Screen Time, which is used by most parents today on iPads and iPhones, is one of the most popular tools. Screen Time allows parents to monitor iOS devices and track all apps, as well as the time spent on them. It also gives parents reports on their children’s activities and any intervention needed. Screen Time is being bypassed by kids, who are creating ingenious hacks for iOS devices.
Parents of new-age children have learned one thing over the past few years: Never underestimate your child’s abilities in face of restrictions. This is especially true if you are limited on screen time. It’s no surprise that children today know how to navigate technology and can bypass security restrictions. How can children skip Screen Time? These screen time hacks can be used by children to bypass Screen Time on iPads and iPhones.
Factory Reset
It’s difficult to outwit your children once they know how an iPhone works, especially when you consider that one of the most common tricks is to factory reset an iPhone. This removes any restrictions and allows the child start over without parents knowing. Screen Time will give you data to monitor. Your child may have reset their phone if it is not consistent or does not show usage tracking.
Are your teens or children able to unlock Apple’s screen time limits?
While factory reset would cause a loss of all data, your child can backup their data to their family iCloud account and retrieve the same data later (if they have access to the iCloud credentials). It is preferable to use the parent Apple ID to set up the device for the child, rather than the child’s own iCloud credentials.
Seeing the Passcode
Is your child apprehensive about your passcode? Perhaps they were looking over your shoulder and not noticing you. Or maybe you just told them to send a text message once when you were busy. Your child can bypass App Limits or Downtime with a quick glance. Make it difficult by being discreet when entering your passcodes. Screen recording is another danger. The screen recording icon appears as a red dot at the top of your screen. It records every movement, including your passcode. Forgot your restrictions passcode? It’s easy to retrieve your restrictions passcode! It’s easy to retrieve it! It should be disabled and you can have a conversation with your child about why parental controls are important.
Siri for iMessage
This hack is common and easy to miss. You might want to keep an eye on your child’s phone from time to time. Your child may be able to text their friends with iMessage despite you turning it off during Downtime or App Limits. This is a sign that Siri is helping them. This can be stopped by turning ‘Siri & Dictation OFF’ under the Allowed Apps options.
Time Zones
The Downtime feature is useful for children who don’t want to use certain apps for too long. The child will need to ask their parents for extended time if the ‘Block At Downtime’ toggle is turned on. It is possible to alter the phone’s timezone to avoid Downtime. To keep the time zone consistent, choose ‘Don’t Allow Changes’ from the Location Services screen.
Watching YouTube Videos via iMessage
YouTube videos can be viewed even if they are blocked by the app. The link is sent via iMessage. YouTube’s YouTube applet can be loaded on iMessage. It displays YouTube videos, even if the app is blocked. To ensure your children have a safe online experience, it is important to set parental controls for YouTube. You can also block YouTube entirely by following these steps.
Screen Time Limits that Override
These steps will be helpful if you have set screen time limits but your child still has access to those apps. Your child’s iPhone screen can be accessed by Screen Time>App Limits>Add Limit>Select the app or category>Tap on “Next”.
These are some of the ways parents can restrict iPhones and iPads running iOS 15 or higher.
Hacking the 4-digit Passcode
Children can download software to their Macs or PCs and then go through the iTunes backup file to find the 4-digit passcode.
Messaging during Downtime
There have been many clever hacks, but this one is the best! After Downtime has been enabled, children take a screenshot of the screen and then click ‘Send to send it’. The secret iMessage portal opens, from which they can continue texting.
To bypass app limits, delete and re-download an app
What happens if your child deletes an app and re-downloads it? Children can uninstall an app from their device once its time limit has expired. They then open the App Store by clicking the cloud icon in the top right. This will allow them to access other iCloud accounts. They can then reinstall the app.
Avoiding the Texting Limits
You can allow your kids to extend the texting time limit by trying to share a contact via text. They can text again and the iMessage applet will pop up.
To circumvent app limits, use in-app browsers
Safari can be launched by children from third-party apps that have browsers. This is possible on apps such as the Gmail or Facebook Messenger. Children can also use other apps that have in-app ads. Click on the links within the app to open the in-app browser. Children can play any online game or visit other websites from this in-app browser window. If you wish, you can disable safari for iPhone.
Add a new password or touch ID
Children who know the password to a device’s name can add a fingerprint to the “Password & Touch ID” section of settings. If your children ever see your password or if they have a screen record, they can access Settings – Touch ID to add a new fingerprint. They can then easily lock or unlock their iOS device, and change Screen Time settings to suit their needs. This will prevent Screen Time from being disabled or locked. You should also create a password to Screen Time.
Screen time is not a good idea for families
Apple launched iOS 12 in early 2018, and a new page was added to its website. It addressed families about the safety of their product for children. The headline reads: “You want to do the best for your family.” Apple’s new page urged parents to use Screen Time and other tools to keep their children safe online. Apple’s decision was made to address concerns that kids might become addicted to iPads and iPhones. Screen Time is a useful tool that filters content, but it’s not good at controlling screen time. Motivated smart teens are too attached to their iPads and iPhones, so the Screen Time feature can be bypassed or hacked in many ways. Even children as young as five can beat the features created by professionals! iOS Screen Time is not a good option for families because of so many other reasons.
Technology and restrictions are not always compatible when it comes to children. Talk to your child if they are trying to outsmart the parental control features on your iPhone. Talk to them about the advantages of replacing screen time with unstructured play, and how they can benefit from more structured time. It’s not about becoming a sleuth to find out what your kids are doing online. It’s about being able to help protect them from the dangers of the internet. If your child uses a Chromebook, there is a way to put parental controls. The internet can be used to improve a child’s skills and knowledge.
