At some point during the latest iOS updates something happened with the option that blocks "Account changes" under Screen Time's Content and privacy restrictions. Before the problem started, when you activated this option the whole contents under the section Settings > Messages were blocked, you couldn't enter the section at all, as it happens with Settings > Facetime when you activate this restriction. If you activate the option to block "Account changes" now, only some parts under the Settings > Messages section get blocked, the rest is left completely open to change.
This is only happening on iPhone, iPadOS is not been affected. In iPad the whole section Settings > Messages is being blocked as it should. The iPads I have tested with were an iPad Pro 2nd generation, an iPad Mini 5 (both with iPadOS 16.2) and an old iPad Mini 3 with iOS 12.5.5.
I have tested on several iPhones, some newer with iOS 16.2 (iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone XS Max) and some older ones with iOS 15.7.2 (iPhone 7), all with different iCloud accounts and configurations (some tied to a family, some not). Have also factory reset one of the iPhone 7 I have and configured it from scratch without an Apple ID, the result has been the same, all configurations modes of Screen Time on iPhone are affected by this bug, local and remote managed (like a child account tied to a family), with or without the option "shared across devices" enabled.
I have reported the bug to Apple. Could someone test this and be so kind to report back on this thread? Possibly use the Apple feedback form to report the issue to them too so it gets solved quicker: https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone/
Please take a look at the following pics:
Iphone 12 Mini. Look how Messages is still active under settings but Facetime is disabled. The only thing under Messages that is been blocked is the iMessage toggle, the rest of the section is completely open:
Ipad pictures: Look how Messages is inactive as it should be on both these iPads:
This is only happening on iPhone, iPadOS is not been affected. In iPad the whole section Settings > Messages is being blocked as it should. The iPads I have tested with were an iPad Pro 2nd generation, an iPad Mini 5 (both with iPadOS 16.2) and an old iPad Mini 3 with iOS 12.5.5.
I have tested on several iPhones, some newer with iOS 16.2 (iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone XS Max) and some older ones with iOS 15.7.2 (iPhone 7), all with different iCloud accounts and configurations (some tied to a family, some not). Have also factory reset one of the iPhone 7 I have and configured it from scratch without an Apple ID, the result has been the same, all configurations modes of Screen Time on iPhone are affected by this bug, local and remote managed (like a child account tied to a family), with or without the option "shared across devices" enabled.
I have reported the bug to Apple. Could someone test this and be so kind to report back on this thread? Possibly use the Apple feedback form to report the issue to them too so it gets solved quicker: https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone/
Please take a look at the following pics:
Iphone 12 Mini. Look how Messages is still active under settings but Facetime is disabled. The only thing under Messages that is been blocked is the iMessage toggle, the rest of the section is completely open:
Ipad pictures: Look how Messages is inactive as it should be on both these iPads: