Pause internet
Pause your child's iPad (bedtime + downtime)
Same as iPhone — Apple's Downtime locks the iPad during chosen hours.
📌 Your child's iPad unlocked for 5 minutes.
Do this, in order
- 1
Open Settings → Screen Time
Turn Screen Time on first if it isn't already.
- 2
Tap Downtime → ON
Pick Start and End times (e.g. 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM).
- 3
Tap Block at Downtime
This makes the lock strict — they need your passcode to override.
- 4
Lock the settings
Allow Changes → set Account Changes and Passcode Changes to Don't Allow.
Now let's make sure it actually works
We don't tell you setup is complete until you've tested it with your own eyes.
1. Open a normal website
On the device you just set up, open a regular site like google.com or your local news. It should load normally.
2. Try a blocked test website
Now open this safe test URL — it's a harmless page that adult-content filters block. If your blocker is working, the page will NOT load (you'll see an error or a block screen).
Open test page →
Both tests didn't pass — what to try
Restart the device's Wi-Fi (off then on). On a phone, turn cellular data off so it has to use Wi-Fi. Then try the test again.
Both tests must pass before we mark this complete.
Honest limits — what this won't catch
No parental control catches everything. Here's what slips through, and what to do about it:
- If your child has a cellular data plan, blocks on your home Wi-Fi don't apply when they're not at home.
- If your child turns their phone into a hotspot, other devices using it skip your Wi-Fi filters.
- On a friend's Wi-Fi, your home filter does nothing.
- A VPN can hide their traffic from filters that only check websites by name.
- Installing a second browser can bypass a single-browser extension.