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All iPads Is There Like a Kid Setting I Can Turn On Before Handing My Son MY iPad?

HappyDude20

HappyDude20

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
3,688
1,479
Los Angeles, Ca
I have an iPad. Tons of apps for me, for work, etc.. And a good amount of apps for him in a folder titled "kid" which consists of games, Disney, Nickelodeon, etc.

I just want peace of mind knowing when he's laying angry birds, checking out the new Disney app and playing Toca Hair Salon that he won't accidentally go into my Omnifocus, Safari or Mail apps.

Does such a solution exist?

Or has Tim Cook won again? (Cries)
 
There is a "guided access" setting under Accessibility, but this locks the iPad to a single app at a time. So if your kid wanted to switch apps, you would have to configure it again each time.
 
Make sure you sign out of the APP store so he does not go on shopping spree
a lot of free kids apps have ability to do in app purchases.
 
This is a much-needed feature, IMO. There obviously is a huge children's market for tablets, and few of us can or would purchase separate tablets for young children. There should be a powerful, global multi-user setting that allows an adult to hand an iPad to a child and restrict that child to a certain folder (or, alternatively, specified apps), disable purchasing, etc. It could be done now, but I hope at the very least we'll see something like that by the time the iPad gets Touch I.D.
 
Turn on restrictions in settings. You can deactivate purchasing, Safarai, etc once you've configured it once, it only takes entering a code to enable/disable the restrictions.
 
ZBoater said:
I wouldn't share my iPad with anyone.
Click to expand...

You clearly don't have kids.

And one of the most glaring faults with the iPad is that you can't set up individual profiles. Especially for children. You should be able to flip it into kid mode and have access only to pre-approved apps and functions.

I'm think it's reasonable that iOS 8 might finally bring something like that, and it seems a natural partner with touch Id on the iPad.

Kid finger? Well here's Sesame Street, champ.
 
All Windows Tablets have this capability. I have a cheap one I let friends use when they are here. The guest login has no access to any of my stuff. Also, if they have Windows 8 and want to login as themselves I can set that up too.

Apple really needs to add that functionality.

Cheers,
 
iCarabma said:
You clearly don't have kids.

And one of the most glaring faults with the iPad is that you can't set up individual profiles. Especially for children. You should be able to flip it into kid mode and have access only to pre-approved apps and functions.

I'm think it's reasonable that iOS 8 might finally bring something like that, and it seems a natural partner with touch Id on the iPad.

Kid finger? Well here's Sesame Street, champ.
Click to expand...

Ummmm, what does not wanting to give my iPad have to do with not having kids?

If I had kids, and if I felt the need for them to use an iPad, I would buy them one. I would not give them mine. Nor my laptop. These are just not "shareable" items in my opinion. They are called personal for a reason. Sure, people share them all the time. And when the "other" person installs stuff, messes with the config, or ruins the device, then I would be left to clean up the mess (as I have had to do repeatedly with my nephews and my brothers stuff). He has since learned his lesson and doesn't share his stuff with his kids. They can get their own. They can earn it washing cars and mowing the lawn. Works wonders for their character.
 
ZBoater said:
Ummmm, what does not wanting to give my iPad have to do with not having kids?

If I had kids, and if I felt the need for them to use an iPad, I would buy them one. I would not give them mine. Nor my laptop. These are just not "shareable" items in my opinion. They are called personal for a reason. Sure, people share them all the time. And when the "other" person installs stuff, messes with the config, or ruins the device, then I would be left to clean up the mess (as I have had to do repeatedly with my nephews and my brothers stuff). He has since learned his lesson and doesn't share his stuff with his kids. They can get their own. They can earn it washing cars and mowing the lawn. Works wonders for their character.
Click to expand...

It's not uncommon to have a different understanding of what you would share with your kids before you have any.

I too had some very strong, and ultimately ridiculous, opinions about what I would ABSOLUTELY do as a parent before I had kids. Those opinions make me laugh now.

