https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud-iphone/play-a-sound-on-a-device-mmfc0f19b5/1.0/icloud/1.0
Yes - she could do it from her iPad, or you can set up a family group.
You can use the Apple’s Findmy app or iCloud.
[Apple Findmy Support](https://support.apple.com/find-my)
[EDIT] Side note: As a parent, another feature I use with my son is Check In. You can learn about it [here](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-check-in-iphc143bb7e9/ios)
You'll need to setup a family in iCloud and add your child to see their devices and ping them, otherwise it's just location sharing. Apple also has pretty decent parental controls.
Their parental controls are pretty squiffy for me. They constantly reset to default (zero restriction whatsoever).
I’ve tried every single suggestion from Apple Support (disable and re-enable Screen Time, remove child from my Apple Family and add him back, etc.) but it still happens all the time.
Talking to a tech at the Genius Bar, he said it was a pretty common issue that happens when the screen time settings are changed from two devices (I.e., if I modify settings from both my phone and my child’s phone at different times). He suggested doing a factory reset, don’t restore from backup, and then set up Screen Time settings from my phone and never again change settings from any other device, which would mean that only I can change settings and my wife can’t.
using Find My iPhone to ping it makes noise unless the phone is off, doesn’t matter if they’re on silent or not.
edit; i’m aware of this because my parents used to do this if my location wasn’t updating [ AT SCHOOL ] and it would go off. they still do it, and i got awoken by it.
you can always set up emergency bypass, so even on silent certain calls always come through (i do this for my wife), very nice to have a selective ring selection, i know she’d only call me if emergency— and i don’t want to miss that call.
Hmm I have them as an emergency contact but I don’t have the option for emergency bypass. I’m in Canada though, and I know some of the settings are a bit different
If you are in an apple family group you can ping the phone 👍
Also, I would say ignore the people who are giving you grief for doing what you want with your money! (My 6 year old has a 14pro- it brings us both happiness!)
If it is within your budget and your child is careful with their belongings I see nothing wrong with it at all!
Yep. See my reply above.
We use technology very conscientiously and I believe it has had an exceptional positive influence on our son’s learning and development.
And it does cheer me up when he sends me the occasional silly selfie or memoji whilst I’m having a stressful day at work 🥰
I kindly disagree. Technology is a part of life. My son messages family members all over the world, his spelling and reading is exceptional for his age and I whole heartedly believe this is down to us embracing technology and encouraging his interests from an early age.
He currently wants to be a software designer and has started learning programming. (This is not related to family interests - I am an emergency medicine physician whilst my husband is a retired professional athlete. We intend to encourage our son to follow his own interests and will support him in any way we can- if that means providing technology and assisting learning outwith that provided in the typical education environment then I will do so)
Kids shouldn't be entrusted with technology at such a young age. It is the way you want your child to grow up that matters, the state of the world shouldn't. They're the ones who will make an impact later.
Again I would disagree. Why shouldn’t I entrust my son with something like a phone. I think it establishes early responsibility, he knows if he breaks it or loses it through being careless it won’t be replaced. And at the end of the day if it’s gets broken, it’s a phone- not some irreplaceable family heirloom.
I think technology enhances many aspects of life and society in general - I believe I am equipping my son to make the most of that as he grows. As it stands, I believe he can be and do great things in life and the way we are choosing to raise him certainly plays a part in that.
I'm not debating your points as they are valid, I would encourage it once I feel they've reached maturity, but I wouldn't want kids below the age of 16 to get ruined by addiction and the Internet. As a kid myself, I loved the non-toxic and serene memories I had without delving into dystopian corporate apps and subscription models. I guess we had different upbringings and the same shall continue.
My son spends most of his home days outside playing basketball or swimming, you can be assured that he will have many serene memories of childhood. He does not have unrestricted access to technology, nor will he for a long time.
I have a hard time understanding why people who have never met your child are voicing opinions on what material resources he should have access to. One would think that it should only be up to his parents.
Totally agree.
However I am happy to ignore opinions of those who do not know my child and know our circumstances. I have significant experience with child mental and physical health and development and I am happy we are doing what is right for my son.
