When your child reaches the age of adulthood required by Apple, you may want to give them freedom and remove parental controls on their iPhone or iPad. As a grown-up, you can do this on your own.

Let’s show you different ways for this process, even if you forgot your passcode. Not only that, you get to know how kids are bypassing these restrictions so you can take appropriate measures.

Does parental control turn off at 18 on iPhone?

No, parental controls and Screen Time restrictions do not automatically turn off on iPhone the day you turn 18. Even though an Apple ID updates to an adult account, restrictions managed through Family Sharing can often persist until they are manually disabled.

How do I deactivate parental controls on my iPhone?

You can deactivate parental controls by accessing Screen Time in your iPhone settings and turning off Content & Privacy Restrictions using your passcode.

To completely turn off parental controls on your iPhone, head to Settings > Screen Time, tap Turn off Screen Time, and type in the 4-digit passcode to confirm.

1. Turn off Screen Time

If you want to turn off all the parental controls on your child’s iPhone:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap Turn Off Screen Time.
3. Enter your passcode.

2. Remove content and privacy restrictions

As a parent, you may want to disable only some specific parental controls, like app limits, web filters, or purchase restrictions, on your child’s iPhone, but want to keep tracking other usage. The steps are a bit different. To do this: 

1. Go to iPhone/iPad Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
3. Enter your Screen Time passcode.
4. Toggle off Content & Privacy Restrictions at the top, or tap individual categories (like iTunes & App Store Purchases or Allowed Apps) to customize.

3. Disable through Family Sharing

If you manage a child’s device through Family Sharing:

1. Open the Settings app on the parent’s iPhone.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Scroll down to the Family section and tap your child’s name.
4. Turn off Screen Time or individually adjust their content and privacy restrictions for different iOS apps and features. 

Note: You can also remove the child from Family Sharing to disable all parental restrictions on their iOS device.

How to disable parental controls on iPhone without password?

If you want to remove parental controls on your iPhone without needing the 4-digit passcode every time:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time, select Change Screen Time Passcode, and tap it again.
2. Select Toggle Off Screen Time Passcode.
3. Choose Forgot Passcode?
4. Enter the Apple ID or phone number that was used to set up the Screen Time passcode
5. Then type in the passcode to turn off the lock.
6. Go back, and you’ll see Lock Screen Time Settings, which means it’s turned off.
7. Now scroll up, and you can view different settings to remove parental controls for them without needing a passcode.

How do I bypass parental controls on my iPhone?

There is no official or guaranteed way to bypass iPhone parental controls (Screen Time) without the passcode. Apple designs these security features to be integrated into the iOS operating system to prevent unauthorized changes.

The most effective approach is to speak directly with your parent or guardian to request more screen time or explain why you need access to a specific app or website.

How is my kid getting around parental controls on iPhone?

Kids get around iPhone parental controls by guessing passcodes, changing phone settings, or using hidden web browsers inside approved apps.

With these and other workarounds, your child might be using them to their advantage. Let’s hack the teen mind and see, from their perspective, what they often do to bypass parental restrictions on their phone.

1. Accessing Google

Your child might be browsing on Google with active parental controls. They can do this when they:

1. Open iPhone Settings.
2. Scroll down, tap Apps, and select Mail.
3. Go to Accounts > Add Account > With Google.
4. At the bottom, tap on help written in tiny letters.
5. Type search on Google.
6. Your child will then see a link appear at the top result; they tap it and use Google for as long as you need. 

Info: Your kid can also access Tumblr through the Apple News app.

2. Guessing your passcode

Children’s minds are clever, and they might have guessed your passcode or have memorized it when you are using it intentionally on your iPhone.

To prevent this from happening, stay alert and make sure no one is secretly using your password-protected device or installing anything they shouldn’t. It is best to choose a strong code that is not easy to guess and change the passkey right away.

3. Factory resetting iPhone

Your child can attempt to factory-reset their iPhone after backing up the data to the cloud, which they can do after this operation.

Check your device and connected accounts regularly to see if anything looks different or out of place. Pay attention to unusual activity, such as your child appearing to use their phone a lot longer. If necessary, use parental control settings to monitor the device. It can also alert you when new apps that you did not approve are downloaded.

4. Using a VPN

It may sound a little strange, but a VPN can actually be a useful privacy tool. Some parental control apps use it to help protect your family’s online activity from advertisers and companies that collect large amounts of data. However, kids can also use them to bypass the security and restrictions you have put in place.

If your teen installs a VPN app on their phone without telling you, it could be a sign that they are trying to get around your parental controls.

Free VPNs can also raise privacy concerns because the company providing the service may collect and use your child’s data to make money. Some free apps may also come with unwanted ads or even contain harmful software.

