Did you know that kids typically start texting around the age of 8? As they develop key relationship and communication skills, eager to spend as much time as possible with their peers. Technology offers new ways to connect with peers. Texting, in particular, seems perfectly suited for this age group.
While there’s no set rule on the right age for texting, it’s up to you as a parent to make that call. If you don’t want your child to miss out, allowing them to text at a young age can be beneficial, but a little supervision never hurts.
In this article, we’ll share four practical ways to monitor a child’s text messages on iPhone, helping you keep them safe while they stay connected.
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Can You See Your Child’s Text Messages on iPhone?
Texting is one of the main ways kids stay connected with their friends today. While it helps them build relationships and maintain social ties, it can also create feelings of isolation. The bigger concern is the risk of strangers posing as their peers when they’re actually adults.
Thankfully, there are ways for parents to monitor their children’s text conversations to ensure their safety. We’re about to share effective tools and tricks to help you stay informed about your child’s texting activity and protect them from potential dangers.
Tip #1: Use mSpy iPhone Text Monitoring for Parents
mSpy is a complete app with more than 30 different features to monitor kids’ activity. It offers iPhone parental controls to read text messages. So, if your kid loves to spend time texting on iMessage, this solution can give all the needed insights.
mSpy lets you see sent and received messages on their phone. You can even go through screenshots of their conversations and check all the attachment photos, videos, and other files. To activate iPhone text monitoring for parents, follow these steps:
- Create your account on the mSpy website.
- Choose the subscription plan and the type of device you want to monitor.
- Follow the installation instructions sent to your email to set up the app.
- Find the Text Messages tab in your dashboard and open the chat you’re interested in.
If you want to ensure they are texting responsibly, you can set restricted words associated with controversial topics, including cyberbullying, self-harm, adult content, offensive language, and more.
Tip #2: See Child’s Text Messages on iPhone via iCloud
Apple makes it easy to supervise your child’s text messages through iCloud. By syncing their messages, you can view them on another device, which helps you keep an eye on their conversations remotely. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to the Settings on your kid’s phone.
- Click on their Apple ID name and tab iCloud.
- Find Messages and turn on Use on this iPhone.
- Tap Sync Now and wait for the messages to be stored in iCloud.
- Once syncing is complete, sign in to iCloud using your kid’s credentials on your iPhone or Mac.
- On your device, turn on the iCloud sync and tap “Sync now” to see kids’ text messages on iPhone.
Keep in mind that you’ll need access to your kid’s device. Apple will send the confirmation code to the iPhone that is needed to sign in to iCloud. This means they’ll know you’re monitoring them.
Tip #3: Try the Forwarding Feature to Monitor Kids’ Text Messages on iPhone
If you ask yourself, “How to monitor my child’s text messages on iPhone?”, Apple’s SMS forwarding might be a great solution. This feature lets you choose on what device you want to receive messages. This can be another iPhone or Mac. Like in the previous method, you’ll need access to your kid’s device. Once you do, follow these steps:
- Open Settings on your kid’s iPhone and scroll down to Messages.
- Tap Send & Receive to see current numbers and emails where the messages are sent.
- Sign in to iCloud using kid’s credentials on your iPhone or Mac.
- Return to Messages settings and find Text Message Forwarding.
- Choose the device where you want to send and receive text messages from their iPhone.
You may be prompted with a verification code, which you’ll need to input on your device to activate text forwarding. From that point on, all incoming messages on your child’s iPhone will also appear on your iPhone or Mac.
Tip #4: Monitor Child’s Text Messages on iPhone by Checking Their iPad or Mac
If your kid is using other Apple devices, there are changes that they’re signed in in their iMessages. This means all messages they send and receive will be depicted in the app with the exact content, names, time, and date. All you need to do is open the iMessage app on their iPhone or iPad.
Is It Legal to See My Child’s Text Messages on iPhone?
It’s legal to use text monitoring apps as long as they are under 18 and live with you. After they turn 18, you need their permission to continue monitoring. This can help you protect your child from online predators and harmful content.
In addition to monitoring, you can teach them about the importance of privacy, recognizing red flags, and the potential dangers of online communication. Encourage open dialogue so they feel comfortable coming to you with concerns. All these provide additional layers of safety as they navigate the digital world.
Final Thoughts
While Apple provides basic methods to access messages across devices, they are more limited than what mSpy provides. Parents can monitor not just texts but also social media messages to detect bullying or other threats. For children who prefer phone calls, mSpy offers call monitoring to track who they’re talking to.
The location tracking feature also ensures you know where your child is at all times, preventing them from going to dangerous places. With these features, mSpy gives parents a more complete set of tools for keeping their kids safe in today’s digital world.
