For all their many joys, mobile devices can expose your kids to content you’d rather they didn’t see. There are multiple things you can do to ensure that your child is in a safe environment when using their Android device. Out of the box, Android devices come with several parental control options, from setting a basic screen lock to limiting screen time. Using these tools can help to ensure that your children only access age-appropriate content and are unable to damage your phone or compromise its security.
Here, we’ll look at two apps: the Google Play Store app, and the Google Family Link app. Although Family Link is primarily an Android app, you can also install it on iOS to create and manage user accounts. If your child is under 13, both the Android and Apple versions enable you to create Google accounts for them.
To turn Parental controls on the Google Play Store, follow the steps given below:
- Open up the Google Play Store, tap on the profile icon on the top right, click on Settings, and navigate to “Family.” Here, you’ll find Parental controls.
- Tap on Parental controls and then toggle it on. You’ll be asked to set a PIN when doing this for the first time. This PIN will be required whenever anyone tries to make changes to the parental controls settings or turn it off
- Once the PIN is set, you can choose the kind of content your child will be shown on the Play Store. For example, if you select “Rated for 7+,” then your child will not be able to access or download apps rated ages 12+, 16+, and 18+.
What if you want to also protect your child against, say, mature websites, among other things? That’s where Google’s Family Link app comes in.
To set up Family Link on a smartphone, follow the steps given below:
- Download the Family Link on your child’s phone and on your own.
- Upon opening the app you’ll be asked to link your and your child’s Google account. If your child doesn’t have a Google account, you’ll be directed to create one for them.
- Once the linking process is complete, children can sign in to their devices with the new account
- After they’ve signed in, you can use begin using Family Link to set phone rules for your child.
Once Family Link has been set up, perhaps the first thing you’d want to apply on your child’s phone is a screen time limit:
- Open the Family Link app
- Select your child
- Tap Controls and then Daily limit
- Follow the on-screen instructions
Set up a child account
Some Android devices (for example, Google Pixel phones) support multiple user profiles, meaning you can create a separate account for your child that is restricted in what it can do. However, not all devices allow this, including Samsung Galaxy phones. To do so:
- Open Settings
- Scroll down and tap Users
- Tap Add user or profile
- Tap Restricted Profile
These days, more children are gaining access to smart devices – and at much younger ages. Many of these children are unaware of the dangers of inappropriate activity online, which is why a combination of cybersecurity lessons and parental controls is necessary if we want to keep them safe.
