How to Set Up an iPhone for a Child

Set up an iPhone for a child: create a child Apple Account with Family Sharing, turn on Ask to Buy, Screen Time, communication limits, and Find My.

1. Create the child account first. On your own iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, then tap Family. Tap the add member button and choose Create Child Account. Enter the child's name and birthday, confirm the card on your account, and agree to the parental consent disclosure.
2. Sign the child in on their iPhone. On the child's iPhone, open Settings and tap Sign in to your iPhone at the top. Enter the child Apple Account and password you just created. If the phone was already in use, tap the existing name at the top, scroll down, and tap Sign Out first.
3. Turn on Ask to Buy. On your iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, tap Family, then tap the child's name. Turn on Ask to Buy. Downloads, purchases, and in-app purchases then send an approval request before anything goes through.
4. Set Screen Time with its own passcode. From Settings > your name > Family > the child's name, tap Screen Time. Set Downtime, App Limits, and Content & Privacy Restrictions. Create a Screen Time passcode when prompted. Content & Privacy Restrictions holds age ratings, Web Content, and the Allow Changes list that locks account edits.
5. Limit who the child can reach. Still under Screen Time, open Communication Limits and choose who can be contacted during allowed time and during Downtime. Then open Communication Safety and confirm it is on. It checks photos and videos on the device before they are sent or viewed.
6. Turn on location, then check recovery. In Settings > your name > Family > the child's name, tap Location Sharing and turn it on. On the child's iPhone, tap their name, tap Find My, and confirm Find My iPhone and Send Last Location are on. Then open Sign-In & Security > Account Recovery.