Discussion
Anyone know how my kids are able to totally circumvent screen time for their favourite apps (tik tok Snapchat and brawl stars).
Screen time does seem to work for a lot of the apps they’re not really interested in but for these little feckers there just don’t seem to be any restrictions whatsoever any more.
Even maybe 6 months ago they’d nag me for more screen time on these apps but for some reason which they refuse to divulge they’ve managed to get free access.
I know I’m not alone. Has anyone got any info out of their kids as to how they’re doing this?
We did have a linked iPad upstairs that we don’t use but the kids knew the passcode to so they were just granting themselves all day access but one of them let it slip (grassing on his brother) so we changed the passcode on it so it’s definitely not that
Screen time does seem to work for a lot of the apps they’re not really interested in but for these little feckers there just don’t seem to be any restrictions whatsoever any more.
Even maybe 6 months ago they’d nag me for more screen time on these apps but for some reason which they refuse to divulge they’ve managed to get free access.
I know I’m not alone. Has anyone got any info out of their kids as to how they’re doing this?
We did have a linked iPad upstairs that we don’t use but the kids knew the passcode to so they were just granting themselves all day access but one of them let it slip (grassing on his brother) so we changed the passcode on it so it’s definitely not that
Don't get me started on Screen Time..............it is the most horrible overly engineered, complicated POS Apple have ever produced in my eyes. Totally unfit for purpose and because of the complexity behind it, the kids can 'work out' ways to circumnavigate it easily!
So for a start, make sure all devices are on the latest iOS.
Then change the passcodes (again)
Then, in Downtime, make sure 'block at downtime is set to on' (for some reason mine turned to off for no apparent reason and they can just 'ignore downtime for today') grrrrr.
Also make sure 'always allowed' doesn't have either of those apps set to 'on'.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAVE WITH SCREEN TIME IS THE 'ONE MORE MINUTE'!!!! My kids have like 100 apps, each of which it allows them to have 'one more minute' AFTER screentime goes on........that's another hour and a half across them all, and there's no way to stop this.
All we want is a big fat red button which says 'OFF' for when they're playing up, or getting ready for bed.......APPLE PLEASE WAKE UP!
/Rant
So for a start, make sure all devices are on the latest iOS.
Then change the passcodes (again)
Then, in Downtime, make sure 'block at downtime is set to on' (for some reason mine turned to off for no apparent reason and they can just 'ignore downtime for today') grrrrr.
Also make sure 'always allowed' doesn't have either of those apps set to 'on'.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAVE WITH SCREEN TIME IS THE 'ONE MORE MINUTE'!!!! My kids have like 100 apps, each of which it allows them to have 'one more minute' AFTER screentime goes on........that's another hour and a half across them all, and there's no way to stop this.
All we want is a big fat red button which says 'OFF' for when they're playing up, or getting ready for bed.......APPLE PLEASE WAKE UP!
/Rant
They've probably figured out the passcode to get more time. I also found it better to have the main social media apps set individually rather than as a group, then lumped games all together. Also, recently, my lads managed to bypass screen time for snapchat by using the web browser version as he had fewer restrictions with safari due to Netflix/homework/etc.
It's a constant battle of minds with him trying to figure out workarounds and me trying to figure out how he's bypassed downtime. If only he put the same effort and ingenuity into his schoolwork.
It's a constant battle of minds with him trying to figure out workarounds and me trying to figure out how he's bypassed downtime. If only he put the same effort and ingenuity into his schoolwork.
As above, check browser use as a workaround and also the constant "1 more minute" extension when prompted for the pass code or if the device is restarted.
TikTok offers a feature where you can link a child account to a parent one (I refuse to download it but my wife put it on a spare phone with a disposable account) and setup some limits and restrictions on what can be seen / shared etc but bizarrely the child can just unlink at will, there's no way to stop this AFAIK which seems ludicrous.
Apple's entire parental control mechanism is abysmal and overly complicated to get the basic functionality it does offer, Google Family Link and Microsoft Safety Centre are far superior.
