How to set-up an Android phone for a child – Guide
There comes a time when your child needs phone. As a parent, it’s a fork: on the one hand, a phone provides a single point of contact as your child becomes more independent, on the other hand it is a gateway to the dark side of online life. For many, professionals will be at a disadvantage, especially if you have a child who is about to go to high school. You want them to know they arrive safely and you want them to be able to contact you when needed. You can get a feature phone like the Nokia 3310 – but in fact, it’s probably time for the first smartphone.
How to to define-up an android phone for a child
Restricted profiles (on tablets)
Android doesn’t have specific parental controls built into the operating system, but it does offer a way to accomplish the same task, at least on tablets. If you’re running Android 4.3 or newer, it’s as easy as creating a secondary restricted profile and deciding which apps can be accessed by that user. You will need to have a screen lock set for your main profile to prevent children from simply leaving the restricted profile. Android will warn you during the process if you don’t have a lock set. On the Settings screen, go to Users and select Add User or Profile. From there, you can create a restricted profile separate from your own. Feel free to give it a name of your own, then check out the list of apps shown. Some apps are automatically blocked by restricted profiles such as Calendar, Docs, Email and Twitter, while others allow you to enable or disable them. You may also see a small gear icon, which allows you to adjust access options (such as whether or not to allow Google searches). Accessing this new profile is easy: on the lock screen, just tap your own user icon and you will find the added one listed below. Tap it and the device will switch to the restricted profile, keeping away your disallowed apps and options. You can also switch at any time by pulling down on the status bar at the top of the screen and tapping the icon.
Phone options
Unfortunately, restricted profiles are not available on Android phones running any version of the operating system. It’s a logistical problem, says a Google engineer, as phones are used for calling and texting, and restricting access can cause the device owner to miss these things. However, you can still create a separate user profile for your child in phones running Android 5.0+ and quickly switch to it anytime from the lock screen or status bar like on tablets and keep prying eyes away from your emails and texts. You can even disable calls and texts, so you don’t have to worry about them using up your monthly plan or contact people you don’t approve of. As you would on tablets, you can add a new user from the Users screen in Settings or otherwise by tapping the icon in the status bar. In the Settings menu, you will see a small cog on the added profile and a ringtone that lets you toggle call and SMS support as desired. Ultimately, however, a full user profile still gives you a lot of access that a restricted one would not if you were to hand over your Android. phone for a child, consider simply pinning an app.
How to pin apps
One of the most useful for parents features found in Android 5.0+ is app pinning, which allows you to lock a single app on the screen (in phones and tablets) and block access to everything else. It’s a convenient way to let a child have fun without having to switch profiles or closely monitor their actions. We have one tutorial full on this feature but here is the gist. First, enable the feature under Settings, under Security. You can choose whether or not to require a PIN to exit a pinned app if your child is old enough to read, please use a PIN as the unlocking instructions are briefly displayed on the screen. When you’re ready to pin an open app, click on the overview button (the square in the lower right corner) and tap the pin icon shown on the app card. Your app is now pinned. Trying to escape will only bring up the note about the exit, which requires you to hold your back, and the overview buttons simultaneously. If you have a PIN, performing this action will take you back to the lock screen. Otherwise, the app will close and your child will have complete freedom with their apps.
Play Store Restrictions
Fortunately, the Play Store app has parental controls that aren’t just limited to recent versions of the Android OS. Pull out the left navigation drawer to access the Settings screen in the Play Store and scroll down to User Controls. From there, you will have access to media restrictions based on rating. You can limit app and game downloads by age, as well as restrict movies and TV shows by rating, songs with explicit lyrics, and books with sexual content. All you need is a PIN number to block access to the setup and you’re all set. Also found in the User Controls is a setting for when and how often you will need to enter your Google password for paid app purchases. You can force the app to require a password with every new purchase, just once every 30 minutes, or never. If your child is playing with in-app purchases, which is almost all free games released today, make the password mandatory to avoid inadvertent spending. There is one more option worth exploring in this category, although it is found in the main operating system settings menu. From there, tap on Security and make sure the “Unknown sources” option is turned off. That way, your kids won’t be able to download and install apps from outside the Play Store. These apps can introduce malware to your device or contain objectionable content, so it’s best to keep them away if your kids are old enough to know where to look.
Final note
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