Is your child constantly busy with her or his iPhone in the evening? Or are you secretly a bit smartphone addicted? Thanks to communication limits, you can make your iPhone a lot less attractive, but the function is not yet foolproof.
Setting communication limits on iOS 13: this is how it works
A useful addition in iOS 13.3 are communication limits. As the name suggests, you can limit the accessibility of your iPhone and / or iPad. Parents can, for example, set so that children cannot endlessly call and FaceTime with classmates in the evening. You can of course also use the feature to tackle your own iPhone addiction.
This is how you set communication limits:
- Grab your child’s iPhone or iPad and open the Settings app;
- Go to ‘Screen Time’ and choose the ‘Communication Limits’ option;
- Then tap the first option to indicate who your child can interact with during the allowed screen time. You may have to enter the screen time code;
- You can do the same for device-free time, so for example when your child should actually sleep.
The function is therefore made up of two functions: one for during the day, and the other for during the night hours. With both types of communication limits you can indicate with whom your child can have contact. You can choose for everyone, or only designate specific contacts. You can also indicate whether he / she may be added to group conversations by others.
The communication limits take into account the times you have indicated between which the device-free time starts. You can adjust these times in the main Screen Time menu. For example, is your child not allowed to use her or his iPhone between 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM? Then the second communication limit also comes on.
In principle, your child cannot have contact with others. Of course it is possible to add your own number, or that of your partner, for example. This way you are always available for your child, even during the night hours. Emergency numbers can of course always be called, even during device-free time.
Also interesting: This is how Screen Time works on your iPhone and iPad
This is what happens
Have you turned on the filters? Then your child will receive a notification on the screen as soon as he / she tries to make contact. The communication limits work for the Phone app, FaceTime, Messages, and iCloud contacts. WhatsApp messages, for example, just come in.
In addition, the Mac does not yet have communication limits, so that your child can, in principle, also chat via the computer. Other chat apps also get away with it, so communication limits are absolutely no guarantee. The function may be expanded in the future.
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