How To Restrict Apps And Other Content On iOS Devices

Whether it's to keep your stuff private from other folks at work or your kids, it's great to know how to keep certain apps and content from showing on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Just enable Restrictions on your iOS devices to prevent access. Here's how.

Start by tapping the Settings button on your device.

Tap on General.

Scroll down a bit and you will notice Restrictions is disabled by default. Tap it to enable and configure the settings.

Tap Enable Restrictions and select a PIN. Once you choose a PIN, take a look around the options.

IMPORTANT: Choose a PIN you won’t forget. If you forget the PIN, you'll need to do a factory reset on your device in order to disable the Restrictions feature. That's a hassle.

Now that you've enabled the Restrictions feature, toggle the factory-installed apps on or off as you like. This includes Safari, where you can turn off all links in email and Internet browsing from the phone. It also lets you turn off music purchases in iTunes. And, my favorite, you can use this feature to restrict the installation of new apps.

In addition to disabling specific apps, you also are able to configure Allowed Content settings. To do this, tap Apps, select the top age rating and disable any Apps or Game which is rated above 4+.

Once you set the rating, any game or application rated above that setting will no longer display on the device. For a parents, that's a nice touch.

Based in Seattle, Steve is a senior editor at BYTE. Follow him @krausesteve or email him at [email protected].