> ## Knowledge Base Index > Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://helpdesk.safesurfer.io/sitemap.xml > Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further. > Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash). # How to unsupervise protection on an iPhone or iPad (Windows) This guide demonstrates how to unsupervise Safe Surfer protection on an iPhone or iPad with a Windows device. (If you would like to unsupervise with a Mac, you can find out how to do so by [clicking this link](https://helpdesk.safesurfer.io/en-nz/article/how-to-unsupervise-protection-on-an-iphone-or-ipad-mac-1hbua9z/).) We demonstrate the unsupervision process with an iPhone running iOS 27 (released in late 2026), although the steps will be similar if you are unsupervising a different kind of iPhone or iPad. # Important information ||| IMPORTANT: Please read the following information before proceeding with the guide. **This app tool is not supported by Apple. Safe Surfer is not responsible for any data loss or damage regarding the device you attempt to unsupervise. Before attempting to unsupervise an iPhone or iPad, please** [**perform a device backup**](https://support.apple.com/en-nz/108771) **before attempting to unsupervise it. You cannot unsupervise a device that is not owned by you (for example, if the device is owned by a work or school organisation). Please read through the unsupervision instructions slowly, as there are multiple steps where you could get lost, or issues that could otherwise take place. If you get stuck at any point (for example, if the unsupervision tool displays a progress error without specific instructions), try closing the tool and repeating the steps. Due to the unsupervision process, the device wallpaper might be reset, but it can be changed later.** **If any Apple Screen Time settings have already been applied to the device you want to unsupervise, they will not take effect after the unsupervision process due to how iPhone and iPad devices work. To help mitigate this, please turn off any applied settings on the device itself (inside the Settings app > Screen Time) and confirm that the changes have taken effect.** **We recommend checking if any SIM cards / eSIMs being used by this device are currently locked with a SIM PIN. If this is the case (and you don't turn this off now), the SIM PIN will have to be entered later, otherwise you won't be able to use the SIM plan and its phone number. Due to this, it's a good idea to make sure that any SIM cards / eSIMs are unlocked before proceeding. You can find out more by** [**clicking this link**](https://support.apple.com/en-nz/118228)**.** # Getting started Before we get started, you'll need the following to proceed: * A Windows laptop or desktop. * A genuine Apple USB cable. **This guide might not work if you use a cable that is not manufactured by Apple.** Apple cables come in braided and non-braided varieties. If it's not a braided cable, you can verify that it's manufactured by Apple by checking for a serial number printed on the cable itself (which can be faint grey printing). The printing should read something like the following: "Designed by Apple in California Assembled in \[country] A1B2C3D4E5F6". * Your child's iPhone/iPad passcode. * Your child's Apple Account (iCloud) password, which is different to the device passcode. * You might also need your child available for Face ID / Touch ID verification. # Step 1: Visit the Safe Surfer dashboard Visit the Safe Surfer dashboard (https://my.safesurfer.io) on one of your personal Windows devices, then log in to your account and open the Devices menu. Select the user that the iPhone/iPad is assigned to, then click the applicable device listing. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-1_1wjm7qa.png) Click the Lockdown drop-down menu at the upper-right corner. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-2_1dkd8vw.png) Click the "Unsupervise device" option. On the menu that follows, if you originally chose the prevent uninstallation path, you'll see a removal password, where we'll use this soon. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-5_12wb42r.png) # Step 2: Prepare unsupervision On the iPhone/iPad to be unsupervised, tap the Settings app. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-device-1_1ox65pj.png) Tap the General menu. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-device-2_uq9mjg.png) Tap the VPN & Device Management menu. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-device-3_5dz7ql.png) Under the Configuration Profile section, tap the Safe Surfer listing. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-device-4_1layd92.png) Tap the Remove Profile option. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-device-5_1crj9gg.png) Enter the device passcode. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-device-6_1c2k0qh.png) If you originally chose the prevent uninstallation path, enter the removal password and tap the Remove button. Otherwise, proceed with the removal as normal. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-device-7_10wp303.png) The Safe Surfer profile should now be removed from the device management menu. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-device-8_1y54u4i.png) # Step 3: Turn off iCloud Private Relay and Find My | If you originally chose the app blocking path, skip to step 4. To unsupervise an iPhone/iPad, you will need to temporarily turn off Find My. To disable Find My, open the Settings app. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup10_kglxg8.png) Tap the Apple account at the top. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup11_1g4bjkd.png) Tap the Find My menu. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup12_86axbm.png) Tap the Find My \[iPhone/iPad] menu. