TimeNest

How to lock your child's iPhone or iPad, and stop them deleting apps

Lock games and video at bedtime and dinner, set a fair daily limit, and make sure the controls cannot simply be deleted.

By the TimeNest team · Updated 11 November 2026

The quick versionInstall a parental control app that uses Apple's Screen Time system, link your child's device, turn on protection so apps cannot be deleted, then pick the games and video apps to limit. With TimeNest this takes about 5 minutes.

Your options on iPhone and iPad

Apple builds a Screen Time system into every iPhone and iPad running iOS 16 or later. Parental control apps like TimeNest use it to lock apps, so locks keep working even when the app is closed. Apple only allows approved apps to do this, and TimeNest is approved for Apple's Family Controls.

How to set it up with TimeNest

  1. Create your family account. Install TimeNest from the App Store on your own phone, choose Parent's phone, and create an account with your email and a 4-digit parent PIN.
  2. Add your child. Enter their name and a daily time for games and video. A QR code appears on your screen.
  3. Link their device. Install TimeNest on your child's iPhone or iPad, choose Child's phone or tablet and scan the code.
  4. Agree the rules together. Read the short family agreement with your child and tick it.
  5. Turn on protection. Tap Turn on protection and confirm with the device passcode or Face ID. This stops apps being deleted, keeps the date and time automatic and locks account changes.
  6. Choose what to limit. Tick the Games, Entertainment and Social categories. Whole categories also cover new games installed later.

Lock the phone right now

From your phone, tap Lock now on your child's card and choose 30 minutes, 1 hour or until you unlock. Every app locks except calls and the apps you always allow, such as messages, maps or school apps. To lock all your children at once, tap Lock all. You can also do this from the parent website on any computer.

Lock apps at bedtime automatically

Set a bedtime, for example 9 pm to 7 am, on your child's page. Apps lock every night and unlock every morning on their own, even if TimeNest is closed and even without internet.

How to stop your child deleting the app

This is where many parental controls fail: kids simply hold the icon and tap Remove App. When protection is on, TimeNest switches on Apple's setting that blocks deleting apps on that device, so the option disappears. To remove TimeNest later, a parent opens it, enters the PIN and chooses to remove it.

  • Wrong PIN guesses: after 5 wrong tries, PIN entry locks for 1 hour and you get an alert. You can unblock it from your phone.
  • Removal alerts: if TimeNest is removed anyway or a device stops checking in, you get a notification.
  • No clock tricks: the date and time stay automatic, so bedtime cannot be skipped by changing the clock.
Good to know: phone calls and emergency calls always work, even when the device is locked.

What if my child has Android?

TimeNest also works on Android phones and tablets, and a parent on iPhone can manage a child on Android. On Android, device protection stops TimeNest being uninstalled without the parent.

Lock your child's iPhone in one tap

Free on the App Store. Bedtime, daily limits and delete protection included.

Download on theApp Store

Questions parents ask

Can my child turn off the parental controls?

Not without you. Protection stops apps being deleted and locks account changes, and changing settings on the child's device needs your parent PIN.

Will my child still be able to call me?

Yes. Calls and emergency calls never lock, and you can choose other apps to always allow.

Does it work without Family Sharing?

Yes. TimeNest is approved on the child's device itself, so you do not need to set up Family Sharing or a child Apple Account.

Does the lock work when the app is closed?

Yes. Locks, daily limits and bedtime run through Apple's Screen Time system, so they keep working when TimeNest is closed.