It's a constant battle, I hate it.
TikTok offers a feature where you can link a child account to a parent one (I refuse to download it but my wife put it on a spare phone with a disposable account) and setup some limits and restrictions on what can be seen / shared etc but bizarrely the child can just unlink at will, there's no way to stop this AFAIK which seems ludicrous.
Apple's entire parental control mechanism is abysmal and overly complicated to get the basic functionality it does offer, Google Family Link and Microsoft Safety Centre are far superior.
It's a constant battle, I hate it.
Edited by thetapeworm on Tuesday 10th September 13:59
I have found that whatever controls I put in place will (eventually) be circumvented by an inquisitive child. So the solution seems to either be "education" (a rare child that will turn down screen time!) or b) screentime controls plus a locked box. Small server cabinets are a good size, replace the lock with a decent one, otherwise children learn to pick them (e.g. Lock Picking Lawyer!) quickly.
You could also look at getting a WiFi setup that allows you to easily control their network access.
When mine were younger they had their own WiFi network with its own password that was on between 4pm and 9pm weekdays and more relaxed at weekends. They hated me for it, but it was definitely a good thing for them.
When mine were younger they had their own WiFi network with its own password that was on between 4pm and 9pm weekdays and more relaxed at weekends. They hated me for it, but it was definitely a good thing for them.
That’s no good. Most kids who are old enough to work out these ‘workarounds’ are old enough to have a data plan sim so wifi threats are of no use whatsoever.
The only think that actually works is a bit overkill (I call it ‘hard or nuclear’ screen time) and that is to set the app age to ‘no apps’. It immediately removes every app they have on their phone (apart from the standard iOS ones like maps etc). As soon as they’re behaving, putting it back to the age you’re happy with brings them all back. The only downside is it removes the order and folders they were in, into alphabetical order.
Bit of a pain for them. Hence the nuclear option! Even the threat of it is sufficient to get them under control!
Again the workaround is for them to put airplane mode on first and I’m powerless. So it needs to be used strategically lol.
By the way. I work with Apple a lot and this needless complexity is systemic throughout the entire company. They love to over engineer everything
The only think that actually works is a bit overkill (I call it ‘hard or nuclear’ screen time) and that is to set the app age to ‘no apps’. It immediately removes every app they have on their phone (apart from the standard iOS ones like maps etc). As soon as they’re behaving, putting it back to the age you’re happy with brings them all back. The only downside is it removes the order and folders they were in, into alphabetical order.
Bit of a pain for them. Hence the nuclear option! Even the threat of it is sufficient to get them under control!
Again the workaround is for them to put airplane mode on first and I’m powerless. So it needs to be used strategically lol.
By the way. I work with Apple a lot and this needless complexity is systemic throughout the entire company. They love to over engineer everything
Edited by audi321 on Tuesday 10th September 14:24
audi321 said:
That’s no good. Most kids who are old enough to work out these ‘workarounds’ are old enough to have a data plan sim so wifi threats are of no use whatsoever.
The only think that actually works is a bit overkill (I call it ‘hard or nuclear’ screen time) and that is to set the app age to ‘no apps’. It immediately removes every app they have on their phone (apart from the standard iOS ones like maps etc). As soon as they’re behaving, putting it back to the age you’re happy with brings them all back. The only downside is it removes the order and folders they were in, into alphabetical order.
Bit of a pain for them. Hence the nuclear option! Even the threat of it is sufficient to get them under control!
Again the workaround is for them to put airplane mode on first and I’m powerless. So it needs to be used strategically lol.
Not being able to control things via a parent app and having to constantly go from the all or nothing approach Apple seem to prefer is you dare to change a setting seems so backwards. The only think that actually works is a bit overkill (I call it ‘hard or nuclear’ screen time) and that is to set the app age to ‘no apps’. It immediately removes every app they have on their phone (apart from the standard iOS ones like maps etc). As soon as they’re behaving, putting it back to the age you’re happy with brings them all back. The only downside is it removes the order and folders they were in, into alphabetical order.
