iOS 12 Screen Time: Block App Installs and Deletions
Apple's iOS 12 Screen Time feature gives parents granular control over how children interact with their devices, including the ability to completely prevent the installation and deletion of applications. By utilizing the Content & Privacy Restrictions within Screen Time, parents can remove the App Store entirely from a child's home screen and disable the ability to uninstall existing apps, ensuring children cannot bypass usage limits or download unauthorized content.
Managing App Installations
When configured via Screen Time, parents can block new app downloads entirely. Setting the "Installing Apps" permission to "Don't Allow" hides the App Store icon from the device's home screen and search results. This prevents children from browsing the storefront, downloading free or paid apps, and reinstalling previously purchased applications from iCloud.
Preventing App Deletions
Children often delete and reinstall apps to reset local data or bypass daily time limits. In iOS 12, parents can set "Deleting Apps" to "Don't Allow." Once disabled, the deletion "X" or "minus" icon will no longer appear when an app icon is held down, effectively locking all current applications in place on the device.
How to Configure the Settings
To manage these permissions on an iOS 12 device:
- Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Select Content & Privacy Restrictions and toggle the feature on.
- Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- Select Installing Apps and choose Don't Allow.
- Select Deleting Apps and choose Don't Allow.
Passcode and Family Sharing Protection
These restrictions rely on a dedicated four-digit Screen Time passcode, which must be distinct from the device's unlock passcode. Without this passcode, the child cannot alter these permissions. If Family Sharing is enabled, parents can manage these settings remotely from their own iOS devices, adjusting permissions in real time without needing physical access to the child's hardware.