Turning on Screen Time Content & Privacy Restrictions enables setting parental controls. Left with just the default settings, it is known to block access to various legitimate learning resources at school.
Following are some options that we have seen work in the BYO setting. These can allow your student to:
- Initially on-board their iPad to the school Wi-Fi (via Intune Company Portal)
- Use resources provided by the school (eg: activate Microsoft Word, log in to learning apps)
- Reach various other online resources that might otherwise be blocked by Content & Privacy Restrictions
Content & Privacy Restrictions work in addition to the filtered internet available over the school Wi-Fi.
Filtered school internet is in effect only while the iPad is in use at school in the approved way.
All of these options require assistance from the parent or carer (to enter the Screen Time PIN), therefore must usually be carried out at home.
The illustrations are taken from a Screen Time manager’s iPhone, but the process can also be done on the student’s iPad.
Option 1 (Best): Actively Manage Content Restrictions
This option utilises two tools that supplement each other.
i) Manually Add URLs to The Whitelist
Use this tool to give access to a website where the address (URL) is known in advance, or, where the Allow Website feature (below) is not working for some reason.
In the Settings app, navigate to:
Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Web Content
Then select:
Add Website
Choose your own title for this entry, then enter the URL:
It is known to cause issues if the following URLs remain blocked.
We suggest adding each of them to the list of safe websites – using the above instructions – as a starting point. We will amend this list from time to time.
fed.education.qld.gov.au
whoami.eq.edu.au
login.microsoft.com
manage.microsoft.com
reCAPTCHA.com
classdojo.com
mathletics.com
login.microsoftonline.com
guest.qed.qld.gov.au
ii) Use the Allow Website Feature
If your student encounters a blocked website, a message will show in place of the website saying that the resource has been restricted. Below the message will be a blue prompt to
Allow Website.
Tapping Allow Website will bring up a prompt for the Screen Time PIN, to be entered by the parent or carer.
A few moments after the PIN has been entered, Safari will automatically close. Then it’s time to try and load the website again.
Students are encouraged to take a screenshot of the Allow Website prompt if they encounter it at school, to show it to their parent or carer back at home so they can use the URL shown in the screenshot with the Manually Add URLs to The Whitelist method (above).
Option 2 (Not Ideal): Turn It Off Temporarily
This option might be useful in scenarios where something is being blocked (or appears to be broken) and Option 1 is not applicable. For example, a login form does not load or is apparently not working and it is not obvious what the website URL is.
In this case:
- turn the Content & Privacy Restrictions OFF
- promptly retry the login (or whatever the failing task is) on the BYO iPad
- as soon as possible, turn the Content & Privacy Restrictions ON
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Note that it might be necessary to repeat this process from time to time, for example if the app requires to be logged in again.
Option 3 (Not Recommended): Turn It Off
This option is not recommended unless Screen Time was inadvertently enabled and the parent or carer does not actually wish to use it with their student’s iPad.
We encourage parents and carers to consider the other options before deciding to turn off Content & Privacy Restrictions.
With Content & Privacy Restrictions turned off (and without an alternative in place) your student’s iPad will continue to have filtered internet access while at school, but no protection in place when it is connected to other points of internet access.
Screen Time Tips | Setting Up Screen Time | Content & Privacy Restrictions