Set Up ParentalEdge on iPhone or iPad — Step by Step
Short answer: get a 6-digit code from the dashboard, install the app from the App Store, enter the code, approve three permissions, set a PIN. Under three minutes with the device in your hand.
The one thing that trips people up: the iPhone or iPad must be signed into your child's own Apple ID, inside your Family Sharing group. Sort that first and the rest is quick.
Before you start
- Your child's iPhone or iPad, signed into their own Apple ID — not yours
- That Apple ID inside your Family Sharing group
- Your ParentalEdge account
If they don't have an Apple ID yet, the full setup guide covers creating one for under-13s and for teens.
This requirement isn't ours — Apple only exposes Screen Time controls for a child account in a family group. It's the single most common reason a setup stalls, so it's worth checking before you begin rather than halfway through.
Step 1 — Get the code
Log in at parentaledge.com, open your child's profile, tap Add Device → iPhone / iPad, and copy the 6-digit code.
Step 2 — Install the app
On your child's device: App Store → search ParentalEdge → Get.
Step 3 — Connect
Open the app, tap Set Up Child's Device, enter the code, tick the consent box, tap Connect Device.
Step 4 — Permissions
Three required, one optional:
| Permission | What it does |
|---|---|
| Screen Time Access | App usage and time limits |
| Web Protection | Blocks harmful sites across 31 categories |
| Notifications | Lets your child see your approvals |
| Location (optional) | Arrive and leave alerts for home, school |
Tap Enable on each. When the three required ones show green, continue.
If Screen Time Access fails, it's the Apple ID. On the child's device open Settings and tap the name at the top — if that's your Apple ID rather than your child's, sign out and back in with theirs. The app shows a guide for this.
Step 5 — Choose what to monitor
Tap Select Apps to Monitor and pick all apps and categories, or specific ones.
Step 6 — Set a PIN
Four digits, confirmed. This protects the parent settings on the device — your child can't change rules without it.
Step 7 — App rules (optional)
Quick options for limiting games, managing social media, or picking specific apps. Skip it if you like; it's all editable later from the dashboard.
You're done
Age-based defaults are already live: 14 harmful web categories blocked, Safe Search forced on Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo and Yandex, and around 260 dangerous apps — dating, gambling, vault apps, VPNs — blocked outright.
Everything from here is remote, from parentaledge.com in any browser.
What's different on iOS
Worth knowing rather than discovering later: web filtering and Safe Search work at full parity with Android, using the same category database.
App usage reporting does not. Apple doesn't let any app — ours or anyone's — report which apps your child used or for how long, or what they searched. You can block and limit apps on iOS; you just can't get the same visibility into them. If detailed activity reporting is what you're after, Android is the more complete platform.
Frequently asked questions
Screen Time Access keeps failing.
Almost always the Apple ID. Check Settings → the name at the top on your child's device. If it's yours, sign out and use theirs. Apple ID setup guide.
Can I do this remotely?
Not the initial setup — you need the device to install the app, enter the code and approve permissions. Everything after that is remote.
Does it survive a restart?
Yes. Web filtering, app rules and time limits are enforced by iOS itself and come back automatically.
Do I need an app on my phone?
No, though there is one. The dashboard is a website that works in any browser, and there are also parent apps in the App Store and Play Store if you'd rather have an icon.
My child has an iPhone and an iPad.
Set up each separately with its own code. Both appear under the same child profile, managed from one place.
Will my child know it's installed?
Yes — the app is visible and there's no hidden mode.
Stuck? Email support@parentaledge.com.
Ready to protect your child online?
ParentalEdge gives you the insights you need without invading your child's privacy. Set up in 2 minutes with age-appropriate defaults.
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