Pause internet
Pause your child's MacBook (Downtime)
Use macOS Screen Time Downtime to lock the MacBook during chosen hours.
📌 Your child's MacBook, logged into THEIR Apple ID.
Do this, in order
- 1
Open System Settings → Screen Time
Turn it on for the child's account if it isn't already.
- 2
Click Downtime → Turn On
Pick a schedule — e.g. 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM, every day.
- 3
Check "Block at Downtime"
Without this, the kid can click "Ignore Limit" and keep using it. With it, they need your passcode.
- 4
Set App Limits if you want daily caps
Click App Limits → + Add Limit → pick categories and a daily cap.
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.