Cleaver kids have come up with numerous ways of circumventing the iOS and iPadOS Screen Time feature. Chris McKenna at Protect Young Eyes has listed 12 of them and also figured out the best ways to stop them. If the problem you are having is in the list below, follow the link at the bottom to read Chris’s solution.

• My kid is changing the time zone in Settings to evade Downtime

• Even though the YouTube App is gone, my kid is still watching YouTube videos through iMessage

• My kid figured out my 4-digit passcode

• My kid enabled screen recording to figure out my 4-digit passcode

• I have set App Limits, but my kid can keep using the apps after the limit is reached!

• My kid found software for his MacBook or PC that allowed him to “hack” the 4-digit, Screen Time passcode

• My kid did a factory Reset of the phone to get around Screen Time

• My kid is using Siri to send text messages when I have iMessage turned off during Downtime, or App Limits have been reached

• After Downtime enables, my kid takes a Screenshot, and uses the picture to select “send” and a secret iMessage portal comes up

• Once App Limits have been reached, my kid deletes the app and then re-download the app from iCloud WITHOUT Family Sharing permission, which allows them to continue playing

• After my kid reaches App Limits, he can still access iMessage (texting) by swiping down, tapping any iMessage notification, and BOOM, he’s sending a text message to friends!

• My kid is getting around App Limits on texting (iMessage) by going to the Contacts app. From there, they can share a contact via text, and iMessage comes back up!

» 12 Ingenious iOS Screen Time Hacks (and solutions) - Protect Young Eyes

Has your child found another way to skip Screen Time limits? Tell us in the comments and we’ll try to Help. 🙂

(Photo by Marcelo Leal at Unsplash)