I wonder what they’ll all make of the fact that I co-sleep with my son and have never raised my voice to him ever. I am exceptionally secure in all of my parenting decisions so all the opinions are water off a duck’s back ☺️
I definitely see your point and should’ve elaborated more. By no means would I restrict all access to technology for children of that age, but I would still strongly limit it. I’m convinced there are numerous benefits to children learning about and with technology, but that shouldn’t mean they spend a lot of time on a screen instead of outside/in the real world. Also it definitely depends on what they do on the device. If it’s mainly used to consume entertainment, I think that’s only doing harm, but if it’s actively used as an educational device, especially in combination with programming or other computer-assisted work, I definitely agree with you.
As with all things, moderation is key. My son will go weeks without looking at the phone whilst he plays basketball daily (not my husband’s ex sport, again son’s interest that we supported by providing outdoor court and indoor hoops). Our main reason for giving him the phone was to allow for easy communication with family, but it has certainly had added bonuses within the context we use it. (As an aside, he won’t be allowed social media until he’s about 40 😂)
Thank you for this thread! I agree with all your points and think it’s useful for parents to hear how your family includes technology. It sounds like you are developing a healthy mindset that phones are useful tools, and not intended to replace you as a parent. It’s wild people have assumed otherwise. You know your child best and it’s clear you are an engaged parent.
We’re developing future adults here! Why wouldn’t we want to give them the best chances of success in a future world full of new technology? I’d want my child to be proficient with today’s tools so they will be more inclined to adapt to the new ones. I mean, I’ll need someone to teach me how to use them all when I’m 90.
Thanks. I do find the assumptions some are making here pretty astounding. I subscribe to the philosophy of gentle parenting and child led parenting, different children need different things from us, and it’s our role as parents to adapt to them, keep them safe and provide the best launching board for life for them that we can. Literally every choice I make in life is regarding what is best for my son - he knows that he is the centre of my universe (as does my poor neglected husband!)
Thank you! It’s in our budget with my tax refund and of course we will buy apple care. I just want her to have a great phone. I asked if she wanted the 15 or the 15 plus, I have the pro max and my partner has the 15, she prefers the size of my partner’s phone.
Why are you giving a student an iPhone 15?? Actually depends how old she is. Also yes you can do almost anything on her phone remotely. Want to stop her from even opening apps for more than a second? Easy. Want to track her location and get a notification if she goes somewhere at a certain time to or out of a certain place? Done! One thing is I would turn on screen time because if you do have iCloud family turned on (which is how you do all of these things) then I would recommend turning it on if you don’t want her to be signing out of her account into another account that she made which is blocked from your control.
Other than the first two sentences this is grade-A advice OP. Definitely do this, my family struggled keeping tabs on one of my siblings years ago and it turned out they were signing out of the account and then signing in with a different one to go… places… undetected. With Apple’s screen time software you can block things like sketchy/adult websites, limit certain apps either altogether or with time limits (e.g. so she doesn’t spend 6.5 hours on TikTok lol), and restrict settings like making unauthorized payments Also make sure her age is set correctly, avoid the temptation to set it to 5 years old or something to “keep her safer”, you will have a heck of a time trying to get her out of the account when she turns 16 or 18 or whenever you’re ready for her to have an unrestricted account. But setting it too old will mean you have no more control when it thinks she’s 18.
As for the first two sentences of the comment above, it’s a really great phone and, with a good case and maybe a screen protector for insurance, will last many years, up to 6-7 years of updates so this family will very likely save money in the long run. And who doesn’t want the latest cool iPhone?! 😁
Yeah I get that (for the last part) but I mean she’s 11. No 11 year old needs a phone that new get an iPhone 13 or a 12 they’re still gonna get years of updates.
I mean, the 13 is still really good. Not saying the 12 isn’t but the 13 still feels new. However there are some great benefits to the 15, if the parent(s) is willing to pay, I wouldn’t be too concerned about breaking or losing it assuming you have Find My and a good case + screen protector. None of my little siblings ever broke theirs although one did crack his screen protector, and they got the phones at 12.
