How is my child bypassing screentime limits?

Loren Ryter wrote:

Good idea. Not very practical for me (already have like 5 SSIDs on one router, and want to keep kid on same LAN anyway), but possible.

Five SSIDs on one router is unusual. Typical is at most two (guest, staff).

Three SSIDs is about the most I’ve ever met on one Access Point (AP) or one Wi-Fi router, and that was ugly. Here, that trio would probably be “Guest”, “Kid”, and “Parents”.

I typically recommend APs or mesh networks and careful Wi-Fi frequency coordination, rather than adding (often warring) Wi-Fi routers and adding SSIDs to manage added coverage, if that was the motivation leading to five SSIDs active here.

I get they can be bypassed, but it shouldn't be such a mystery how he's doing it. I'm pretty technically inclined and can't figure out the exploit. AFAIK any method that could involve a small budget is something like a jailbreak -- running software tethered to a computer -- and most likely can only be meant to circumvent the passcode security for the parental controls. It would be at the level of a boot injection, and I see nothing amiss in the boot sequence or any other obvious sign of such a hack. Furthermore, it would need to work by allowing him to change the screentime settings, which he's not doing.

That’s far more work than the easiest of the allowance-budget bypasses. Again, parental controls is doomed to fail, against any suitably inclined kid. Prisons fail at this. And yes, there are absolutely places and things around that parents do not want to have discussions about, and will wish to block, but that doesn’t make those conversations any less avoidable nor these blocks any more effective. Technology can’t solve people problems, IT sales reps’ claims aside.

IMO someone needs to keep an up-to-date list of exploits that a) parents can take further measures to block or otherwise handle, or b) apple can address.

Yes, and the folks maintaining that list are liars, scammers, cheats, and crooks, or those selling snake-oil and “magical” solutions, or those that wish to harvest data and metadata from you and your children, or those seeking to advertise to the children, or combinations. I manage more complex and more capable networking gear than most or the folks around here have access to, and all of what I have (including 802.1X RADIUS authentication, and redundant local DNS servers) can still be entirely bypassed by a kid on an allowance-scale budget.

And yes, the Kid-SSID will fail against even a mildly determined adversary with an allowance, too.

This is an exceedingly hard problem. Unsolvable, without (generally illegal) communications jamming.

Again, prisons fail at this.

Just a thought...I don't know that you mentioned it in what you've tried. Since these seem to be online apps (SnapChat and TikTok) that he wants to use, have you tried adding parental controls to the router/gateway to block all access to the internet from his specific device?

Momofabunch wrote:

My teen has admitted to getting around screen time and restricted contacts by turning his phone off. When the phone is powered back on, it gives him access to apps and phone numbers for a few moments (I haven't timed how long) before the regular parental control settings start working again.

Have you confirmed this?

It may also be that he knows your passcode and does not want to tell you. Even it it allowed access to an app for a few seconds it does not seem like it would be beneficial to restart your phone 30 times for just a minute of extra use.

This is exactly it. Mine does the same thing, admitted to it and showed me. They get exactly one minute to do what ever they want every time they reboot their phones before screentime kicks back in. This is a crappy design.

So far I am kind of ok with it as its annoying to them, but I would rather they not be allowed to do this. Defeats the purpose of screen time all together.

I have yet to find a fix.

Mazaresbern wrote:

1. I have the same issue, and I know how he does it. I have been requesting support for this problem for a long time but there seems to be no solution from Apple.

The method used is the following:

Click on change screentime code.

2. Click on I forgot the password.

3. When asked Appe ID you write it and then click on “forgot password”

4. Then you are asked the 6 digit code of the phone (!!!) and there you go, it allows you to change the Apple ID password, with which you are allowed to change the 4 digit screen time code.

Now the kid can do whatever he wants.

If he has the 6 digit code for unblocking the phone, then the screen time can be overriden in a matter of seconds.

At least this is the problem I have, I hope this can help.

