two kids using a phone and a tablet
Apple has promised updates to "improve the situation."
  • Parents say Apple's parental controls are failing them, The Wall Street Journal reported.
  • The company has acknowledged the issue and promised to make "updates to improve the situation."
  • Issues with Downtime and Family Sharing have been reported as far back as 2020 in Apple forums.

Some families who use Apple products say they're having issues with the parental Screen Time controls, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Apple introduced Screen Time in 2018, and it included a setting called Downtime. The feature is meant to allow parents to restrict apps and limit screen time on their children's iPhones, iPads, and iPods from their own devices.