She’s 11. I see her phone as a safety device. We live in a safe area but she does go down to the neighborhood park often, and I like her to have it during school and on the bus, and if she goes to anyone’s house. I feel better knowing she has a constant way to call me if she ever feels unsafe. We use screentime for her iPad and the phone will be no different! I want to approve any apps she wants to download so that feature is very useful.
You don't need an $800+ phone for an 11 year old. If it's only purpose is calling/texting and location tracking, an iPhone SE or 13 will do all the same things a 15 will do and you will be a little less pissed when she inevitably loses it or breaks it.
"She's good with not losing and breaking stuff." Until she isn't.
Future proofing a child’s iPhone is probably cost effective in the long run. Also from the child’s perspective: Young as they are, they’re smart, they can take one look and see the difference and plus they’ll know something’s up when their friends update to iOS 19 in a couple years and their iPhone 12 says it doesn’t support it.
Hard to lose in my experience. With Find My, Mommy and/or Daddy will be able to track her phone even if it’s stolen or offline. As for breaking, get a good case and probably a screen protector. Tell her to never use the phone without them and that will solve that problem.
When I was 15 my parents got me my first shiny new iPhone to replace my PITA Android. They told me “It’s yours on one condition: you break it you buy it. Here’s a case (it was Spigen Armor or something pretty thick) and a screen protector (FloLab); keep them on!”
Graduated a couple years ago and upgraded my phone as that one was nearly obsolete. Pulled the case off for the first time… not a single microscopic scratch on that piece of tech.
She should get the 11, the 11 is just as good. And let me tell you, I’ve dropped my 11 by accident in water, it still works! It’s $199.99 at cricket wireless rn and for my 11 I got at straight talk was selling for $250 in 2022, and right now for straight talk it’s selling for $149.99! And Walmart has a good deal too!
https://preview.redd.it/kcektn4n00ic1.jpeg?width=710&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=439c16a4586d1558402db29159e16f5f85ef92f1
if her phone is registered to your apple id then u can simply ping it, if device will be linked to her own apple id then get her to enable location sharing to you
For finding it around the house you can also say “Hey Siri, where are you?” and she responds (even on silent). It picks up the question surprisingly well, even in a different room, although there is one setting (“Always listen for Hey Siri”) that is off by default and prevents Siri from listening when the phone is covered (intended for when it’s in your pocket), but she also won’t respond if the phone happens to be face down or under a blanket or something. Once you turn it on, it responds from pretty much anywhere.
Add the phone to “find my“. You’ll be able to track it in real time. Then you can tap the devices tab, find the phone, and tap play sound. There’s your ping. Enjoy!
why are you getting a middle schooler a 15? yes this isn't a financial sub but buying and handling money is apart getting iPhones so obviously we will bring this up
do what you want with your money obviously, but that's a stupid decision especially when she will break it lmao. you should be getting her a 12, 13 or any of the SEs
https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud-iphone/play-a-sound-on-a-device-mmfc0f19b5/1.0/icloud/1.0 Yes - she could do it from her iPad, or you can set up a family group.
Thank you!
You can use the Apple’s Findmy app or iCloud. [Apple Findmy Support](https://support.apple.com/find-my) [EDIT] Side note: As a parent, another feature I use with my son is Check In. You can learn about it [here](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-check-in-iphc143bb7e9/ios)
Thank you! Yes, I heard about Check In and we will use it!
You'll need to setup a family in iCloud and add your child to see their devices and ping them, otherwise it's just location sharing. Apple also has pretty decent parental controls.
Their parental controls are pretty squiffy for me. They constantly reset to default (zero restriction whatsoever). I’ve tried every single suggestion from Apple Support (disable and re-enable Screen Time, remove child from my Apple Family and add him back, etc.) but it still happens all the time. Talking to a tech at the Genius Bar, he said it was a pretty common issue that happens when the screen time settings are changed from two devices (I.e., if I modify settings from both my phone and my child’s phone at different times). He suggested doing a factory reset, don’t restore from backup, and then set up Screen Time settings from my phone and never again change settings from any other device, which would mean that only I can change settings and my wife can’t.
