Circumventing filters?

[minisoksmakehardwork]

I have 4 dc, all with mobile phones and should be set up securely to avoid age inappropriate use. They have to request permission to add apps, friends etc and cannot have them if they are not at the appropriate age.

We also have family sharing through Apple so I can restrict use, set time limits, filters etc

Despite these setting being identical apart from age (17yo, 15yo and 2x13yo), one of the 13yo keeps having pornographic searches on his phone. None of the others do even if they use the same apps etc.

We've previously wiped his phone and started again, so I'm convinced the searches are his genuine search history.

In the interests of shooting down his arguments, is it possible for someone else to be using his Apple ID to have these searches on his phone? I don't think it is, mainly because if I log onto my Apple account from my laptop, it asks me for a code which pops up on my phone. If I haven't asked for it, I won't confirm it. And they've all been told the same.

Is it possible he has circumvented the settings and filters and if so, how has he done this? What would I be looking for?

Is it even slightly likely someone has set something up to use his internet connection to make these searches?

One very worried and frustrated parent.

if he has a vpn, I think that can get around most filters. it would probably be an extra app on the phone. But I don't know what it would be called.

do you have his phone at night? what happens if you try searching for dodgy terms as if you were him?

Surely if he was tech savvy enough to be getting around the filters, he’d also think to use ingotnito search and / delete the history??

Thanks both. @GooseOnMyGrave - you would think so. But he's only 13 and we've been through this before...

When I search on his phone, I get safe search notification. I've kept his phone for the time being - he will not be getting it back until we've got to the bottom of this.

Clearly he is using something to weedle round. I have scrolled through his apps and nothing jumps out, but I will open each and every one to make sure it is what it says it is. Unfortunately even though they have to ask permission, their dad is perhaps even less tech savvy and would simply approve with no questions. So if he were asked to 'approve this app for school work/it's a game' he would without question.