Bit of a pain for them. Hence the nuclear option! Even the threat of it is sufficient to get them under control!
Again the workaround is for them to put airplane mode on first and I’m powerless. So it needs to be used strategically lol.
With the others the child can click a button and ask for access to something, or more time, you get a notification on your device and you can sort it out remotely, with Apple you have to have the device.
And if you dare to try and sync the settings with a child's iPhone and iPad you end up all kinds of crazy with the app store disappearing despite it being set to be available and other little oddities that need you to enable everything, stop the sync and then go back in and set up everything again from scratch, age restrictions, limiting adult content etc
It's such basic stuff that could be solved so easily but they've opted to make it so confusing.
it's no wonder all of your hard work to protect your own kids from certain content is undone by their peers who don't have any limits in place.
thetapeworm said:
With the others the child can click a button and ask for access to something, or more time, you get a notification on your device and you can sort it out remotely, with Apple you have to have the device.
No you can do it remotely?? All of it is done from your own iPhone.My kids have data on their phones so no longer need to worry about WiFi (the Xbox is WiFi though so I have control over that one 
)
The only solution I’ve found so far is a family phone ban for an hour or so during the evening where we sit down to watch some crap that they may enjoy on tv
The problem is that neither of my kids can handle not doing something - they can’t be bored and find something to do when it’s so easy to pick up the screen and play.
Really lucky that they both do sport three nights a week so at least they’re active.
What got me wondering was how I used to be able to control the screen time to some extent (snap and tik) but somehow they’re free to browse indefinitely at the moment.
My latest threat was if I see they’re on tik tok for more than an hour a day I’d delete it off their phone but I haven’t followed through on that … yet
)The only solution I’ve found so far is a family phone ban for an hour or so during the evening where we sit down to watch some crap that they may enjoy on tv
The problem is that neither of my kids can handle not doing something - they can’t be bored and find something to do when it’s so easy to pick up the screen and play.
Really lucky that they both do sport three nights a week so at least they’re active.
What got me wondering was how I used to be able to control the screen time to some extent (snap and tik) but somehow they’re free to browse indefinitely at the moment.
My latest threat was if I see they’re on tik tok for more than an hour a day I’d delete it off their phone but I haven’t followed through on that … yet
audi321 said:
That’s no good. Most kids who are old enough to work out these ‘workarounds’ are old enough to have a data plan sim so wifi threats are of no use whatsoever.
The only think that actually works is a bit overkill (I call it ‘hard or nuclear’ screen time) and that is to set the app age to ‘no apps’. It immediately removes every app they have on their phone (apart from the standard iOS ones like maps etc). As soon as they’re behaving, putting it back to the age you’re happy with brings them all back. The only downside is it removes the order and folders they were in, into alphabetical order.
Bit of a pain for them. Hence the nuclear option! Even the threat of it is sufficient to get them under control!
Again the workaround is for them to put airplane mode on first and I’m powerless. So it needs to be used strategically lol.
By the way. I work with Apple a lot and this needless complexity is systemic throughout the entire company. They love to over engineer everything
Sure, but then I view that as being another control point that's been missed by the parent. Make sure they have a plan with not much data allowance...The only think that actually works is a bit overkill (I call it ‘hard or nuclear’ screen time) and that is to set the app age to ‘no apps’. It immediately removes every app they have on their phone (apart from the standard iOS ones like maps etc). As soon as they’re behaving, putting it back to the age you’re happy with brings them all back. The only downside is it removes the order and folders they were in, into alphabetical order.
Bit of a pain for them. Hence the nuclear option! Even the threat of it is sufficient to get them under control!
Again the workaround is for them to put airplane mode on first and I’m powerless. So it needs to be used strategically lol.
By the way. I work with Apple a lot and this needless complexity is systemic throughout the entire company. They love to over engineer everything
Edited by audi321 on Tuesday 10th September 14:24
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