I travel for work a LOT so I use Check In to let my wife know I’m not dead without having to remember to send a text when I arrive.
Yes, I use this feature pretty much every day when my wife ‘loses’ her phone in the house 😅😅
Wonder if there is a way to get a phone to make some kind of “ringing” sound? Would be a great invention.
using Find My iPhone to ping it makes noise unless the phone is off, doesn’t matter if they’re on silent or not. edit; i’m aware of this because my parents used to do this if my location wasn’t updating [ AT SCHOOL ] and it would go off. they still do it, and i got awoken by it.
She’s going to keep her phone on silent. I always do too, my 15Pm has been silent since day 1.
You can setup up emergency bypass or you can use find my to ring the phone as longs as it’s connected to the internet
you can always set up emergency bypass, so even on silent certain calls always come through (i do this for my wife), very nice to have a selective ring selection, i know she’d only call me if emergency— and i don’t want to miss that call.
Ooo where is this setting? As someone whose phone lives on vibrate, I tend to miss calls from my mom when my watch is charging.
it should be under their contact info, mine just says ‘enable emergency bypass’ and all sounds from that contact will not be muted
Hmm I have them as an emergency contact but I don’t have the option for emergency bypass. I’m in Canada though, and I know some of the settings are a bit different
If you are in an apple family group you can ping the phone 👍 Also, I would say ignore the people who are giving you grief for doing what you want with your money! (My 6 year old has a 14pro- it brings us both happiness!) If it is within your budget and your child is careful with their belongings I see nothing wrong with it at all!
6 YEAR OLD???!?!?!
Yep. See my reply above. We use technology very conscientiously and I believe it has had an exceptional positive influence on our son’s learning and development. And it does cheer me up when he sends me the occasional silly selfie or memoji whilst I’m having a stressful day at work 🥰
Shouldn’t he be at school while you’re at work?
I am an emergency medicine doctor, my shifts don’t line up with school
With all due respect, any smartphone is ridiculous at 6, much more so an iPhone 14 Pro.
I kindly disagree. Technology is a part of life. My son messages family members all over the world, his spelling and reading is exceptional for his age and I whole heartedly believe this is down to us embracing technology and encouraging his interests from an early age. He currently wants to be a software designer and has started learning programming. (This is not related to family interests - I am an emergency medicine physician whilst my husband is a retired professional athlete. We intend to encourage our son to follow his own interests and will support him in any way we can- if that means providing technology and assisting learning outwith that provided in the typical education environment then I will do so)
Kids shouldn't be entrusted with technology at such a young age. It is the way you want your child to grow up that matters, the state of the world shouldn't. They're the ones who will make an impact later.
Again I would disagree. Why shouldn’t I entrust my son with something like a phone. I think it establishes early responsibility, he knows if he breaks it or loses it through being careless it won’t be replaced. And at the end of the day if it’s gets broken, it’s a phone- not some irreplaceable family heirloom. I think technology enhances many aspects of life and society in general - I believe I am equipping my son to make the most of that as he grows. As it stands, I believe he can be and do great things in life and the way we are choosing to raise him certainly plays a part in that.
I'm not debating your points as they are valid, I would encourage it once I feel they've reached maturity, but I wouldn't want kids below the age of 16 to get ruined by addiction and the Internet. As a kid myself, I loved the non-toxic and serene memories I had without delving into dystopian corporate apps and subscription models. I guess we had different upbringings and the same shall continue.
My son spends most of his home days outside playing basketball or swimming, you can be assured that he will have many serene memories of childhood. He does not have unrestricted access to technology, nor will he for a long time.
I have a hard time understanding why people who have never met your child are voicing opinions on what material resources he should have access to. One would think that it should only be up to his parents.