To confirm your suspicion, search for any VPN installed on their iPhone and, if found, delete it, and use an ID and password restriction for the App Store.

5. Creating other accounts

It is quite common for kids to create a new Gmail, Xbox, Apple, Microsoft, or other online account and enter a fake age to make it appear as if it belongs to an adult. They can then use it to get around the parental controls you have set up on their regular profile or iPhone.

For children aged 13 and older, some companies, such as Google, may allow parental supervision to be removed without asking the parents first, depending on the account and local rules. This can make it harder for you to manage their online activity. One way to prevent unauthorized access is to restrict the device to specific user accounts and block guest access.

6. Changing the iPhone time zone

If “Downtime” is scheduled to start at 9:00 PM, kids go into their iPhone settings and change the clock back a few hours, tricking the phone into thinking it is earlier in the day.

You must restrict them from changing location and time settings. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and scroll down to Location Services and System Customization, switching them to Don’t Allow.

7. Using alternate video and file sharing

If the YouTube app or website is blocked on Safari, your child’s friends can AirDrop video files or web links directly to their iPhone, which can sometimes bypass the browser filter entirely.

The fix here is to set AirDrop permissions to Contacts Only or Receiving Off on their phone so anonymous or unapproved links cannot be pushed to the device.

8. Deleting and redownloading apps

When an app hits its daily time limit, kids will delete the app and reinstall it directly from the App Store, which resets its local time tracking.

You can block them from installing these apps. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases and change Installing Apps to Don’t Allow.

Do parental controls turn off at 13 on iPhone or iPad?

No, parental controls do not turn off automatically at 13 on an iOS device. They remain active until the managing parent manually removes the restrictions or the child reaches legal adulthood. However, at this age (the digital age of consent in the U.S.), the dynamic of how these controls work changes significantly:

• Google Accounts: Children gain the option to manage their own Google Account, but they cannot do it alone. They must send a request to their parents, and both must agree to update the account. If the child decides they want to manage their account independently, parents must approve the transition.
• Apple Accounts: Apple’s Screen Time limits and Content & Privacy Restrictions do not automatically drop at 13. These restrictions remain in place until the parent physically turns them off, disables the Screen Time passcode, or removes the child from the Family Sharing group.
• Social Media: Many platforms (like Instagram or TikTok) transition users aged 13-15 into default “Teen Accounts.” These features have stricter privacy limits (like private accounts by default), though they are still actively monitored by connected parental controls.

How to override parental controls on an iPhone?

To override parental controls (Screen Time) on an iPhone, you must have the designated 4-digit Screen Time passcode or the linked Apple ID credentials. Without these, the settings cannot be bypassed directly on the device without a full factory reset. 

Why am I not getting my child’s app requests on my iPhone?

If you aren’t getting “Ask to Buy” or any app requests on your iPhone, the issue is usually caused by disabled notifications, an active Focus/Do Not Disturb mode, or an iCloud account mismatch. 

Follow this quick, step-by-step checklist to troubleshoot and fix the problem:

• Turn off Focus/Do Not Disturb: Swipe down from the top right of your screen to open the Control Center and temporarily disable any active Focus or Do Not Disturb modes. These modes can block time-sensitive notifications like app requests. 
• Check Notification Settings: Go to Settings > Notifications > Screen Time and ensure notifications are allowed, including lock screen alerts and banners. 
• Verify Apple IDs: Go to Settings > [Your Name] and ensure you are signed in with the same Apple Account (Apple ID) used as the Family Sharing organizer. You can verify this by tapping Family > [Your Name] > Purchases to check your linked Apple Account for purchases. 
• Confirm “Ask to Buy” is Enabled: On your iPhone, go to Settings > Family > [Your Child’s Name] > Ask to Buy and ensure Require Purchase Approval is toggled on. 
• Check Device Names: Surprisingly, a known Apple bug requires your iPhone and your child’s iPhone to have completely different names. Go to Settings > General > About > Name on both devices to rename them. 
• Restart and Update: A simple reboot can fix stuck iCloud syncing. Turn both your phone and your child’s phone off and on again. Next, make sure both devices are on the newest version of iOS/iPadOS by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

How to disable hotspot on iPhone parental controls?

Apple’s built-in Screen Time settings do not natively feature a specific switch to block Personal Hotspot. However, you can effectively disable it by restricting cellular data changes.

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time on your child’s iPhone.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, turn the feature on, and type in your passcode.
3. Scroll down to the Allow Changes section and tap Cellular Data Changes.
4. Set it to Don’t Allow.

However, the best way is to restrict the hotspot from the carrier’s side. Since it is an add-on service provisioned by your network provider, they can disable it at the account level. Call them and ask customer service to remove the Hotspot/Tethering feature from your child’s iPhone.