{"id":74011,"date":"2021-05-03T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=74011"},"modified":"2021-04-30T16:12:53","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T21:12:53","slug":"restrict-app-usage-using-parental-controls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/74011-restrict-app-usage-using-parental-controls\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Restrict &#038; Limit App Usage Using Parental Controls in Big Sur"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I&#8217;ve been working from home for a long time now, and more and more folks like me are joining the WFH [work from home] numbers thanks to the COVID pandemic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"190\" height=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/big-sur-screen-time-icon-190x190.png\" alt=\"macOS Big Sur Screen Time Icon\" class=\"wp-image-74331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/big-sur-screen-time-icon-190x190.png 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/big-sur-screen-time-icon-120x120.png 120w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/big-sur-screen-time-icon-284x284.png 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/big-sur-screen-time-icon-380x380.png 380w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/big-sur-screen-time-icon.png 1024w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/big-sur-screen-time-icon-120x120@2x.png 240w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/big-sur-screen-time-icon-284x284@2x.png 568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether this is a temporary or permanent situation, you may find yourself (as I have) needing to block certain apps from your kids or grandkids. I recommend using the macOS <strong>Parental Controls<\/strong>, which makes it easy to set up a limited-access account for little ones, for public usage Macs, enterprise Macs, or to set up a restricted Guest account for when someone else is using your Mac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before macOS Big Sur, the Parental Controls were a separate item in <strong>System Preferences<\/strong>. Now the item is included under the <strong>Screen Time<\/strong> section. I don\u2019t like the change, but, hey, <a href=\"http:\/\/apple.com\">Apple<\/a> didn\u2019t ask me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can set a schedule for time away from the screen for you and others (and, for brevity\u2019s sake, I\u2019ll just refer to app limits for kiddos for the rest of this article). For instance, you might want to schedule downtime during meals or at bedtime. If your child tries to access their device during downtime, they\u2019ll have to request more time from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-enabling-screen-time\"><strong>Enabling Screen Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you can set up downtime, you need to turn on Screen Time. Go to <strong>System Preferences > Screen Time<\/strong> and <strong>Turn On Screen Time<\/strong>. You can also choose to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Share across devices<\/strong>, which will enable this on any iPhone, iPad, or Mac signed in to iCloud to report the combined screen time for the devices.<\/li><li><strong>Use Screen Time Password<\/strong>, which will require the use of a passcode to secure Screen Time settings and to allow for your time when the time limit expires.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-preferences.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-preferences.jpg\" alt=\"macOS Screen Time Preferences\" class=\"wp-image-74313\" width=\"662\" height=\"509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-preferences.jpg 1324w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-preferences-156x120.jpg 156w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-preferences-284x218.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-preferences-190x146.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-preferences-156x120@2x.jpg 312w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-preferences-284x218@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-preferences-190x146@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-setting-up-downtime\"><strong>Setting up Downtime<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-to-set-up-downtime\">To set up Downtime:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>If you\u2019re using Family Sharing<\/strong>: Log in to your Mac user account, then make sure you\u2019re signed in with your Apple ID. <\/li><li><strong>If you aren\u2019t using Family Sharing<\/strong>: Log in to a family member\u2019s Mac user account.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Choose <strong>Apple menu\u00a0> System Preferences<\/strong>, then click <strong>Screen Time<\/strong> (the hourglass icon). If you\u2019re using <strong>Family Sharing<\/strong>, click the pop-up menu in the sidebar, then choose a family member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Click <strong>Downtime<\/strong> in the sidebar. Turn on Downtime if it\u2019s not enabled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-do-one-of-the-following\">Do one of the following:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Set up the same downtime schedule for every day<\/strong>: Select Every Day, then enter the start and end times.<\/li><li><strong>Set up a different downtime for each day of the week<\/strong>: Select Custom, then enter start and end times for each day.<\/li><li>If you want to block the device during downtime, select the <strong>Block At Downtime<\/strong> checkbox.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/macos-downtime-preferences.