We just got our 13-year-old his first iPhone and I want to keep an eye on his texts without being too invasive-I’ve tried Screen Time but it doesn’t seem to show the actual message content. Is there a reliable way to see his iMessages or are there better options that don’t require jailbreaking?
Hey Miles, totally normal situation - Screen Time is great for limits but yeah, it won’t show you actual message content, that’s not what it’s designed for.
Easiest legit option: make sure your son’s iPhone is signed into a Family Sharing setup and that iMessages are linked to your Apple ID or a shared family account - some parents set it up so texts mirror to a parent device, though Apple has tightened this up over the years.
For actual content monitoring, something like Bark is probably your best bet - it doesn’t show you every message but flags concerning stuff (bullying, inappropriate content, etc.), which honestly is the sweet spot between “helicopter parent” and “completely hands-off” for a 13-year-old. 