Planning what you would do before you actually have any kids reminds me of this great Mike Tyson quote about strategy in a fight:

"Everybody has a gameplan until they get punched in the face"

-------

Anyway, we got off the rails a little. The point is the iPad needs separate user configurations. I think it will happen sooner than later.

Windows is not ahead in many areas, but this is one.
 
iCarabma said:
It's not uncommon to have a different understanding of what you would share with your kids before you have any.

I too had some very strong, and ultimately ridiculous, opinions about what I would ABSOLUTELY do as a parent before I had kids. Those opinions make me laugh now.

Planning what you would do before you actually have any kids reminds me of this great Mike Tyson quote about strategy in a fight:

"Everybody has a gameplan until they get punched in the face".
Click to expand...

That's great. Thank for the parenting lesson. And I don't doubt what you say is true FOR YOU. But as a kid myself a while back, and as I observe friends and family with kids, what you say may apply to YOU, but certainly is not a universal truth. There are these things called "boundaries". You should try them. I have seen people that have them, and people who don't. And the difference is night and day.

So getting back on topic, personal electronics is something that doesn't lend itself well to sharing with ANYONE (not just kids). Some tablets and other OSes have different user IDs you can set up, but not iOS and not the iPad. You can setup restrictions, and enter a password every time you want to use it, or you can buy another one. It depends on your tolerance level for entering passwords and your need to keep your electronics available for your use at any time, and of course, your budget. iPads, iPods, iPhones - those are intended as personal devices, not really meant for sharing, although sharing them is possible, you need to be aware of the risks and consequences.
 
I would love to have a kids option on my ipad. I have password locks on both my ipad and phone but thanks to the update that allows camera access, I sometimes find my two year old has taken 300 selfies with them. :)
 
ZBoater said:
That's great. Thank for the parenting lesson. And I don't doubt what you say is true FOR YOU. But as a kid myself a while back, and as I observe friends and family with kids, what you say may apply to YOU, but certainly is not a universal truth. There are these things called "boundaries". You should try them. I have seen people that have them, and people who don't. And the difference is night and day.

So getting back on topic, personal electronics is something that doesn't lend itself well to sharing with ANYONE (not just kids). Some tablets and other OSes have different user IDs you can set up, but not iOS and not the iPad. You can setup restrictions, and enter a password every time you want to use it, or you can buy another one. It depends on your tolerance level for entering passwords and your need to keep your electronics available for your use at any time, and of course, your budget. iPads, iPods, iPhones - those are intended as personal devices, not really meant for sharing, although sharing them is possible, you need to be aware of the risks and consequences.
Click to expand...

That's great. Thank YOU for the parenting lesson.

So getting back on topic, personal electronics are something that doesn't lend itself well to sharing right now on iOS. That could easily change with user accounts. I think this will happen.

Why do people assume that the way they use their devices are the only way they are meant to be used? If you don't share your iPad with the children you don't have then bully for you. Why do you care if I want to? Why would you care if Apple added user accounts? I've heard tale of some people who like to post on boards like this just to argue. Surely that's just an urban legend, though.

Is It because computers are supposed to personal? Well as a wise man once said, "... I don't doubt what you say is true FOR YOU."

(You, you're the wise man who said that. It was like ten minutes ago. You were implying that I would have to be a real idiot to try and force my opionons on you. Do you remember? It made a big impact on me. Maybe we can stop fighting now since I called you a wise man.)

Anyway, I'm done for now. It's my daughters turn with the iPad. We are using it to teach her to read. Maybe one day she will read this thread and be sad about all the boundaries I didn't give her. You know what, on second thought, maybe I shouldn't teach her to read. Problem solved.
 
iCarabma said:
That's great. Thank YOU for the parenting lesson.

So getting back on topic, personal electronics are something that doesn't lend itself well to sharing right now on iOS. That could easily change with user accounts. I think this will happen.

Why do people assume that the way they use their devices are the only way they are meant to be used? If you don't share your iPad with the children you don't have then bully for you. Why do you care if I want to? Why would you care if Apple added user accounts? I've heard tale of some people who like to post on boards like this just to argue. Surely that's just an urban legend, though.

