Setup GuidesUpdated 10/15/2026

How to Set Up ParentSEE on iPhone or iPad

This guide walks you through setting up ParentSEE on your child's iPhone or iPad using a DNS configuration profile. Setup takes about 2 minutes.

What you'll need

Your child's iPhone or iPad (iOS 14 or later)

Your ParentSEE account

Step by step

1. Start enrollment in ParentSEE

Open the ParentSEE app (or parentsee.com), go to Settings → Devices, tap Add Device, and select iPhone / iPad. Choose which child this device belongs to.

ParentSEE will show a QR code and a setup link.

2. On the child's device

Scan the QR code with the child's iPhone camera, or share the setup link and open it in Safari. Other browsers won't trigger profile installation. It must be Safari.

On the setup page, tap Download Profile. iOS will ask if you want to download the configuration profile. Tap Allow.

3. Install the profile

Open Settings on the child's device

You'll see a "Profile Downloaded" banner at the top, then tap it

If you don't see the banner, go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management

Tap the ParentSEE DNS profile

Tap Install in the top right

Enter the device passcode when prompted

Tap Install once more to confirm

You may see a "Not Verified" warning. This is normal for profiles that aren't signed by a registered Apple Developer certificate. The profile is safe to install.

4. Verify the connection

Your ParentSEE dashboard will show the device as connected within about 30 seconds. Open Safari and visit any website to confirm activity appears.

What your child sees

This guide sets up the DNS configuration profile. With the profile there is no separate app on the device. It works quietly in the background, though your child can see it listed under Settings → General → VPN & Device Management. Browsing works exactly as before; ParentSEE watches, it never blocks or slows anything.

ParentSEE also offers a Safari extension for iPhone and iPad, the ParentSEE Web Monitor. Unlike the silent DNS profile, the Safari extension is a visible app on the device, by design: monitoring a child's device should never be a secret from the child. It shows the websites your child visits in Safari. To set it up, follow How to Set Up the ParentSEE Safari Extension.

Troubleshooting

Profile won't install: Make sure the device is running iOS 14 or later (Settings → General → About).

Nothing happened when I tapped Download: Make sure you're using Safari, not Chrome or another browser.

No activity in dashboard: Wait 2–3 minutes. Check that the profile is listed under Settings → General → VPN & Device Management.

Removing ParentSEE

Go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, tap the ParentSEE profile, and tap Remove Profile. Enter the passcode when prompted. Monitoring stops immediately.

Note: the Settings path says "VPN & Device Management". This is Apple's label for all configuration profiles, not just VPNs. ParentSEE does not install a VPN.