Cheers

When setting the ScreenTime passcode, you can optionally associate the ScreenTime passcode with an AppleID account. Choose an AppleID that is not the child's AppleID (e.g., you own AppleID - the password for which should be known only to you).

Alternatively, when setting the ScreenTime Passcode, you can skip associating the ScreenTime Passcode with an AppleID altogether. This will prevent reset of an unknown ScreenTime Passcode - but consider that a subsequently forgotten ScreenTime Passcode will entail complete reset of the iPad and starting again afresh; in this situation you will not be able to restore data from an iCloud or iTunes backup - as to do so you would also restore the unknown ScreenTime Passcode.

Some questions:

1) Did you (or another adult) as Family Organizer create the child’s AppleID as described here:

Create an Apple ID for your child - Apple Support

2) Did the Family Organizer personally setup the child’s device after it had been Factory Reset (or purchased new) … specifically selecting “This is a Child’s Device” during setup?

3) Did the Family Organizer additionally setup Screentime on the child’s device - again selecting “This is a Child’s Device” AND use a unique secret passcode unknown to the child?

Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

4) If the Organizer selected to use their OWN AppleID for Screentime passcode revovery, is the adult’s AppleID password indeed unknown to the child?

5) Within Screentime - specifically within the final group “Other Settings and Features” are restrictions set to prevent child from:

• Changing AppleID
• Changing Device Passcode
• Changing Data Plans

My teen has admitted to getting around screen time and restricted contacts by turning his phone off. When the phone is powered back on, it gives him access to apps and phone numbers for a few moments (I haven't timed how long) before the regular parental control settings start working again.

Gillo45 wrote:

This is true as my son uses this method to get round his restriction. Help!

Again, parental controls are doomed to fail against any suitably inclined kid. Prisons fail at this.

And yes, there are absolutely places and things around that parents do not wish to have discussions about, and will wish to block, but that doesn’t make those conversations any less avoidable nor will it make efforts to avoid those conversations any more effective.

You might run parallel Wi-Fi or shut off the Wi-Fi on a schedule, but even that won't keep a suitably motivated kid isolated from their interests.

Kids can bypass all of this, and on an allowance-scale budget.

If your child trusts you—kids have agency—ask them how they’re bypassing the blocks, and why, and maybe they’ll tell you.

Technology can’t solve people problems.

I’m not sure if you got anywhere with this. I realize it’s and older post. BUT I just found out from my own issues with my kid with this that they can use other apps like maps, Life360, watch, health, settings even! They go to the legal formats for the apps and click on the web browser link and then they are in to use the internet even if the internet is deleted from their phone. It’s very sneaky. I was able to delete everything but the settings app. I’ll just have to keep my eyes on it. Hope this helps someone

I have the same issue, and I know how he does it. I have been requesting support for this problem for a long time but there seems to be no solution from Apple.

The method used is the following:

1. Click on change screentime code.
2. Click on I forgot the password.
3. When asked Appe ID you write it and then click on “forgot password”
4. Then you are asked the 6 digit code of the phone (!!!) and there you go, it allows you to change the Apple ID password, with which you are allowed to change the 4 digit screen time code.

Now the kid can do whatever he wants.

If he has the 6 digit code for unblocking the phone, then the screen time can be overriden in a matter of seconds.

At least this is the problem I have, I hope this can help.

Cheers

Hi Loren. Did you manage to figure this out? I seem to have the same problem with my 13yo. Thanks.

Change your Screen Time passcode daily (keep it very different each time) & see if it still happens. It may be a PITA but if the unauthorized access still happens, you maybe he DOES know (by whatever means) the Screen Time passcode and may be keeping the access at a minimum (or within certain parameters) to draw attention away from it. It's worth a try anyways, especially if you don't change the Screen Time passcode regularly.

If changing the passcode daily does NOT stop the access, then he is gaining access in some other way (of which you are indeed trying to figure out).