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/macos-downtime-preferences.jpg\" alt=\"macOS Downtime Preferences\" class=\"wp-image-74316\" width=\"662\" height=\"509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/macos-downtime-preferences.jpg 1324w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/macos-downtime-preferences-156x120.jpg 156w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/macos-downtime-preferences-284x218.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/macos-downtime-preferences-190x146.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/macos-downtime-preferences-156x120@2x.jpg 312w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/macos-downtime-preferences-284x218@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/macos-downtime-preferences-190x146@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-setting-time-limits-for-apps\"><strong>Setting Time Limits for Apps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can set time limits for apps.&nbsp; If you\u2019re using Family Sharing: Log in to your Mac user account, then make sure you\u2019re signed in with your Apple ID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If you aren\u2019t using Family Sharing: Log in to a family member\u2019s Mac user account.<\/li><li>Choose <strong>Apple menu > System Preferences<\/strong>, then click <strong>Screen Time<\/strong>.<\/li><li>If you\u2019re a member of a <strong>Family Sharing<\/strong> group, click the pop-up menu in the sidebar, then choose a family member.<\/li><li>Click <strong>App Limits<\/strong> in the sidebar.<\/li><li>If App Limits is off, click <strong>Turn On<\/strong> in the upper-right corner. If the Turn On button is dimmed, you need to turn on Screen Time.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/create-new-app-limit.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/create-new-app-limit.jpg\" alt=\"Create a new app limit in macos screen time\" class=\"wp-image-74318\" width=\"658\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/create-new-app-limit.jpg 1316w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/create-new-app-limit-137x120.jpg 137w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/create-new-app-limit-284x249.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/create-new-app-limit-190x166.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/create-new-app-limit-137x120@2x.jpg 274w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/create-new-app-limit-284x249@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/create-new-app-limit-190x166@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 658px) 100vw, 658px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Click the <strong>Add<\/strong> button (a plus sign) to create a new app limit. You can include any combination of apps, categories, or websites in each limit you create.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the \u201c<strong>Create a new app limit<\/strong>\u201d window, select the checkbox next to each of the apps, categories, or websites that you want to include in the limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Search for an app, category, or website<\/strong>: Type a name in the search field. The list updates as you type.<\/li><li><strong>See the apps in a category<\/strong>: Click the arrow next to the category.<\/li><li><strong>Limit all apps in a category<\/strong>: Select the checkbox next to the category in the list.<\/li><li><strong>Limit all apps and categories<\/strong>: Select the checkbox next to the category All Apps &amp; Categories in the list.<\/li><li><strong>Limit an individual app<\/strong>: Select the checkbox next to the app in the list.<\/li><li><strong>Limit a website<\/strong>: Click the arrow next to the category Websites at the bottom of the list. If the website has been visited, it appears in the list below the Website category, and you can select the checkbox next to it. If the website isn\u2019t in the list, click the Add Website button below the website list, then type the URL for the website.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Enter a limit in the <strong>Time<\/strong> field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Set up the same app limit for every day<\/strong>: Select Every Day, then enter an amount of time.<\/li><li><strong>Set up a different app limit for each day of the week<\/strong>: Select Custom, then enter an amount of time for each day.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Click <strong>Done<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-change-an-app-limit\"><strong>Change an App Limit<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To change a limit, if you\u2019re using Family Sharing: Log in to your Mac user account, then make sure you\u2019re signed in with your Apple ID. If you aren\u2019t using Family Sharing: Log in to a family member\u2019s Mac user account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Choose <strong>Apple menu \u00a0> System Preferences<\/strong>, then click <strong>Screen Time<\/strong>.<\/li><li>If you\u2019re a member of a Family Sharing group, click the pop-up menu in the sidebar, then choose a family member.<\/li><li>Click <strong>App Limits<\/strong> in the sidebar.<\/li><li>In the list, select the limit you want to change, then click <strong>Edit Limit<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/edit-app-limit.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/edit-app-limit.jpg\" alt=\"Edit App Limit window in macOS screen time preferences\" class=\"wp-image-74321\" width=\"550\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/edit-app-limit.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/edit-app-limit-284x116.