Setting up an iPad that our little ones are going to use with our own Apple account is a mistake that should be avoided. We explain how to create a child account and how to set up an iPad with it in a very simple way.
Despite years of waiting for the iPad to have different user accounts, as is the case with Macs, Apple’s tablet currently does not allow it, and this often causes the little ones in the house to use it with their parents’ account. , which is a major error. Creating an Apple account for a minor is very simple, we can use our iPhone for it, it takes just a couple of minutes and we can also use our iPhone to set up a new iPad with it, which is full of advantages. We explain the entire procedure, from the beginning.
Disadvantages of using an adult account
What’s the problem with us using our own account for the iPad that our children use? We have our purchases protected with our password, so it’s not a big problem either. It may seem that this is so, but the reality is that it is very probable sooner than later we will regret it. What can happen? Well, from when they see content that is inappropriate for them until they spend a lot of money on purchases that we have not authorized, not to mention the mess that they can cause us with our agendas, calendars, photos and so on.
Surely our little ones do not know our Apple password, but they do not need it to make purchases. Remember that the iPad has fingerprint recognition, and that if you know the unlock password, you will surely recognize it, you can set your own footprint to make purchases, without the need for any authorization on your part. The same is true if you are using an iPad Pro with Face ID. And the amount of money that can be spent in just a few minutes is great, especially since you are not aware that what you are using is real money, the feeling you will have is that everything is free because you only have to put your footprint.
You can also access any type of content using Safari or any other browser you have installed. In your own account, you surely do not have content restrictions activated, so the internet is completely open to minors, and that is never good. Accessing inappropriate pages is very easy, and sometimes you can reach them without even intending to.by clicking on any banner that appears on an apparently innocuous website.
iCloud syncing is amazing because all our data is stored in the cloud and synced across iPhone, Mac, and iPad. This is something to keep in mind when you give your iPad to a child, because your contact book, your photo gallery, your iCloud files, your calendar appointments… everything is on that iPad, and any changes you make on iPad will sync across all your devices. That data can probably be recovered later using a backup, but it is something that if you think about it you do not want to happen.
These are just some examples of how dangerous it is to leave a tablet to a minor with your Apple account. I could go on listing a long list, but I think these examples are relevant enough to realize that you should use another alternative: create a child account. It is also very simple, and you can do it all from your own iPhone in a couple of minutes.
Advantages of creating a child account
In addition to the fact that you will avoid everything that I have indicated above, By creating a child account you will have at your disposal a series of tools that Apple offers to manage the devices of the little ones. In addition, you will already have your own account where your data will be stored, and in the future, it will be the one you can use when you have your own devices.
For a long time Apple has offered us the “Family Sharing” tool, a very simple way to manage up to 6 accounts in total (including your own) where you can establish different roles (father/mother/guardian and minors). The main user is the one who provides the payment method, and the others can take advantage of their iCloud storage, application subscriptions, purchases, etc.. But we can also establish restrictions on devices with child accounts, limiting their usage time, downloading applications, accessing inappropriate content for their age, etc.
Accessing that menu of your iPhone settings you can create an account, or invite someone who already has one, to add to your family. In the video you can see the entire configuration process, in which you will only have to give the data of the person to whom you create the account and you can create a new iCloud email if they did not have any. It is a quick, very simple procedure that you can do completely from your phone.
Set up a new iPad with a child account
Once you have the account created and added to your family, we can proceed to configure the new iPad. This procedure would be the same for any other Apple device, but we focus on the iPad for this tutorial, which is the one most used by the little ones in the house. To start the configuration procedure you only have to put your iPhone next to the iPad that you are going to configure, both devices with WiFi and Bluetooth active. Your iPad must not be configured, that is, if it is already configured you must reset it first, and if it is fresh out of the box, then you will only have to turn it on.
Your iPhone will prompt you with the steps you need to follow, asking which family member the iPad you’re setting up as new is for. You just have to choose the right person and follow step by step what your iPhone is asking for. Sometimes you’ll have to pick up the iPad to continue setup, and sometimes go back to the iPhone. Don’t worry because the steps are very clear and the assistant will guide you so that it won’t cost you any effort to do it. In the video you can see the entire procedure from start to finish.
Once the procedure is finished, you will have the iPad with the child’s account, and you will be able to rest easy because you will be able to control everything it does without problems. In this tutorial we do not talk about how to configure the time of use or the restrictions, because we leave that for another tutorial that we will publish in the next few dayss, so pay attention to our blog and YouTube channel so you don’t miss it.