Parental controls on iPhone/ipad

[CopperMaran]

Our 14 year old (nearly 15) is unhappy about the parental controls we have on his phone. It times out at 10pm etc and he has to ask permission to get games/apps etc. We’ve agreed to remove them at 16 (moved down from 18!). What has everyone else done? I was an adult before mobile phones, email, internet etc came along so I don’t have a frame of reference. My only concern is his safety, that I would hate for him to do something that would impact his future and that he’ll be on his phone all night rather than sleeping! He’s definitely as sensible as a 14 year old gets.

I am not in the UK, but in a European country.
My 14 year old has screen time and I told her we'd remove those at 18 (but will likely happen sooner, depending on how she does). Left to her own devices, she'd be on tiktok and instagram all the time, and I really hate the idea, so she has strict limits for those and quite a bit of freedom for other apps (yes, we have to approve app download). The phone switches off at 11:30 pm on school nights.
Of course, I am very strict and none of her friends have such limits. I do point out that she has a classmate who does not have a phone, and that usually ends the discussion.
My concern is time management, psychological effects and missing opportunities for more meaningful interactions, and I would not be comfortable giving her free rein with the phone at this time.

Stick with them! My DD got around hers and ended up doing a lot of things that she isn't allowed to. We've ended to having to go to the police station (a school parent told the school about a WhatsApp group they were in and it snowballed) and had calls from the social services. I really thought my 14 yo was a sensible sort but she obviously is very easily led and manipulated. I don't think social media will ever be on my DD's phones (when she eventually gets hers back) it gives anyone in the world a route into your home at any time of day.

take the app permissions off that's controlling and probably really embarrassing for them, the time out at 10pm is fine because you've agreed to take it off at 16, in our house 16 is when the phone becomes 'theirs' yes that might be controversial but they're almost adults they should be treated as such

Thank you so much for the views and giving your experiences.

stay the course. in fact, i would recommend you be even more strict. the short-term annoyance of your kid is a small price to pay for an incredibly real benefit. the amount of damage that can be done with smartphones these days is frightening. if it helps at all, i only give my kids phones at age 16, and keep them incredibly locked down until 18 -- no web browsing, everything except essential communication with a few contacts shuts off at 9:15pm. be strict! they will thank you for it when they're older.

Can you explain how to put these on their phones?

!!
At 16? Wow. That's a bit crazy for your dc.

my kids devices are iPhones, and this is basically exactly what I did with them:

https://gertrude.app/docs/definitive-guide-to-locking-down-an-iphone

Thank you