In Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Store, Web, Siri & Game Center Content > Web Content, you can block sites either by blocking adult websites or allowing only approved websites. This works fine when it comes to blocking webpages, but it does NOTHING for downloads. For example, if you set it on "Only Approved Websites", which by default allows a few kids websites and blocks everything else, and then type a download link into the URL box of Safari (or any other browser or app that uses WebKit) -- the download goes through and you are able to download an entire file despite the fact that the domain that the file comes from is blocked. This is because the link is is a download link, not a webpage link. This bypass works for any website at all, and includes adult movies, images, applications -- whatever you want to download, you can download as long as you have the download link.
How do I block downloads on WebKit in iOS?
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Try Settings > Screen Time > Communication Safety: on. It won't be perfect, but it may be the best you can do. You can't win a technological arms race with your child.Linc Davis– Linc Davis2024年08月08日 18:45:26 +00:00Commented Aug 8, 2024 at 18:45
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@nohillside You can literally try this right now. Go on Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Toggle > Store, Web, Siri & Game Center Content > Web Content > Only Approved Websites. Make sure the settings are set. Go to python.org. It will not load (as expected), because python.org is not whitelisted. Now type into the URL box "python.org/ftp/python/3.12.5/python-3.12.5.exe" and the download WILL go through, you can imagine how this would be for adult videos.BarackBarackBarack– BarackBarackBarack2024年08月09日 20:17:39 +00:00Commented Aug 9, 2024 at 20:17
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Wow, that's bad :-(nohillside– nohillside ♦2024年08月10日 11:42:11 +00:00Commented Aug 10, 2024 at 11:42
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Maybe this? dnsoverride.comLinc Davis– Linc Davis2024年08月10日 12:49:10 +00:00Commented Aug 10, 2024 at 12:49
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Most businesses handle this on the network side. I can’t guess how crafty your child is, but you’re fighting a losing battle with search engines rendering results and providing downloads if you allow access to the web.
- MDM solutions can enforce VPN and settings a bit more strongly than the parental controls and screen time can.
- Third party content filters such as 1Blocker adult content safari filter exist.
- Other parents have faced this struggle, so finding a group to share parenting tips may be beneficial.
- Home networks you can manage DNS and use the same VPN you install for mobile data access or augment with a self hosted solution. (E.g. PiHole, https://signup.opendns.com/familyshield/)
On device, you’ll have to block the browser if you can’t trust your child to work with you and submit to checks of browser logs, not erase data, etc...
Even messages is an entry point if "friends" do the searching for your child and the download link doesn’t trigger a sensitive content image screen (which is designed to process attached images, not parse links for safety - and it also allows the child to view if they tap the correct answers in the prompts).