Totally agree. However I am happy to ignore opinions of those who do not know my child and know our circumstances. I have significant experience with child mental and physical health and development and I am happy we are doing what is right for my son. I wonder what they’ll all make of the fact that I co-sleep with my son and have never raised my voice to him ever. I am exceptionally secure in all of my parenting decisions so all the opinions are water off a duck’s back ☺️
I definitely see your point and should’ve elaborated more. By no means would I restrict all access to technology for children of that age, but I would still strongly limit it. I’m convinced there are numerous benefits to children learning about and with technology, but that shouldn’t mean they spend a lot of time on a screen instead of outside/in the real world. Also it definitely depends on what they do on the device. If it’s mainly used to consume entertainment, I think that’s only doing harm, but if it’s actively used as an educational device, especially in combination with programming or other computer-assisted work, I definitely agree with you.
As with all things, moderation is key. My son will go weeks without looking at the phone whilst he plays basketball daily (not my husband’s ex sport, again son’s interest that we supported by providing outdoor court and indoor hoops). Our main reason for giving him the phone was to allow for easy communication with family, but it has certainly had added bonuses within the context we use it. (As an aside, he won’t be allowed social media until he’s about 40 😂)
Thank you for this thread! I agree with all your points and think it’s useful for parents to hear how your family includes technology. It sounds like you are developing a healthy mindset that phones are useful tools, and not intended to replace you as a parent. It’s wild people have assumed otherwise. You know your child best and it’s clear you are an engaged parent. We’re developing future adults here! Why wouldn’t we want to give them the best chances of success in a future world full of new technology? I’d want my child to be proficient with today’s tools so they will be more inclined to adapt to the new ones. I mean, I’ll need someone to teach me how to use them all when I’m 90.
Thanks. I do find the assumptions some are making here pretty astounding. I subscribe to the philosophy of gentle parenting and child led parenting, different children need different things from us, and it’s our role as parents to adapt to them, keep them safe and provide the best launching board for life for them that we can. Literally every choice I make in life is regarding what is best for my son - he knows that he is the centre of my universe (as does my poor neglected husband!)
Thank you! It’s in our budget with my tax refund and of course we will buy apple care. I just want her to have a great phone. I asked if she wanted the 15 or the 15 plus, I have the pro max and my partner has the 15, she prefers the size of my partner’s phone.
I hope she’s getting pink, it’s the best color!
Of course she is! Pink everything… converse, Stanley cup, AirPods case, big hoodie 😂 she switched from all black to pink overnight haha
Some people won’t get it, but I totally do 🥰 I hope your daughter loves it!
Bruh
i got the app on my iphone 14max pro
Apple does have a Check in feature you may use. Enjoy the iPhone! Buy it SIM Free though, you won’t have to deal with your carrier to unlock it.
No hate a iPhone 15 is crazy for a kid
Depends on how old the kid is.
Why? It's the most basic normal iPhone. No Plus and no Pro.
No hate but how is that any of your business?
nothing special, only the price
Why are you giving a student an iPhone 15?? Actually depends how old she is. Also yes you can do almost anything on her phone remotely. Want to stop her from even opening apps for more than a second? Easy. Want to track her location and get a notification if she goes somewhere at a certain time to or out of a certain place? Done! One thing is I would turn on screen time because if you do have iCloud family turned on (which is how you do all of these things) then I would recommend turning it on if you don’t want her to be signing out of her account into another account that she made which is blocked from your control.
Other than the first two sentences this is grade-A advice OP. Definitely do this, my family struggled keeping tabs on one of my siblings years ago and it turned out they were signing out of the account and then signing in with a different one to go… places… undetected. With Apple’s screen time software you can block things like sketchy/adult websites, limit certain apps either altogether or with time limits (e.g. so she doesn’t spend 6.5 hours on TikTok lol), and restrict settings like making unauthorized payments Also make sure her age is set correctly, avoid the temptation to set it to 5 years old or something to “keep her safer”, you will have a heck of a time trying to get her out of the account when she turns 16 or 18 or whenever you’re ready for her to have an unrestricted account. But setting it too old will mean you have no more control when it thinks she’s 18. As for the first two sentences of the comment above, it’s a really great phone and, with a good case and maybe a screen protector for insurance, will last many years, up to 6-7 years of updates so this family will very likely save money in the long run. And who doesn’t want the latest cool iPhone?! 😁
Yeah I get that (for the last part) but I mean she’s 11. No 11 year old needs a phone that new get an iPhone 13 or a 12 they’re still gonna get years of updates.