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup13_l48p1s.png) Tap the Find My \[iPhone/iPad] switch to turn it off. | If you see a message regarding the Stolen Device Protection feature, you can first disable this by navigating to the Settings app main menu > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) > enter the device passcode > Stolen Device Protection > turn off Stolen Device Protection, which might require Face ID / Touch ID authentication from your child. (If the device is not in a known location, there is a one hour duration for turning off Stolen Device Protection.) Once you've done this, you can navigate to the Settings app main menu > tap the Apple account at the top > Find My > Find My [iPhone/iPad] > turn off the Find My [iPhone/iPad] feature. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup14_1oaq7w6.png) Enter the password of your child's Apple Account, then tap the Turn Off button. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup15_11wdh4h.png) Find My \[iPhone/iPad] should now be turned off. You can now go back to the device's Home Screen. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup16_1akjpc1.png) # Step 4: Unsupervise device | Before continuing, you need to make sure that you have the Apple Devices app installed on your device. If you're unsupervising with a Windows device that's new, you can find the Apple Devices instructions by [clicking this link](https://helpdesk.safesurfer.io/en-nz/article/how-to-supervise-and-lock-down-protection-on-an-iphone-or-ipad-windows-1i2w7lc/#1-step-3-prepare-to-supervise-device). Once you've prepared Apple Devices, return to this guide. Click the Download for Windows button. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-6_tv7pw4.png) Once the unsupervision tool has downloaded, click the folder icon next to the file download to open your Downloads folder. | If you're using Microsoft Edge, it might mention that the supervision tool "isn't commonly downloaded". You can resolve this by hovering over the download listing > click the three-dot button > Keep > click the down arrow icon on the Delete button > Keep anyway. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-7_1rcpn4o.png) Open the unsupervision tool. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-8_jkb15j.png) Once the unsupervision tool has opened, we'll need to connect the iPhone/iPad to your Windows device. | Leave the tool window open while we proceed to connect the iPhone/iPad. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-9_10dxd5e.png) Plug one end of the Apple USB cable into your Windows device. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup-win-16_1nb0mnq.png) Unlock the iPhone/iPad, then plug the other end of the Apple USB cable into the iPhone/iPad. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup-win-17_s9tab8.png) Click the Next button. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-10_u8nysb.png) On the iPhone/iPad, tap the Trust button. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-device-9_cz574b.png) Enter the device passcode. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-device-10_r9m2fr.png) Once you've confirmed that the unsupervision tool has detected the correct device, click the Yes button. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-11_pv2ks2.png) Click the Unsupervise button. After a short moment, the iPhone/iPad will restart. ||| IMPORTANT: Once you've clicked the Unsupervise button, don't close out of the supervision tool or click any following button yet, as we will do this later. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-12_1q7lzts.png) After the device has restarted, swipe the bar upwards (or press the Home button if the device has a button). ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup-win-24_1m2bvhj.png) Enter the device passcode. This might take a moment. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup-win-25_hblve2.png) Once you reach the Hello screen, unlock the iPhone/iPad. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup-win-26_1dexc9r.png) On the prompt that appears, tap the Trust button. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup-win-27_1dd30sn.png) Enter the device passcode. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup-win-28_1im5ijl.png) Tap the Continue button. If you're asked about signing back in to an Apple account, you can proceed with this. In addition, you might need to skip through the setup options. Once you reach the Home Screen, you can continue following this guide. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup-win-29_16g9oel.png) Click the Done button. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-13_1ndl1sb.png) On the following section, click the Done button. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-14_pomkko.png) Back on the Safe Surfer dashboard, it should report in a moment that the device is no longer supervised. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/ios-unsup-win-15_1spvm29.png) # Step 5: Turn on Find My Navigate to the Settings app main menu, then tap the Apple account at the top. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup20_c0xb5e.png) Tap the Find My menu. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup21_1scr462.png) Tap the Find My \[iPhone/iPad] menu. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup22_1vo0dk9.png) Tap the switch to turn on Find My \[iPhone/iPad]. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup23_1ne83kv.png) Find My has now been enabled. You can now navigate back to the Settings app main menu, and then return to the device's Home Screen. (If you turned off the Stolen Device Protection feature earlier on, you can now enable it again. You can do this by navigating to the Settings app main menu > Face ID & Passcode \[or Touch ID & Passcode] > Stolen Device Protection > turn on Stolen Device Protection.) ||| IMPORTANT: You can now safely delete the unsupervision app tool from your Downloads folder. Please note that there are still additional important steps to complete. Once you're ready, you will need to continue with step 2 of the [iPhone/iPad uninstallation guide](https://helpdesk.safesurfer.io/en-nz/article/how-to-uninstall-the-safe-surfer-for-ios-app-4xr0oa/#1-step-2-uninstall-the-safe-surfer-app). ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/8/9/2/f8920d476a21b000/safesurfer-ios-sup24_lwaxru.png)