Filed under: iPod Family, Portables, iPhone
iPhone parental controls?
The iPhone Dev Team seems to have stumbled across a hidden feature in the next version of the iPhone firmware. The picture is reminiscent of the iPhone SDK "Organizer" that shows the currently connected iPhone. However, something that's different from the screenshots that we posted is the "Console," "Crash Logs," and "Screenshot" tabs at the top of the window. The screenshot shows a "Parental Controls" setting inside the "General" iPhone settings. It looks as though you can enable these parental controls and turn on or off:
- Playing explicit songs in iPod
- Website control in Safari
- YouTube control
- iTunes Wi-Fi Store control
- AppStore control
[via iPhone Dev Team]
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
LoganT said 10:41PM on 3-11-2008
Why do people still insist on jailbreaking the iPhone/Touch? I can understand when there weren't 3rd party apps. But now we have apps coming and people still want to jailbreak. To me it just makes them look like assholes.
Reply
adisor19 said 11:21PM on 3-11-2008
Because Apple will censor apps it deems not to its liking. Ex : Unlocking apps
Adi
Simon Arch said 12:31AM on 3-12-2008
Heaven forbid people be able to use the hardware they bought and paid for the way they want to.
billg said 2:34AM on 3-12-2008
To Simon Arch -
I can't wait for that logic to die and be buried.
Heaven forbid anyone read service agreements before "buying and paying" for hardware.
Buy a car, put a rocket engine in it, and tell me if the manufacturer supports it. Companies owe you NOTHING outside of WHAT YOU BOTH AGREE TO WHEN YOU BOUGHT THE STUPID THING.
Why is this so hard... ? Oh, because kids nowadays expect anything and everything for free.
Think Adrian said 5:40AM on 3-12-2008
Because we have to wait three months t'ill iPhone 2.0.
Because we want to use our bought products any way we want but still take the resonsability of losing official support.
exnihilo said 7:23AM on 3-12-2008
Kids don't expect everything to be free, my dear sir.
Let's just stop the overbearing stereotype right now..
I proudly include myself with those "kids", as I am transitioning from high school to college.
I don't expect everything to be free, simple economics dictates otherwise, but I do expect the means to accomplish my goals and dreams to be within normal human reach with a little bit of work.
I expect every dream I have about everything to be possible and attainable.
billg said 11:11AM on 3-12-2008
To Think Adrian -
Okay, so that's pretty much what I said... the ability to void your warranty is at your fingertips. The only thing stopping you, I assume, is waiting for someone to do the work of programming the thing into something useful while out-of-contract.
To exnihilo,
If you really want to attain your hopes and dreams, you might want to worry about improving your skills of logic and rationalization before the technical capabilities of your cell phone. You pretty much said nothing.
Rob Olliges said 10:43PM on 3-11-2008
Thank you!
Reply
Dean said 10:56PM on 3-11-2008
People still want to Jailbreak, because the apps coming wont allow you to do things like changing the Carrier logo etc... Also, the apps wont be out for a few months... Many of the developers making apps now for the jailboroken iPhones/iPods will be moving over, but Im glad we'll still have things like carrier logo modification and themes, even though Apple will not officially allow it..
Reply
DrWho said 8:00AM on 3-12-2008
Wow - I can't wait to be able to change my Carrier Logo, that will make my iPhone so much more useful to me.
Tony said 9:12AM on 3-12-2008
It's more about the SDK being so limited:
No IM
No VOIP
No wifi autologin (aka. Devicescape)
No SMS enhancements
No Mail enhancements
The above require background listening tasks.. which are forbidden by the SDK.
Very restricted development (You spend 6-9 months creating software, Apple says no. You just flushed that much developer time down the toilet. That's too much risk commercially to take.).
Not to mention personally I'll sign an 18 month contract on a phone over my dead body... so unlocking is a necessity.
steve said 11:06PM on 3-11-2008
Hmm... Sounds like someone needs to revisit the Media Event Video. Although they didn't into this feature in detail it was mentioned at the iphone Media Event. Sorry.. Nothing new here... Move it along.
Reply
JLJ said 11:16PM on 3-11-2008
How much room are these unnecessary features going to take? There should be an option to selectively install certain things... like foreign language support, ActiveSync, and parental controls.
Reply
Maikel said 11:16PM on 3-11-2008
Could someone tell me why one would need parental control on an iPhone? Who here can afford to give one to their kids? Oreven lend it to their kids?
Reply
jackson.myers said 11:36PM on 3-11-2008
What do they mean the firmware that came with the SDK? My version of the SDK didn't come with any firmware...
Reply
pjcabrera said 12:32AM on 3-12-2008
The simulator is running almost the full firmware (some apps missing, no accelerometer, bluetooth or cell radio, and no OpenGL.)
ahmurphy said 11:39PM on 3-11-2008
I was at the Mar. 6 event and they mentioned Parental controls for the iPhone during the Q&A with press following the presentation. Coming in iPhone OS 2.0.
Reply
Theo said 12:05AM on 3-12-2008
I came to post what Maikel did: What children are using an iPhone at the price and delicacy of it?
Reply
Patrick Conner said 1:38AM on 3-12-2008
Why is it that no one NO ONE even the "DEV TEAM" can make a program or setting for the iPhone that will do this below. I cant believe that all the people out there can make stupid dumb programs that no one uses but no one can do this below.. I think honestly the TRUE hackers and not the DEV TEAM (Apple Employees)... can do this I would be honored to pay for it.
A locking program or function that can have a screen in the settings - General - Auto Lock Programs... That would let you choose between every app that is on your phone and be able to use your 4digit lock code to be able to lock and open apps. You say "What Apps" well Email - SMS - Photos.. So that you can honestly share the iPhone with ANYONE and not worry about them going through your personal stuff. I personally have to delete almost everything I get so that people can’t see it if (you know everyone want to) see the iPhone. So go figure... Why can NO ONE do this? But yet we can make every little stupid program out there but yet not one that EVERYONE would want. Heck I would pay 5 bucks to have that and I know a lot of others would and just think of all that money. Come on now people start thinking about who is who.....
Reply
Gerald said 2:35AM on 3-12-2008
Patrick...I think that is a great idea for a program. I love to share my iPhone with new people, but people do tend to look at more then I want them to. This would be a great program to keep people out of my contacts and email.
As far as controls with kids in mind, I also think it is a great idea. I have an eight-year-old that always wants the iPhone. He loves playing games, typing little notes to me and taking a ton of pictures. I would love to know that if he hits the internet button it will not go anywhere I would not want him to go. He knows not to go on random sites, but you never know. I have hit sites that I went to by mistake and so I am sure he could too.
quick plug:
http://www.magic.org/6214
Magic with the iPhone