How do I set up parental controls?

Layering controls across the router, the device and individual apps, and being realistic about what they achieve.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 1 hr
Read: 2 min

Short answer

Set them at three levels: the router for the whole home network, the device for screen time and app limits, and individual apps for content filtering. No single layer is sufficient, and none of them replaces knowing what your child is doing.

Controls are a tool, not a solution. They work well for younger children and for accidental exposure; they are easily worked around by determined teenagers. Setting expectations alongside the technical controls is what actually matters.

What you'll need

Router access
The child's device
Family account setup (optional)

Step by step

Start at the router so it covers every device.Most routers have built-in parental controls or support a filtered DNS service. This covers guests' devices and games consoles too.
Set up a family account on the device platform.Apple Family Sharing or Google Family Link. This is where screen time, app approval and purchase controls live.
Set content restrictions by age rating.iPhone: Settings, Screen Time, Content and Privacy Restrictions. Android: through Family Link. Cover apps, films, music and web content.
Turn on purchase approval.Requiring a parent to approve downloads and in-app purchases prevents both unsuitable apps and unexpected bills.
Set time limits that reflect real routines.Downtime overnight and limits on specific apps rather than the whole device. Blanket limits get resented and worked around.
Configure each major app separately.YouTube, TikTok and games have their own restricted modes and privacy settings. Device-level controls do not reach inside them.
Set a passcode different from the device unlock code.Screen Time and Family Link passcodes must not be the code your child already watches you type.
Talk about why the controls exist.Controls a child understands are far more durable than ones they discover and treat as a challenge.

Tips

Check the settings every few months. Updates reset options, and children grow into different needs.
A child with a friend's unfiltered phone is outside every control you have set. That is a conversation, not a settings problem.
Search for how to bypass the controls you have set. If it takes two minutes to find, plan accordingly.

Common mistakes

Relying on a single layer — Router filtering does nothing on mobile data; device controls do nothing on a friend's tablet. Layers cover each other's gaps.
Using the same passcode as the device unlock — Children learn the unlock code quickly, and then the controls are decorative.
Setting controls without any conversation — Discovered controls invite circumvention. Explained ones are much more likely to be respected.

Questions people ask

What is the best way to limit screen time?

Use the built-in tools — Screen Time on iPhone, Family Link on Android — with limits on specific apps and an overnight downtime window, rather than a blanket device limit.

Do parental controls work on mobile data?

Device-level controls do; router-level filtering does not, since mobile data bypasses your home network entirely. That is why layering matters.