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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Apple shouldn't tell my child how to remove restrictions?

50 replies

AdviceDotCom · 31/03/2017 15:14

Hiya,

My 8 year old daughter has the restrictions on her iPod. She's doesn't know the restriction code, so can't turn them off, etc.

Bugger me, her whole iPod is restored and she is there on FaceTime. I know it's not the worst thing in the world, but I wasn't happy.

She tells me she has phoned up Apple and "a nice lady spoke to me" Hmm AIBU to think if it's obvious that a child is phoning up about restrictions, they should probably ask a parent to call back???

OP posts:
Original poster
AdviceDotCom · 31/03/2017 15:36

Bump

OP posts:
AHintOfStyle · 31/03/2017 15:48

No they shouldn't have told her but how did she call them & who was she face timing?

MadamePomfrey · 31/03/2017 16:00

So she phoned apple (how?) and said my mum has blocked me from using bits of my I pad can you tell me how to unlock them and they did??? Or she called and lied to them pretending she was the adult?

AnathemaPulsifer · 31/03/2017 16:02

She's 8! Unless she has a particularly grown up voice they should have told her to get her mother to phone if having any difficulties!!

Original poster
AdviceDotCom · 31/03/2017 16:08

I don't know what she said. I wasn't there. She probably did lie, but she sounds young. It's bloody obvious. She phoned from the home phone stupidly, I thought she'd have no idea

OP posts:
SillyMoomin · 31/03/2017 16:11

I think you have more of an issue that your 8 year old child is going behind your back to deliberately change rule you've put into place Shock I wouldn't have ever dreamt of doing that

And I also can't believe Apple would do that. Apple wouldn't know your passcode needed to input to change the restrictions off. More likely she probably just googled how to do it and guessed your password.

Original poster
AdviceDotCom · 31/03/2017 16:13

Silly this is the point. She didn't need my code. She doesn't have it. She advised her to restore the iPod and went through the steps with her. I highly doubt she could follow written instructions on restoring the phone.

OP posts:
Theresnonamesleft · 31/03/2017 16:17

She must have guessed your password to restore it.
I am sure when I have had to restore in the past I have had to enter my apple id.

TJDetweiler · 31/03/2017 16:17

It's not really the person on the phones fault. If they'd turned around and said you sound too young and it was an adult they'd be in trouble. If your daughter lied then that's the problem.

MadamePomfrey · 31/03/2017 16:20

I'm sure she does sound young it's just but I wouldn't expect a child to have the knowledge and planning to find the support number call it from a landline and then lie to get the iPad unlocked/restored. So yes they may have thought the person sounded young but some do they have to take people at there word or else there will be complaints! The bigger problem is Your daughter planned to break your rules I would focus on that and makes sure she knows it's not ok!

Sirzy · 31/03/2017 16:22

I don't think it's apple that's the issue here.

I presume she now has no access to any such devices anyway!?

wonkylegs · 31/03/2017 16:23

I'm sure my 8yo could restore by googling it and following the instructions (they are quite capable at this age and apple products and instructions are quite intuitive) but as others have said it doesn't really matter how she did it but the fact that she went behind your back (and possibly lied) to do it. My 8yo knows that this kind of deception would be an automatic ban from the iPad and therefore wouldn't do it. I think you need to address some consequences with her more than anything else.

WannaBe · 31/03/2017 16:26

I'd be removing the iPod

HermioneJeanGranger · 31/03/2017 16:49

She probably just googled it.

SillyMoomin · 31/03/2017 16:50

She would have needed to input the iPod's passcode to delete the settings back to factory settings.

And then Unless she set up the iPod as a new account op then she would have needed to restore it from a backup- at which point she would have needed to know your Apple ID and password

Original poster
AdviceDotCom · 31/03/2017 16:56

She has the Apple ID and code for iPod, but the restriction code is different. I've now also confirmed this. The only one she doesn't know is the restriction code, she knows the other 2, so she restored it and hasn't backed up for iCloud as that puts the restriction back on.

She definitely phoned Apple, its on the call history of the landline. I've also phoned them back now and spoken to someone about it.

OP posts:
Theresnonamesleft · 31/03/2017 17:05

So you block her with facetime but allow her to download anything she wants?

Sirzy · 31/03/2017 17:09

Well presumably apple thought nobody would be daft enough to give an 8 year old access to the passwords for apple so whoever has them must be old enough!

Lingotria · 31/03/2017 17:19

OK so I have called Apple Support and I can see this happening. The lines are awful, the support staff barely speak English, and it's quite understandable that they might not have recognised a child's voice.

I think you have bigger problems than Apple though, if your kid is going behind your back. I personally would impose a complete smart phone ban - I have meticulously kept basic Nokias just for that scenario but so far neither of my girls have gone behind my back. Presumably because I've set up 3 different passwords and change them weekly.

Original poster
AdviceDotCom · 31/03/2017 17:21

No There I have restrictions on Apple Store too so it removes the app, just like it removes the FaceTime one.

OP posts:
SillyMoomin · 31/03/2017 17:23

You seem to be ignoring all the posters who are all saying the same thing op - this is not really apple's fault but yours / your daughters for disobeying you and sneaky around you to get round the restrictions. Have you taken the iPod away from her?!

sirfredfredgeorge · 31/03/2017 17:26

Yes, tech support should give tech support, they should not be trying to police the age of individuals of who they're talking to, it's simply not going to work.

Your methods for securing the device relied too much on technology.

YABU.

HermioneJeanGranger · 31/03/2017 17:26

Why did she have the passcode in the first place?

MadamePomfrey · 31/03/2017 17:35

You gave all the tools she needed to do this unsupervised access to a phone and all the passcodes and I.Ds, ect. She very deliberately broke those rules she knew you didn't want the restrictions removed and she went to pretty extreme lengths to break that rule!! Yet you seem to want all the blame to fall onto the lady from tech support, who had no reason to think it was a child on the phone. How young someone one sounds on the phone wouldn't be a good enough reason. Imagine if she hadn't helped and a complaint went in from an adult! It's not apples fault! Take the iPad away change all the codes and passwords and make sure you daughter knows you find this completely unacceptable!

RockyTop · 31/03/2017 17:42

So the 8 year old had restricted access to the device (but with most pass codes) but no one noticed her using the landline phone for tech support? And then after that, starting a FaceTime call?
Really think your focus needs to be the child who really went to some lengths to get round your rules. She had a lot of personal accounts information so it's hardly Apple's fault for answering her questions. Presumably she lied to them about why she couldn't turn the restrictions off using the code?

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