The phones settings on your child’s phone can be adjusted. A good analogy is that when your child learns to ride a bike you don’t put them straight onto a high power motor bike. The use of the settings allows you to gently smooth the process by limiting screen time and the apps that can be accessed. This article contains various tips for restricting your child’s smartphone use and lowering screen time on Android and iOS gadgets. We discuss in this article here a suitable age for your child to get a phone.
We can not forget that technology is designed to be addictive. It is so easy and rewarding for children to be always connected. It could be playing games, messaging buddies, or watching the newest viral video. Parents are left with the unpleasant duty of limiting gadget use to safeguard their children from harmful content and excessive screen time. This can be done with negotiation and I would suggest having some type of agreement in place before they get their phone. If your child wants to get round technology and phone settings for children they can. The use of the settings below can be done with your child. Therefore make sure trust and openness is there.
Simple measures may be taken to restrict screen time and purchases, regulate access to the content your child views, monitor your child’s actions, and protect family privacy. You only need to find and enable those functionalities. You might choose to start with them all and then reduce them as behaviour is learnt.
Although some companies such as mSpy advertise that they can help with this, our reviews of these show this not to be the case.
Safeguarding Your Child’s Privacy
Google provides free software that parents can use to assist manage their children’s Android devices, while Apple has parental controls integrated into any iPhone or iPad running iOS 12 or later.
Regardless of how much you lock down a mobile device, experts emphasise that it is still your responsibility to supervise your child’s smartphone use. Many children enjoy video games. As a result, responsive parents should watch relevant chat traffic, keeps an eye out for dangerous stuff, and often engage in games with their children. There could also be an incident where someone posts an image of your child on social media.
Parents should keep a watch out for gaming chat applications since they are used not just by children but also by adults. You should locate and master the parental settings on your child’s smartphone.
In the steps below we outline how to arrange the settings on your child’s phone to do this.
Users of iPhones:
The Content & Privacy Restrictions page in the Screen Time settings menu provides a host of privacy restrictions, such as the ability to disable a phone’s location services, as well as the access particular applications, have to your child’s location.
You can also use those options to restrict app access to the phone’s photographs, limit the usage of the device’s microphone, and block applications for fitness trackers and other services from sharing your child’s data through Bluetooth.
Users of Android Phones:
You may restrict your child from sharing Google Photos and limit Google’s ability to save information about your child’s web searches, voice commands, and other actions using the Family Link app.
You may also restrict access to most social networking applications by using the App and Games option. You have the option of selecting “10 and above” or “younger.” However, this does not prevent the web pages for those platforms from appearing on the device’s web browser.
Limiting Your Child’s Screen Time
A common concerned is the amount of time your child might spend on the phone. As above, apps are made to keep them there. We are all guilty of spending too much time either browsing the internet or on Facebook/Instagram. We have an article here solely devoted to managing your child’s screen time.
Users of iPhones:
You may set daily time limitations for gaming, entertainment, social networking, and other applications under the Screen Time settings. The child can text you if they need additional time. You may also configure a “downtime” period, akin to Google’s “bedtime,” during which your child is limited to the applications and functionalities you choose.
Browsing to Settings > Screen Time > Downtime and Settings > Screen Time > App Limits, will provide access to these parental settings.
Users of Android phones:
The Family Link app also allows you to set a time restriction for your child’s daily usage as well as a “bedtime” period during which your child is not permitted to use the device. If your children need extra time, they can text your phone for permission.
You can also install the software on an iPhone to monitor what your child is doing with an Android phone. Other than some of the child’s Google Account settings, you cannot use the programme to remotely set controls on the child’s iPhone.
Control App and Content Access
Owners of Samsung Galaxy Phones:
To establish use limits and content restrictions, utilise Google’s Family Link app or Samsung’s built-in Kids Mode parental controls. In addition, the latter provides access to instructional programmes in the Galaxy Apps store.
Swipe down from the top of the screen to reach the controls, then pick Kids Mode from the instant menu. Once configured, your phone may be locked into this limited mode and unlocked using a four-digit PIN.
Users of iPhones:
Sharing an iPhone with your 8-year-old is simply not as easy as sharing an Android device. Because you can’t switch between accounts without checking in and out of iCloud, it’s considerably easier if each of you has their own smartphone.
To begin, go to Settings > Screen Time and add your child to your family group. If the child does not already have an iCloud account, the phone will guide you through the procedure.
After that, you may put different constraints on your phone or the child’s phone. Select App Limits, then Add Limit from the Screen Time settings menu. You may then choose All Apps & Categories or set restrictions on particular options like Social, Games, Entertainment, and so on.
These, like other settings options, will be locked by a four-digit parental password to prevent children from altering them. Select Content & Privacy Restrictions, turn it on and then touch Content Restrictions to further limit the type of content your child may view.
This allows you to restrict movie and TV programme watching on the device to certain ratings and select whether your child may listen to explicit podcasts and music. Adult websites can also be restricted. Interactions inside multiplayer games can also be restricted.
After that, you may utilise your phone’s Screen Time settings to monitor what your children are doing and, if necessary, remotely alter the limits. When you choose your child’s profile, you’ll see the limitations you’ve established, as well as a real-time report on how the child is using screen time.
It’s worth noting that Apple’s screen time limitations aren’t limited to children. According to the firm, many individuals prefer to keep track of their personal phone usage. As a result, parents can apply their own limits.
Of course, unlike your child, you will be aware of the four-digit passcode that allows you to override the limitations.
Users of Android Phones:
Parents’ lives are made a bit simpler by the Android operating system, which allows them to set up several user profiles on a smartphone. This allows you to share the phone with a child while keeping your apps separate.
To enable this option, navigate to Settings > System > Multiple users > and turn on “Multiple users.” You may create a new user profile for your child here. Swipe down from the top of your phone and hit the blue User symbol to go to the child’s profile.
If you don’t want to create user accounts for your children, you may give them the phone in Guest Mode. On your phone, slide down from the top of the screen, hit the blue User symbol, and then tap Guest. This will limit your child’s access to the phone’s default applications and settings, keeping him or her from tampering with your images, text messages, and apps.
Download the free Google Family Link app from the Google Play store onto your own phone to install genuine parental controls on a child’s phone. The software will lead you through the steps of creating a Google account for your child that is connected to your own.
You can alternatively link to your child’s Google account if he or she already has one. Then, on your child’s smartphone, install the Google Family Link app for children and teenagers. You may set limitations on your child’s account directly from your phone.
For example, you may pick programmes to allow or restrict by clicking on “Apps installed.” You may pick a “supervised experience” for YouTube, which will limit the sorts of videos your child can see.
Once you’ve finished the process, your child will be able to use the limited account. Your personal account will not be affected. You can monitor what your child is doing using the app’s dashboard and email notifications, and each new app your child wants to download requires parental clearance.
Final Thoughts on Phone Settings for Your Child’s Phone
We discuss here the importance of screen time limits with computer games. When your child gets a phone, or when there are issues, the phones do have tools that you can use to help you. However, nothing will beat the ability to talk to your child, discuss issues and see if you can come to a solution. A boy I teach who is easily distracted has two phones. On school days he has a simple non-smart phone which can only function as a phone. He likes this as it removes the temptation. These tech companies are worth billions of dollars. The minds they have to make their device as exciting as possible and the app developers to make your child play their games means it is not a fair fight! If you think that your child has an issue with screen addiction we have some guidance here.
