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How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac

There's a lot on the internet that your kids should be protected from. Fortunately, Apple makes it easy to monitor and limit your child's web use. Follow these simple steps, and you'll soon be able to breathe a bit easier about your...
Method 1 of 3:

Creating a Controllable Account for Your Child

  1. How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 1How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 1
    Open System Preferences. By default, there should be a System Preferences icon in your Apple Dock. You can also open System Preferences by clicking the icon of an apple in the top left corner, and selecting 'System Preferences.'[1]
  2. How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 2How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 2
    Add a user account. On the left of the window will be a list of the user accounts for your computer. Click the '+' button at the bottom of this list. In the 'New Account' field, select 'Managed with Parental Controls.' Fill out the rest of the fields as desired.
  3. How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 3How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 3
    Return to System Preferences to access Parental Controls. Click 'Create User,' click the lock icon again to lock the menu, and click the back button to return to System Preferences. From here you can edit parental controls for the account you just created.
Method 2 of 3:

Editing Parental Controls

  1. How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 4How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 4
    Open System Preferences. By default, there should be a System Preferences icon in your Apple Dock. You can also open System Preferences by clicking the icon of an apple in the top left corner, and selecting 'System Preferences.'[2][3]
  2. How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 5How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 5
    Enable parental controls for the account you want to control. Click 'Users and Groups,' and select the user you want to control from the menu on the left. Make sure the box that says, 'Enable parental controls' is checked. Return to System Preferences.
    1. If Users and Groups is locked, click the lock icon in the bottom left corner, and enter your administrator account's name and password when prompted.
  3. How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 6How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 6
    Access Parental Controls. From System Preferences, click 'Parental Controls.' You will see a message about entering the name and password of an administrator in order to make changes to parental controls. Click the lock icon in the lower left corner of the screen to do so, and enter your information.
  4. How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 7How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 7
    Select a user to edit. Pick out the account you want to control from the list on the left side of the screen. Go through the different menus to get a feel for the sort of control you can exercise. You have a wide array of options.
    1. Apps allows you to control the appearance of the desktop, limit which applications the user can open, and decide whether the Dock can be modified.
    2. Web allows you to control what websites the user can access. You can choose to let Apple automatically limit access to certain websites, or customize which specific websites may be visited.
    3. People allows you to control the user's Game Center activity, and who they may contact via Mail and Messages.
    4. Time Limits gives you control over how much time the user may spend signed in to the computer. You can apply different limits for weekdays and weekends, and specify bedtimes after which the user cannot be signed in.
    5. Other allows you to control the built-in camera, dictation functions, profanity in reference sources like the dictionary, printer use, password changes, and disc burning.
    6. Logs lets you review the user's recent activity.
Method 3 of 3:

Managing Parental Controls from Another Mac

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    Open System Preferences on your child's computer. By default, there should be a System Preferences icon in your Apple Dock. You can also open System Preferences by clicking the icon of an apple in the top left corner, and selecting 'System Preferences.' Click the lock icon in the bottom left corner, and enter your administrator account's name and password when prompted. Check the box that says, 'Manage parental controls from another computer.'[4][5]
  2. How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 9How to Use Parental Controls on a Mac Picture 9
    Open System Preferences on the controlling computer. Follow the same steps you followed when doing this previously. As before, click the lock icon in the bottom left corner, and enter your administrator account's name and password when prompted.
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    Select the user you wish to control. You may now make changes to this user account, and access its activity logs. Remember to re-lock Parental Controls when you have finished.
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