Apple iOS 13.3 Update To Limit FaceTime, Texting Under Parental Controls

Apple has updated the Screen Time feature so as to give parents more control over who their kids can communicate with during specific times of day. The new feature, Communication Limits, come with the iOS 13.3 beta launched very recently.

The Cupertino tech giant previously promised that Screen Time, a feature launched with iOS 12, will soon have Communication Limits via a future update. That update has arrived, but the feature isn't rolling out to all users as of yet: iOS 13.3 is still in beta, and won't be released until it is ready.

Communication Limits allows parents to set who their kids are allowed to communicate with. The feature applies to the Phone, Messages and FaceTime apps, as well as with iCloud contacts, MacRumors noted.

Using the new feature, parents will be able to limit their kids to communicate with people in the Contacts app only. People who aren't included in the list of contacts are barred from calling, texting or sending any communication to the devices these kids use. Screen Time allows parents to manage the contacts that appear on their children's devices, giving them better control and security.

The new feature also allows parents to limit who their children can contact during a period Apple calls “Downtime.” Once activated, kids will only be able to call, text or communicate with people included in a preset list, Cult of Mac noted.

Screen Time has several toggles that allow users to do a few things. There's a toggle that could permit or prevent users from adding people to a group chat when a family member or contact is also in the group, for example.

There's also a toggle that either allows or disallows a user from editing the contacts list. Editing contacts can change some contact settings.

Communication Limits will always allow kids to contact emergency numbers whether they're activated or not. Calling an emergency number while Communication Limits are turned on disables the Limits for 24 hours, and allows anybody to contact the iOS 13.3 device user.

As mentioned, Communication Limits isn't rolling out to everybody just yet. It is still in testing and will be made available to everyone once iOS 13.3 is released at a later, unknown date.