iOS 13.3 Beta Includes Screen Time Communication Limits

[MacRumors]

Apple today released an iOS 13.3 beta to developers for testing purposes, and the new update introduces Communication Limits for Screen Time, a feature Apple promised was coming to iOS 13 in a future update.

With Communication Limits, parents can control who their children are able to contact. Communication Limits apply to the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps, along with iCloud contacts.

There are settings to control communication during Screen Time, with options to allow just contacts or everyone to be contacted. There's also a toggle that either allows or disallows users to be added to a group chat when a contact or family member is in the group.

There's also a separate setting for communication limits during downtime, which is also able to be set to everyone or just specific contacts.

Finally, there's a toggle for allowing or disallowing contact editing, which can change some of the contact settings.

Regardless of Communication Limits settings, calls to emergency numbers are always allowed and will turn off communication limits for 24 hours when placed.

With the Communication Limits feature, parents will be able to better control who their children are contacting during different periods of the day, cutting off access to friends during school, for example.

There are other smaller tweaks in iOS 13.3, including an option to disable Memoji and Animoji stickers from showing up on the emoji keyboard and a change to the Apple Watch app that shifts the Digital Crown on the icon from black to gray.

Article Link: iOS 13.3 Beta Includes Screen Time Communication Limits

 

[B-Mc-C]

Thanks for the credit! lol

 

[badatusernames]

Thanks for the credit! lol

That's assuming they found the feature because of your previous post ;-)

 

[JosephKing]

How about a report on whether or not RAM management is fixed?

 

[fmcshan]

How about a fix for the iPhone’s RAM management?

 

[Expos of 1969]

Big Brother Apple to the rescue of parents around the world...

 

[TheSkywalker77]

How about a fix for the iPhone’s RAM management?

Seems to be fixed in 13.3. According to what people have been saying.

 

[epaminos]

Also the Screen Time in 13.3 has fixed the most annoying issue. It does not show anymore the inactive devices!!!

 

[TheSkywalker77]

Regardless of Communication Limits settings, calls to emergency numbers are always allowed and will turn off communication limits for 24 hours when placed.

Seems like some kids are going to learn this and try calling emergency services now to get around the limits, not realising it’s a bad idea to do that.

 

[Wdaniels]

Now lets out multiple down time options

 

[paulbart]

Seems like some kids are going to learn this and try calling emergency services now to get around the limits, not realising it’s a bad idea to do that.

That was my first thought.

My second thought: what if the kid (for example) dials "999" in the US? Would that unlock things, since it's an emergency service number outside the US? I suspect/hope that Apple have it localized (so only "911" would unlock the limits in the US), but for liability reasons, they may have a whitelist of all possible emergency numbers.

 

[crawfish963]

Unless Snapchat and Instagram are included in this somehow, it's pretty pointless. Those are the two platforms 99% of teenagers are using these days. Snapchat is scary as hell.

 

[DTphonehome]

Now lets out multiple down time options

Yes, this is important. I want to be able to limit usage during school hours or homework time. I'm glad Apple is paying attention to Screen Time, and hope they will continue to flesh out the features.

 

[iGeneo]

How about a fix for the iPhone’s RAM management?

There is another thread for that discussion.

 

[Sbishop84]

That was my first thought.

My second thought: what if the kid (for example) dials "999" in the US? Would that unlock things, since it's an emergency service number outside the US? I suspect/hope that Apple have it localized (so only "911" would unlock the limits in the US), but for liability reasons, they may have a whitelist of all possible emergency numbers.

So In the UK if we dial 911 it transfers the call to 999. So this geographical setting wouldn’t work everywhere.

 

[rk-apple]

Unless Snapchat and Instagram are included in this somehow, it's pretty pointless. Those are the two platforms 99% of teenagers are using these days. Snapchat is scary as hell.

Can limit these apps in general in screentime.

 

[TheSkywalker77]

Unless Snapchat and Instagram are included in this somehow, it's pretty pointless. Those are the two platforms 99% of teenagers are using these days. Snapchat is scary as hell.

Lock the app using App Limits.

 

[Bswails]

Saw this during the beta for iOS 13..I like this idea.

 

[s1m]

I really like this. As the parent of a 10 year old just getting their first phone I would like to limit who they can call at all times not just screen time limits. Given the kids friends have a variety of their own numbers and only parents numbers I dont want the kid call other kids parents randomly. Ideally I would like them to restrict calls only to contacts and I would like to restrict those contacts.

 

[Ferosin]

Lock the app using App Limits.

Most kids can either find away around screen time or google a solution. Apples screen time even when properly implemented is just starts an arms race between parents locking down loopholes and kids finding or creating more loopholes. Apple needs to invest the resources into making this a reliable way for locking down the phone or remove it from the iOS.