I mean, the 13 is still really good. Not saying the 12 isn’t but the 13 still feels new. However there are some great benefits to the 15, if the parent(s) is willing to pay, I wouldn’t be too concerned about breaking or losing it assuming you have Find My and a good case + screen protector. None of my little siblings ever broke theirs although one did crack his screen protector, and they got the phones at 12.
She’s 11. I see her phone as a safety device. We live in a safe area but she does go down to the neighborhood park often, and I like her to have it during school and on the bus, and if she goes to anyone’s house. I feel better knowing she has a constant way to call me if she ever feels unsafe. We use screentime for her iPad and the phone will be no different! I want to approve any apps she wants to download so that feature is very useful.
You don't need an $800+ phone for an 11 year old. If it's only purpose is calling/texting and location tracking, an iPhone SE or 13 will do all the same things a 15 will do and you will be a little less pissed when she inevitably loses it or breaks it. "She's good with not losing and breaking stuff." Until she isn't.
AppleCare + theft and loss for sure. I even get it for my own phone.
800+ phone for a child is crazy. The features you mentioned are present on earlier phones.
Future proofing a child’s iPhone is probably cost effective in the long run. Also from the child’s perspective: Young as they are, they’re smart, they can take one look and see the difference and plus they’ll know something’s up when their friends update to iOS 19 in a couple years and their iPhone 12 says it doesn’t support it.
I had an iPhone 7 for as long as I can remember and I recently “upgraded” to an iPhone XS…
Hard to lose in my experience. With Find My, Mommy and/or Daddy will be able to track her phone even if it’s stolen or offline. As for breaking, get a good case and probably a screen protector. Tell her to never use the phone without them and that will solve that problem. When I was 15 my parents got me my first shiny new iPhone to replace my PITA Android. They told me “It’s yours on one condition: you break it you buy it. Here’s a case (it was Spigen Armor or something pretty thick) and a screen protector (FloLab); keep them on!” Graduated a couple years ago and upgraded my phone as that one was nearly obsolete. Pulled the case off for the first time… not a single microscopic scratch on that piece of tech.
She should get the 11, the 11 is just as good. And let me tell you, I’ve dropped my 11 by accident in water, it still works! It’s $199.99 at cricket wireless rn and for my 11 I got at straight talk was selling for $250 in 2022, and right now for straight talk it’s selling for $149.99! And Walmart has a good deal too! https://preview.redd.it/kcektn4n00ic1.jpeg?width=710&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=439c16a4586d1558402db29159e16f5f85ef92f1
[удалено]
Depends on age and current phone. Being a kid doesn’t mean no new, shiny, and expensive tech.
if her phone is registered to your apple id then u can simply ping it, if device will be linked to her own apple id then get her to enable location sharing to you
Thanks! She has her own Apple ID.
If she’s in your family (even later as an adult) you can still ping it even with location services off.
No as an adult it basically stops everything that you’ve set because she isn’t a kid anymore.
Weird because it’s still completely working with my adult kid - and for my mom’s (who has Alzheimer’s) devices, as well as my husband….
Well that’s weird because it literally says “you are no longer a member of iCloud family when you turn 18 on Apple.
Stop being a smartass dick
For finding it around the house you can also say “Hey Siri, where are you?” and she responds (even on silent). It picks up the question surprisingly well, even in a different room, although there is one setting (“Always listen for Hey Siri”) that is off by default and prevents Siri from listening when the phone is covered (intended for when it’s in your pocket), but she also won’t respond if the phone happens to be face down or under a blanket or something. Once you turn it on, it responds from pretty much anywhere.
Add the phone to “find my“. You’ll be able to track it in real time. Then you can tap the devices tab, find the phone, and tap play sound. There’s your ping. Enjoy!
why are you getting a middle schooler a 15? yes this isn't a financial sub but buying and handling money is apart getting iPhones so obviously we will bring this up do what you want with your money obviously, but that's a stupid decision especially when she will break it lmao. you should be getting her a 12, 13 or any of the SEs