Set up parental controls on Mac OS X - Here's how
On Mac OS X, you can set up parental controls for your user accounts. Our guide will tell you how it works.
Activate parental controls for user accounts
You can set up parental controls for your children using the system settings. How to restrict access to core functions of Mac OS X.
- Start the system settings in your dock.
- Click "Parental Control".
- Now press the lock symbol and then enter your administrator password.
- Now select a user on the left and then the menu for the child lock appears on the right.
- Above you can see the five different tabs "Apps", "Web", "People", Access Times "and" Others ".
Restrict access to apps and communication
You determine the communication to other people for the respective user as you wish. Sort the access to apps from the App Store according to the respective age group of your children.
- Under "Apps" you determine whether the respective user can only access selected programs and whether apps from the App Store are allowed. You also determine the age groups from which apps can be downloaded. Approved apps can be marked with a tick in the overview.
- If you want to restrict communication with other users, click on the "People" tab. Here you limit the multiplayer functions for the "Game Center" platform. For mail and iMessages, you can limit the sending of messages to certain contacts.
Block websites and regulate access times
You can block adult websites. If you want your children to visit only a certain group of websites, enter them in a list. You also set the access times to the Mac for your children.
- The "Web" tab contains various options for accessing websites. For example, you can "automatically restrict the visit to adult websites" as best as possible "or limit the visit to websites that you specify. By clicking on "Customize ..." you enter the respective website that should not be visited by the respective users.
- The "Access times" option regulates the number of hours for using the Mac. Here you determine how many hours each user can use the computer on workdays or weekends. You also set a period for the night's rest.
- Functions like the dictation function, the printer management or the built-in camera can be deactivated under "Other".
You can also protect your mobile devices: with parental controls for iPhone and iPad.