Here are instructions for setting parental control restrictions on an iPod touch or iPad. This will also work on an iPhone. If you are “locking down” your child’s device and installing a kid-safe browser, then install the kid-safe browser first. Then follow these steps.
1. From the child’s iPod or iPad, go to Settings > General > Restrictions.
(these two screenshots are from an iPhone; but should look about the same on your child’s device)
2. If you have already set up restrictions, you’ll be prompted for the passcode. If not, choose Enable Restrictions and enter a passcode. Be sure to use a 4-digit passcode that you will remember and your kids will not guess.
3. Turn YouTube and Safari to the OFF position. In addition, set Installing Apps and Deleting Apps into the OFF position as well (this will prevent your child from adding these Apps back to the device. If you install a kid safe browser, the restriction for Deleting apps will prevent them from deleting the app you install). Once done the screen should look like this:
That’s it! Just be sure to remember that 4-digit restriction passcode. You will need it to go back and make adjustments such as removing apps or adding new ones. I really recommend this for younger children so you can have a better idea of what they’re doing when they are seemingly tethered to their device! And as always, talk with your kids about what they’re doing online – parental controls and restrictions are only one side of the equation.
I wanted to know if I can sort my Grandaughter’s iPod touch so that she could use FaceTime but not have access to Safari, she is only 7.
Yes you should be able to do that as FaceTime doesn’t need Safari to work. Just set safari to OFF and FaceTime to ON in the restriction settings.
Unfortunately there is a work-around that my daughter found. If she gets an email with a link to a youtube video, even with the steps illustrated here she can click on the link in the email and watch the youtube video. I believe the same thing is true for any website.
Didn’t take long for her to realize that she could either receive emails with links from friends, or simply email herself links and go around parental control restrictions.
Any suggestions to block that? (other than removing any access to email…)
I tested this out and with Safari blocked, the link to a YouTube video sent in an e-mail did not go anywhere. So I’m not really sure what kind of work-around your daughter has discovered! I’d double-check to make sure Safari is blocked in Restrictions.
Hi Jean,
I am trying to disable youtube on my daughters ipod touch. We just bought it in January 2013 so it’s newer but I can’t see the YouTube choice on the “restrictions” menu like your screenshot. I really want to take this off since my quick test of the app shows access to a LOT of stuff I don’t want her to see. I’ve got all other settings on the highest restrictions and stuff is still showing up in youtube search. HELP?
Hi L.P.,
Well the problem is that screenshot is from the previous version of ioS. In the newer version which is what you probably have (ioS 6), there is no more native YouTube app – it isn’t automatically included like it used to be so therefore no separate restriction for it. However there is a free YouTube app that can be downloaded, so what you’d want to do is delete it and then restrict purchasing of new apps. Also restrict Safari as YouTube can be accessed through the browser as well. Hope this helps. (Good reminder to update this article and screenshot!)
Thanks for your quick reply Jean… I tried to delete the app, but when it jiggles, there is no X to actually do that. Other ideas to get that thing off there?
Hi again, I figured it out… I had to update my ioS to 6.1.2 and then it allowed me to delete youtube. Thanks! L
Oh good – glad to hear it!
My daughter loves Youtube and the animal videos on it. She is 8 years old. Is there a way to restrict WHAT is viewed with YouTube on her iPod Touch? I can’t figure out a way to just restrict the videos that she watches … ? Any ideas, thoughts or advice? Thanks!
If she is viewing YouTube through the Safari browser, there is no “safe search” option. But now that Apple doesn’t have its own YouTube app, Google released one. The Apple version had an icon that looked like a TV. The new version from Google is the YouTube logo. With that app, it can be set to Safe Search filtering “Strict”. I think I may need to update my YouTube articles! Another option is to use a Kid-safe browser that support YouTube “safe” videos while filtering out the rest…I think mobicip.com has an option but not sure if its in their free version.
please help!!! I forgot my 4-digit restriction passcode and i don’t know what to do now. I looked on my Childs ipod to see if i could reset it and i cant find nothing
Hi yasmin, unfortunately I do not believe there is a way to recover a restrictions password if you’ve forgotten it. I’ve looked into this a few times and the advice from Apple was to reset the iPod. That means you have to re-load any apps, music, etc.