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/edit-app-limit-190x78.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/edit-app-limit-284x116@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/edit-app-limit-190x78@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to change the time limit, enter new limits in the Time field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Set up the same app limit for every day<\/strong>: Select Every Day, then enter an amount of time.<\/li><li><strong>Set up a different app limit for each day of the week<\/strong>: Select Custom, then enter an amount of time for each day.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to change the apps included in the limit, click <strong>Edit Apps<\/strong>. If you don\u2019t want to change the apps included in the limit, click <strong>Done<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the \u201c<strong>Edit app limit<\/strong>\u201d window, select or deselect the checkboxes next to each of the apps, categories, or websites that you want to include in the limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Search for an app, category, or website<\/strong>: Type a name in the search field. The list updates as you type.<\/li><li><strong>See the apps in a category<\/strong>: Click the arrow next to the category.<\/li><li><strong>Limit all apps in a category<\/strong>: Select the checkbox next to the category in the list.<\/li><li><strong>Limit all apps and categories<\/strong>: Select the checkbox next to the category All Apps &amp; Categories in the list.<\/li><li><strong>Limit an individual app<\/strong>: Select the checkbox next to the app in the list.<\/li><li><strong>Limit a website<\/strong>: Click the arrow next to the category Websites at the bottom of the list. If the website has been visited, it appears in the list below the Website category, and you can select the checkbox next to it. If the website isn\u2019t in the list, click the Add Website button below the website list, then type the URL for the website.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Click <strong>Done<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-turn-specific-app-limits-on-or-off\"><strong>Turn Specific App Limits On or Off<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can turn limits on or off to make temporary changes to the limits. If you turn a limit off, the limit remains set up, and you can turn it on again at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>If you\u2019re using Family Sharing<\/strong>: Log in to your Mac user account, then make sure you\u2019re signed in with your Apple ID. <\/li><li><strong>If you aren\u2019t using Family Sharing<\/strong>: Log in to a family member\u2019s Mac user account.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Choose <strong>Apple menu\u00a0> System Preferences<\/strong>, then click <strong>Screen Time<\/strong> .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If you\u2019re using Family Sharing, click the pop-up menu in the sidebar, then choose a family member.<\/li><li>Click App Limits in the sidebar.<\/li><li>In the list, select limits you want to turn on, or deselect the limits you want to turn off.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-remove-a-limit\"><strong>How to Remove a Limit<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You and remove a limit; however, if you do, <em>it\u2019s deleted permanently<\/em>. If you think you might want to use a limit again later, turn it off instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>If you\u2019re using Family Sharing<\/strong>: Log in to your Mac user account, then make sure you\u2019re signed in with your Apple ID. <\/li><li><strong>If you aren\u2019t using Family Sharing<\/strong>: Log in to a family member\u2019s Mac user account.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Choose <strong>Apple menu\u00a0> System Preferences<\/strong>, then click <strong>Screen Time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If you\u2019re using Family Sharing, click the pop-up menu in the sidebar, then choose a family member.<\/li><li>Click App Limits in the sidebar.<\/li><li>In the list, select one or more limits to remove, then click the Remove button.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-turn-off-app-limits\"><strong>Turn Off App Limits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can turn off limits; if you do, they remain set up, but aren\u2019t applied. You can turn App Limits back on at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>If you\u2019re using Family Sharing<\/strong>: Log in to your Mac user account, then make sure you\u2019re signed in with your Apple ID. <\/li><li><strong>If you aren\u2019t using Family Sharing<\/strong>: Log in to a family member\u2019s Mac user account.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Choose <strong>Apple menu \u00a0> System Preferences<\/strong>, then click <strong>Screen Time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If you\u2019re using Family Sharing, click the pop-up menu in the sidebar, then choose a family member.<\/li><li>Click <strong>App Limits<\/strong> in the sidebar, then click <strong>Turn Off<\/strong> in the upper-right corner.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/turn-app-limits-off.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/turn-app-limits-off.jpg\" alt=\"Turn off macOS Big Sur App Limits\" class=\"wp-image-74324\" width=\"658\" height=\"229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/turn-app-limits-off.jpg 1316w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/turn-app-limits-off-284x99.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/turn-app-limits-off-190x66.