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IT'S PLAY TIME

Dad reveals 7-year-old’s cheeky iPhone ‘hack’ for Apple’s Screen Time limits

A CLEVER kid has worked out a way of getting around Apple's new Screen Time restrictions.

The new feature lets you limit how much time your children spend on apps and games – but one youngster found a cheeky "hack" that let him play games.

 Apple's new iOS 12 iPhone update lets you set time limits for using apps
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Apple's new iOS 12 iPhone update lets you set time limits for using appsCredit: Getty - Contributor

Apple added Screen Time with last week's iOS 12 update for your iPhone.

The main function of Screen Time is to let adults track how much they're using their phone.

It tracks how much time you spend in apps, the number of notifications you receive, and how many times you pick up your phone.

But through the Family Share function (which lets you set up child accounts), you can also limit access to apps and games for children.

 The iOS Screen Time limits will prevent kids from using apps once their time is up
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The iOS Screen Time limits will prevent kids from using apps once their time is up

One dad, who posted his story to Reddit, applied these very restrictions.

But after a few days, the bewildered dad began to suspect something wasn't working right.

"My kid managed to pass Screen Time limit," he explained.

"When iOS 12 came out, I limited my 7-year-old son's screen time through the Family Share.

"For a few days I felt like he was playing a bit more than he should, but I couldn't figure out why."

It turned out that the 7-year-old had discovered a way of playing games – even when he'd reached the allotted time limit.

"Finally today, my son revealed his hack," the dad wrote.

"When he runs out of Screen Time and his games get locked, he heads to [the] App Store, downloads a previously installed (but later removed) game through the cloud icon, and it works without limitations!

"What can I say...I'm not even mad. That's impressive."

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So what actually happened?

When you set up Screen Time limitations, it'll cut your kids off from playing games after a certain amount of time – like two hours, for instance.

You can also set it so that new apps can't be downloaded to the phone – which could potentially get around the system.

But if an app has already been downloaded and then deleted, it doesn't require the same permission.

That means the child was able to install gaming apps that had been deleted, these apps would then work without being tied down to limits.

It sounds like a major loophole, but there is an easy fix.

You can simply remove the App Store entirely using the restrictions system, so even previously downloaded apps can't be installed.

Apple released iOS 12 on Monday, September 17.

The new software adds a host of new features including Screen Time, animated Memoji emoji, grouped notifications, and an enhanced Do Not Disturb mode.

Apple also recently revealed its new smartphones for 2018.

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max went on sale last week for £999 to £1,449 – with a third handset, the iPhone XR, set for release in October.

Apple declined to comment on this story.

Not got iOS 12 yet? Follow our easy guide on how to update your iPhone.

Will you be setting Screen Time limits for your kids? Let us know in the comments!


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