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| Setting | What it does | Set it to |
|---|---|---|
| Child account (Family Sharing) | The foundation — their ID, your controls | Under 13: parent-created; teens: their ID in your family |
| Ask to Buy | Purchase/download approval on your phone | On for kids; negotiable for teens |
| Downtime | Phone sleeps when they should | School nights + school hours |
| App limits | Daily caps by app/category | The 2-3 apps that actually eat hours |
| Content filters | Age-rated apps, web filtering, explicit block | Match the kid, revisit yearly |
| Screen Time passcode | Locks the settings themselves | NOT your phone code, NOT a birthday |
The kid phone that gets Screen Time is usually a hand-me-down meeting its most dangerous owner yet. Armor first, accounts second — our hand-me-down guide covers the full handover.
Check Case Price →The same Family Sharing that powers Screen Time powers Find My — add an AirTag to the backpack and the school-morning panic has a map. It's the accessory that makes the whole family buy-in worth it.
Check AirTag Price →The single most effective Screen Time setting isn't in Settings: it's the family charging station in the kitchen or hallway where all phones sleep. Downtime enforces the hours; the charger's location removes the temptation.
Check Station Price →Yes — a child account inside Family Sharing, never your own ID on their device. They get age-appropriate services under your controls; you get approval prompts, limits, and location, all tied to their identity rather than yours.
The realistic risks are a known passcode and time-zone/loophole tricks that Apple progressively patches. A private, dedicated passcode plus occasionally reviewing Settings → Screen Time on their device covers virtually all of it — combined with the conversation about why the limits exist.
There's no magic number — the win is capping the two or three apps that genuinely eat hours, keeping tools (messages, maps, school apps) unlimited, and adjusting together as they demonstrate judgment. Limits that feel arbitrary get fought; limits with reasons get grudging respect.
Perfectly — it's the standard second life for an outgrown phone. Erase it fully, set it up fresh with the child account, and follow our hand-me-down guide for the Activation Lock and account handover steps.
The account handover matters as much as the limits — our hand-me-down setup guide covers Activation Lock, erasing, and the child-account setup end to end.