How to Block Certain Apps from Being Downloaded on iPhone: A Complete Guide for Parents

As a parent, it’s normal to feel concerned and apprehensive about your children using their phones to browse online. Regardless of their age, there’s always a risk present with the internet, as well as any applications on your children’s phone that they may be using regularly.

It’s important to be present when it comes to your child’s usage of the online world and their phone in general. While there may have only been one or two apps when the smartphone was officially launched, there are now nearly two million apps on the App Store alone.

From restricting inappropriate content that is not for young eyes to avoiding unnecessary expenses through in-app purchases and managing screen time. All of the above is often a common concern shared amongst parents.

With that being said, this guide will share helpful tips on how to block certain apps from being downloaded onto your child’s iPhone. It will also highlight how certain applications can be beneficial when it comes to monitoring and restricting usage.

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How to use screen time to block app downloads

When it comes to parenting in the digital age, restricting your children on how much time they have on their phones can be a battle. Having not had the same experience growing up, many parents are now having to navigate this digital reliance on mobile phones and create a healthy balance where possible.

If you’re looking to block app downloads from your child’s phone, then it’s useful to use Screen Time in order to restrict App Store access.

This is relatively easy to do and it involves setting a passcode that helps keep your children from downloading anything that they shouldn’t. To do this, here are some simple steps to follow:

• Open the settings app
• Tap on Screen Time
• Select a category to set the limits and restrictions desired
• Tap next and set the amount of time allowed

If you’re looking to set an amount of time each day, you can tap on Customize Days, which helps you set specific limits on days in particular. Once you’ve set the limits, you can tap Add to enable these limits for your child’s phone.

Scheduling downtime is also useful by selecting Every Day or Customize Days. You can set start and end times so that you know exactly how much time your child is spending on their phone.

Blocking apps based on age ratings

As your child gets older, you may be willing to explore the option of your child downloading certain apps. However, it’s important to be able to still restrict the apps you wouldn’t want them to touch at the age they’re at.

Again, using Screen Time’s ‘Content Restrictions’ is a good way to prevent apps being downloaded onto your child’s phone that aren’t appropriate for your child’s age.

To help use this function successfully on your child’s phone, here are some helpful steps to set it up:

1. Click on settings
2. Tap Screen Time
3. Turn on your Content and Privacy Restrictions
4. Select options to set the allowances you want to give for content
5. Enter a passcode you’ll remember to require before changing settings

This is something you can probably adjust as your child gets older, but it’s worth activating this setting in order to avoid downloading something they shouldn’t. 

How to prevent app downloads via family sharing

One problem that a lot of parents tend to have with their kids when they get a mobile phone is downloading apps that cost money. Typically, parents will keep their credit cards on the devices for various purchases they might want to make for their children.

However, once you’ve left these card details on the phone, many kids have caused a lot of financial stress by spending money through the app store and buying apps that cost money.

Parents can make use of the Family Sharing’s ‘Ask to Buy’ feature to prevent these types of downloads. This is a feature that has helped many parents avoid a nightmare bill coming through their postal box or email regarding big payments being made.

Family Sharing’s ‘Ask to Buy’ feature helps family organizers or those responsible for the finances to approve or decline purchases that have been made by children.

When a child makes a purchase via the app store, the request will be sent to the parent responsible. That parent then has the opportunity to approve or decline the purchase. This is great for blocking any purchases that weren’t intentional or made without permission from the parent too.

It’s a little safety feature that can provide some peace of mind to the parents of those who are repeat offenders of making purchases they shouldn’t be making.

This feature applies to purchases made on Apple books, the App Store itself, and the iTunes Store. It also covers free downloads. You’ll also find that this feature is automatically on for children under the age of 13.

You can turn it on easily by going to your settings, clicking family, and clicking on the name of the family whose settings you need to change. Ask to Buy should be available to click on and activate.

Blocking specific apps from the app store

If you’re looking to block specific apps from the app store, perhaps from what you’ve heard as being particularly dangerous or knowing the type of apps you want to avoid little eyes from seeing, then the ‘Content and Privacy Restrictions’ is a good one to go through.

To do this, you’ll need to go through your settings app and onto Screen Time. From here, you’ll click Family and choose your child’s name. You’ll then see a Content and Privacy Restrictions section which you’ll want to turn on. Tap on Allowed Apps and Features and it’s here where you’ll be able to turn off apps or features you want to restrict.

This can be done specifically for apps, or for categories of apps that you want your child to avoid downloading completely. 

How to completely disable app downloads on iPhone

If you’re looking to block and disable app downloads completely on your child’s iPhone, then this can also be done. This might be because the child is too young to download apps currently and you want to remove the option completely.

To completely disable app downloads on iPhone, here’s how to do it quickly. Go to settings and on the app store, click on automatic downloads. Turn off this feature.

When restricting app installations, click on settings and Screen Time, go through Content & Privacy Restrictions where you’ll find iTunes & App Store Purchases. Go on Installing Apps and click tap Don’t Allow to disable this feature.

How Family Orbit helps monitor apps and device usage

If you’re not getting the best experience and results from Screen Time, then Family Orbit is a great alternative when looking for more comprehensive features and functionalities. With Family Orbit, it’s a powerful control solution that offers a range of features from monitoring the child’s app usage, screen time, and location-tracking.

It’s an app that complements Apple’s already built-in restrictions by providing detailed insights and alerts to keep parents informed.

FAQs: Troubleshooting and customization

There are some troubleshooting and customization points to touch on for those who might be struggling when using the app. Here are a few FAQs that may help:

How to allow restricted apps

Open settings, click Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions. Enter your passcode and click on tap Allowed Apps & Features, you can then select the apps you now want to allow again.

Why aren’t apps showing in the app log?

Screen Time isn’t able to recognize individual apps but it can however tell you how much time was spent on the device as a whole.

How do I update apps?

Click on the app store, and click on My Apps and Games. You should then have the option to select the app you want to update and to check the box next to ‘Auto-update’ to ensure the application updates as required.

If you’re struggling with using Screen Time, check for updates on your phone as well as restart the device. Hopefully, by doing either of these, you’ll be able to use Screen Time properly.

Make use of Screen Time and Family Orbit for child activity monitoring 

Screen Time is a helpful method when it comes to blocking app downloads and restricting the usage of some apps that you’d rather remain hidden from the view of your children. Parents might benefit from using a great app like Family Orbit for more comprehensive monitoring and tracking software.

If you’re looking to enhance the awareness of your child’s digital behavior, then using this platform is a more detailed option compared to your iPhone’s Screen Time. Sign up today.