Is It because computers are supposed to personal? Well as a wise man once said, "... I don't doubt what you say is true FOR YOU."

(You, you're the wise man who said that. It was like ten minutes ago. You were implying that I would have to be a real idiot to try and force my opionons on you. Do you remember? It made a big impact on me. Maybe we can stop fighting now since I called you a wise man.)

Anyway, I'm done for now. It's my daughters turn with the iPad. We are using it to teach her to read. Maybe one day she will read this thread and be sad about all the boundaries I didn't give her. You know what, on second thought, maybe I shouldn't teach her to read. Problem solved.
Click to expand...

You are taking this a bit personally. That's a shame.

It seems we agree that personal devices are not intended to be shared, and iOS doesn't have good multi user support. It's hard to tell if we agree since your post is thicker with sarcasm than mine. :p

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but to share a different viewpoint. What I understood from your post is that once I have kids, my idea of "my iPad" goes out the window. That I am somehow pre-determined to share my iPad (along with everything else) with my children.

My point was that if YOU feel that way doesn't mean that's the way it should be and that in fact other people have boundaries where they have "their" stuff and their kids have theirs. Sorry you took it personally.

To the OP, if you need more information on parental restrictions,

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4213
 
HappyDude20 said:
I have an iPad. Tons of apps for me, for work, etc.. And a good amount of apps for him in a folder titled "kid" which consists of games, Disney, Nickelodeon, etc.

I just want peace of mind knowing when he's laying angry birds, checking out the new Disney app and playing Toca Hair Salon that he won't accidentally go into my Omnifocus, Safari or Mail apps.

Does such a solution exist?

Or has Tim Cook won again? (Cries)
Click to expand...

Have you considered a Kindle Fire HDX for your little boy? It does have a child setting on it and even a timer.
 
ZBoater said:
Ummmm, what does not wanting to give my iPad have to do with not having kids?

If I had kids, and if I felt the need for them to use an iPad, I would buy them one. I would not give them mine. Nor my laptop. These are just not "shareable" items in my opinion. They are called personal for a reason. Sure, people share them all the time. And when the "other" person installs stuff, messes with the config, or ruins the device, then I would be left to clean up the mess (as I have had to do repeatedly with my nephews and my brothers stuff). He has since learned his lesson and doesn't share his stuff with his kids. They can get their own. They can earn it washing cars and mowing the lawn. Works wonders for their character.
Click to expand...

iCarabma said:
It's not uncommon to have a different understanding of what you would share with your kids before you have any.

I too had some very strong, and ultimately ridiculous, opinions about what I would ABSOLUTELY do as a parent before I had kids. Those opinions make me laugh now.

Planning what you would do before you actually have any kids reminds me of this great Mike Tyson quote about strategy in a fight:

"Everybody has a gameplan until they get punched in the face"

-------

Anyway, we got off the rails a little. The point is the iPad needs separate user configurations. I think it will happen sooner than later.

Windows is not ahead in many areas, but this is one.
Click to expand...

I think I have to go with ZBoat on this one. I have kids and grandkids and at no point did they or do they have any access to my computers and now tablets except the shared Windows Tablet that anyone can use (with the password to the guest login). They had their own, usually my old stuff. Personal computers are personal (no spouse access either). I understand that some folks are fine with sharing, however, many are not.

The point being is that Apple is woefully behind in addressing this need. Though when my 12 yo grand-daughter suggested last week that she needed her own iPad I began to think perhaps Apple has ulterior motives in NOT addressing multiple users.

Cheers,
 
Best quote ever!!

iCarabma said:
Planning what you would do before you actually have any kids reminds me of this great Mike Tyson quote about strategy in a fight:

"Everybody has a gameplan until they get punched in the face"
Click to expand...

Sorry, to interrupt, but I have heard this quote before, and always have thought that it certainly is one of the "Best Quotes Ever".
 
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