anymore.
I’m not a parent but I am ok with kids having iPads as there are kid based apps out there but when it comes to smart phones I don’t think a kid should have one. Also parents should be keeping a eye on what there kids are doing. That goes with any technology.
The attacks on Apple improving parental controls came from the right wing crazies who's brains explode at the mere mention of "control" over anything anybody does....
If you can’t keep your leftist genitalia in your pants, how about leaving and going somewhere that seeing it is even remotely appreciated?
What ever happened to the Parent being responsible for their own kid??!!?!!??? Always someone else’s fault, or problem!
Marxists believe that children do not belong to their parents, but to the state itself. And, as they also believe that all production of all industry belongs to the state, this implies state-level control of all children (all persons) and their access to information itself. The concept of personal responsibility for one’s actions is anathema to the liberal worldview, as such a thing implies hierarchical order (otherwise known as “order”).
Funny, my iPad is password protected. I unlock it after my child earns the right to use it. My child uses it only in living room with an adult present. We limit the amount of time it’s used. There is a history on the internet and you tube. Like any responsible parent we supervise our child’s activities on the playground and on electronic devices. At the playground we often see other parents ignoring their child’s behavior, often engrossed with their own edevice. It does boil down to parent responsibility. If you can not supervise the devices’ use, don’t allow it. When you can’t supervise its use, then the child can’t use the device, same thing for the tv. There is no tv in their room for the same reason. ‘It is not complicated, for some parents it’s just too inconvenient to supervise their child properly on edevices or on the playground. Be honest, if the parent was supervising the child this would not be an issue. Right? Right!
As a "tech-savvy" parent who tried to "do my job" of monitoring and configuring an iPad for the use of my child, I was very quickly scratching my head looking for the following.
* Day/Time access schedules.
* App blocking.
* Internet filtering.
---
Schedules were nonexistent, Total App blocking is restricted to "some" 1st party apps only - I could block face time but not messages or email. Other apps could only be restricted by content ratings that I don't control. Internet filtering was purely based aforementioned ratings... no provision for black or white lists.
The only way to block you tube was to not install the app but even then they could access it via safari... unless I block safari but then they would have no internet browsing at all.
Bare minimum doesn't even begin to describe what is offered. At least they restricted store and in app purchase options... eventually.
And just to be clear, I'm purposely omitting any third-party solutions. I believe this should and in many cases needs to be provided by Apple due the level of system access required.
sorry but i disagree. a parent should not have to download another app to do decent restrictions. Folks aren't really asking for anything more than what's been on the Mac for years.
Am I missing something here? I am wondering why Apple has to be responsible for what kids do with Apple’s devices when it is the parents responsibility. It is nice that Apple try’s to apply some countermeasures in controlling what are kids do on iPhones and iPads, but personally I think it revolves around the parent or parents to take a active roll in the children’s lives. If a parent or parents are going to get a iPhone or iPad for their children then it is the their job to watch over and educate them. Set ground rules and if those rules are violated then their device or devices are taken away for a period of time till they have learned their lesson. I want to know when it wasn’t the responsibility of the parent or parents anymore? I am tired of people and parents whining about it always being someone else's fault, but hey let not blame the parent or parents that gave birth to the child. Who is supposed to raise them and teach them from right and wrong. So parents need to take responsibility when their child does something wrong. I don’t know? I just don’t understand today society standards anymore.
This is about responsible parents wanting tools to help implement the ground rules.
You don’t like child safety caps either or something?
what you are missing is not being a parent but a judgemental jerk.
Comments
Here's what I learned from a teenage's creativity against parents.
1) load up email with books or web pages
2) load up photos with books or web pages
3) whatever you don't want them to waste on, they load up on Google Docs which the school uses, then they claim they need google docs to do homework.
4) they ask you to download an app, then secretly download a few more apps of their own
5) ...
Anyway, the "just do your job and be a parent" argument seems extremely silly on a tech enthusiast site. The people commenting here probably think nothing of using an app to remember where their car is parked, adjust their thermostat or remind them to exercise. But for some reason, they interpret a desire for better parental controls as a lack of any parenting skills. (shrug)
... Sorry, that's a pretty sad argument. But typical of an ideologue.
Marxists believe that children do not belong to their parents, but to the state itself. And, as they also believe that all production of all industry belongs to the state, this implies state-level control of all children (all persons) and their access to information itself. The concept of personal responsibility for one’s actions is anathema to the liberal worldview, as such a thing implies hierarchical order (otherwise known as “order”).
‘It is not complicated, for some parents it’s just too inconvenient to supervise their child properly on edevices or on the playground.
Be honest, if the parent was supervising the child this would not be an issue. Right? Right!
sorry but i disagree. a parent should not have to download another app to do decent restrictions. Folks aren't really asking for anything more than what's been on the Mac for years.
You don’t like child safety caps either or something?
what you are missing is not being a parent but a judgemental jerk.