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/turn-app-limits-off-284x99@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/turn-app-limits-off-190x66@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 658px) 100vw, 658px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-limit-communication-options-on-your-mac\"><strong>How to Limit Communication Options on Your Mac<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><br \/>You can limit Communication options by opening Screen Time and clicking on <strong>Communication<\/strong> on the left-hand side of the pane. You can then limit communication to <strong>Contacts Only<\/strong> (folks in your Contacts list), <strong>Contacts &amp; Groups<\/strong> with at Least One Contact, or <strong>Everyone<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-communication-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-communication-1.jpg\" alt=\"macOS Screen Time Communication Preferences\" class=\"wp-image-74328\" width=\"658\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-communication-1.jpg 1316w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-communication-1-137x120.jpg 137w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-communication-1-284x249.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-communication-1-190x166.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-communication-1-137x120@2x.jpg 274w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-communication-1-284x249@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-communication-1-190x166@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 658px) 100vw, 658px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>During Downtime, you can choose to allow (or not) Communication with <strong>Specific Contacts<\/strong> or <strong>Everyone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-enable-the-use-of-specific-apps-during-downtime\">How to Enable the Use of Specific Apps During Downtime<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can enable the use of specific apps during Downtime. With Screen Time open, click the \u201c<strong>Always Allowed<\/strong>\u201d option on the left-hand side of the pane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-always-allowed.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-always-allowed.jpg\" alt=\"Always Allowed menu in macOS Screen Time preferences\" class=\"wp-image-74329\" width=\"658\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-always-allowed.jpg 1316w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-always-allowed-137x120.jpg 137w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-always-allowed-284x249.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-always-allowed-190x166.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-always-allowed-137x120@2x.jpg 274w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-always-allowed-284x249@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/screen-time-always-allowed-190x166@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 658px) 100vw, 658px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You can choose to enable, or not, specific apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, you can open the Screen Time option in System Preferences and click \u201c<strong>Content &amp; Privacy<\/strong>\u201d on the left-hand side of the pane to restrict explicit content, purchases, downloads, and privacy settings on your Mac\u2019s content, in Apple\u2019s online app stores, in apps themselves, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-related-links\">Related Links<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-related-links\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/69811-create-apple-id-for-your-child\/\">How to Create an Apple ID for Your Child in macOS<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/50187-macos-catalina-features-using-screen-time\/\">macOS Catalina Features: Using Screen Time<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/60181-work-from-home-essentials-helpful-apps-and-utilities\/\">Work From Home Essentials: Helpful Apps and Utilities<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/54345-catalina-quick-tip-how-to-use-screen-time\/\">Catalina Quick Tip: How to Use Screen Time<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve been working from home for a long time now, and more and more folks like me are joining the WFH [work from home] numbers thanks to the COVID pandemic.&nbsp; Whether this is a temporary or permanent situation, you may find yourself (as I have) needing to block certain apps from your kids or grandkids. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":74334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"class_list":["post-74011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-tips"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.2 (Yoast SEO v20.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Restrict &amp; Limit App Usage Using Parental Controls on a Mac<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Before Big Sur, the Parental Controls were a separate item in System Preferences. Now App Limits are under the Screen Time section. I don\u2019t like the change, but, hey, Apple didn\u2019t ask me.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/74011-restrict-app-usage-using-parental-controls\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Restrict &amp; Limit App Usage Using Parental Controls in Big Sur\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Before Big Sur, the Parental Controls were a separate item in System Preferences. Now App Limits are under the Screen Time section. 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