Safari Parental Controls on Apple Devices: Make Safari Safe for Kids

There is no way to completely prevent your kids from accessing to Internet, since some of the online sources do help greatly on studying and living better. However, inappropriate web contents are always the top concern among parents.

Today, we are going to instruct on setting up parental control in web browser Safari on all Apple device, including Mac, iPhone and iPad, with or without a Safari parental control app.

Parental Control Safari on Mac

There are 2 strategies to set up parental control in Safari on Mac, to directly block certain websites by adding the website URL to block list, or lock the Safari App temporarily.

Method 1. Set up Parental Control in Safari on Mac with Cisdem AppCrypt

The tool we use to set up Safari parental control on mac is Cisdem AppCrypt, a dedicated program to block distracting and harmful websites on your mac. It can also lock apps temporarily for high efficiency while working on Mac.

Main Features of Cisdem AppCrypt

• Lock Safari, Chrome and other web browser apps
• Lock apps installed on your mac with a password
• Block websites in Safari, Chrome and more permanently or by a time schedule
• Allow adding blacklist and whitelist when using Web Block
• High security, lock itself with password
• Capture photos when any failure attempts to locked apps take place
• Easy to use
• Affordable

There are 2 ways to set up parental control in Safari on Mac with Cisdem AppCrypt, enable the Web Block feature or lock the Safari browser app. You can check following 2 tutorials.

Steps to Set up Parental Control in Safari on Mac with Web Block

1. Download and install Cisdem AppCrypt on your Mac.
Free Download

2. Set a password to lock this Safari parental control app.

3. Click the lock icon on the manu bar. Click Open Main Window.

4. Enter the password you just set.

5. Go to the main window and click Web Block.

6. Enter the URL for blocking. Click the Add button.

You can also select a blocked site and click the clock icon that appears. Turn on Custom Schedule. Set a schedule to block the site temporarily according to your needs.

Now, you will find certain websites in Safari are blocked and the Safari Parental control is set up to keep a safe Safari.

Steps to Set up Parental Control in Safari on Mac with App Locker

In the case you want to lock the Safari app when your kids learn on your mac, you can use the App Locker of Cisdem to lock the app completely with a password, your kids can only use Safari after you have entered the correct password, this helps your kids focus on the studying when no online activity is required.

1. Open Cisdem AppCrypt.

2. Go to App Lock tab.

3. Click the plus icon. Select the Safari App from the Applications folder. Click Open.

Close the window. When you or anyone else tries to open the Safari app, the password will be required.

Method 2. Set up Parental Control in Safari on Mac with Screen Time

For the reason that Safari is the web browser coming with macOS, mac’s built-in Screen Time feature works on Safari.

1. Go to the Apple menu. Select System Settings.

2. Choose Screen Time in the left sidebar.

3. Turn on the feature at the top.

4. Click Content & Privacy. Turn on the feature.

5. Then click Content Restrictions.

6. Under Web Content, select Limit Adult Websites.

7. You can click the Customize button to add more inappropriate websites to block.

8. Click Done.

Method 3. Set up Parental Control in Safari on Mac with Parental Controls

If you’re running macOS 10.14 or earlier, you won’t find the Screen Time settings mentioned in Method 2. However, a similar feature called Parental Controls is available as an alternative.

1. Go to the Apple menu. Select System Preferences.

2. Then choose Parental Controls.

3. Click the lock icon. Enter your mac password to unlock the Parental Controls changes.

4. Select the user account you want to set up Parental Controls, or you can click “+” to add an user account for your kids.

5. Go to Web, choose a restriction solution. To block certain websites, choose Try to limit access to adult websites > Customize > Never allow these websites. Click “+” to add the websites in Safari for blocking.

6. Click OK to save the Parental Controls settings.

Parental Control Safari on iPhone and iPad

It is much likely that your kids will spend more time on mobile device, like iPhone or iPad, due to the high portability. Therefore, it becomes important to set up parental control in Safari on both iPhone and iPad. Still, there are 3 ways to set up the control, either with iOS bundled applications or with 3rd party iOS Safari Parental Control app.

Method 1. Set up Safari Parental Control with Cisdem AppCrypt

If you want to set up parental controls in Safari browser on iPhone or iPad in an easier way, you can use a professional 3rd party solution. AppCrypt is such a Safari parental control app for iOS. It is capable of blocking apps and websites. You can get it from the App Store.

Download on theApp Store

1. In the Preferences tab, turn on the Adult Blocking option.

2. In the Web Block tab, add the website that you don't want Safari to open to the block list.

3. Optionally, add the apps that you don't want your children to use to the block list.

4. Optionally, disable app installations and deletions.

This will stop Safari from opening the websites that you don't allow.

Method 2. Set up Safari Parental Control without Screen Time

iOS is really a great operating system building us a safe and productive place to work, study and relax, even without any 3rd party applications, you can set up parental controls to make Safari safe for your kids’ use. Basing on different iOS versions, the ways to set up Safari Control on iPhone or iPad would be a little different.

Screen Time that built-in iOS 12 and later allows users to limit specific apps and block inappropriate contents on your device. It can work as the best free Safari Parental Control app on your iPhone or iPad.

1. Go to the Settings App.
2. Go to Screen Time.
3. Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
4. Turn Content & Privacy Restrictions on. Go to Content Restrictions.
5. Tap on Web Content. Choose Limit Adult Websites > Never Allow > Add Website.
6. Add the website URL you want to block under Never Allow, or add a website to allow visiting under Always Allow. Click Done to finish setting up Safari Parental Controls on iPad/iPhone.

Method 3. Set up Safari Parental Control with Retrictions

For iOS earlier than 12, there is no Screen Time, but still iPhone or iPad users are allowed to set up Safari Parental Control easily without installing another application.

1. Go to the Settings App.

2. Go to General > Restrictions.
3. Tap Enable Restrictions. Input your screen password.
4. Tap Allowed Content > Websites > Limit Adult Content.
5. Add the website URL under Never Allow, or Always Allow. Click Done.

Conclusion

To set up Safari parental controls on Mac, iPhone or iPad, both macOS and iOS offer free applications to do this, but if you want to configure the settings easier and make Safari safer for your kids, a 3rd party parental control tool for Safari would be a good choice.