How to Set Up Parental Controls on Mac

If a child or grandchild uses your Mac, you can set up parental controls to limit what they can access, how long they can use the computer, and which apps and websites they can visit. Apple's Screen Time feature provides all of these controls and is built into macOS — no additional software needed.

The first step is to create a separate user account for the child. This keeps their settings, files, and restrictions separate from yours. Go to System Settings, click "Users & Groups," and add a new account. Make sure to create a Standard account (not Administrator). Set a password that you know but the child does not — this prevents them from changing the restrictions.

Next, set up Screen Time for the child's account. Go to System Settings and click "Screen Time." If you have Family Sharing set up, you can manage the child's Screen Time from your own account. If not, you will need to log into the child's account to configure Screen Time there.

Under "Content & Privacy," click "Content & Privacy Restrictions" and toggle it on. This gives you control over web content, app access, and more. Under "Content Restrictions," you can choose to limit adult websites, allow only approved websites, or set the content rating for movies, TV shows, and apps. For younger children, setting web content to "Allowed Websites Only" and adding specific approved sites gives you the most control.

Under "App Limits," you can set daily time limits for categories of apps — like games, social media, or entertainment. When the time limit is reached, the app will lock and the child will see a "Time Limit Reached" message. They can request more time, which sends a notification to your device for you to approve or deny.

"Downtime" lets you schedule hours when the Mac can only be used for phone calls and apps you specifically allow. For example, you can set Downtime from 8 PM to 8 AM so the child cannot use the computer at night. During Downtime, only the apps you mark as "Always Allowed" will be accessible.

Under "Communication Limits," you can control who the child can communicate with through Messages, FaceTime, and other Apple communication features. You can restrict communication to contacts only, or allow everyone.

Set a Screen Time passcode that is different from the child's login password. This prevents them from changing the Screen Time settings themselves. Go to Screen Time settings and click "Lock Screen Time Settings" to create this passcode. Keep this passcode private — it is your master key to all the parental control settings.