Here are five ways to keep your smartphone safe for your kids:

  1. Set parental controls: If you don’t want your kids using your phone, set parental controls so they can’t. This will prevent them from installing apps or accessing certain content, and it will also help you keep track of their online activity.
  2. Restrict access to specific apps: If you don’t want them using specific apps, restrict their access to them by disabling in-app purchases or by setting up a password. This way, they can still use the app but won’t be able to make any changes or purchases.
  3. Keep devices locked when not in use: When not in use, lock your device so it can’t be accessed by anyone other than you and the kids. This way, if they do manage to get their hands on it, they won’t be able to make any changes or deletions without your permission first.
  4. Use a passcode: Another way to keep devices locked is to use a passcode – this will make it harder for them to access the device without your permission and will also protect any data that may be stored on the device.
  5. Install security software: Finally, if you want extra assurance that your device is safe from unauthorized access, consider installing security software such as antivirus software or malware protection software ..

Android comes with several features to make your device safe for children, including the ability to create and restrict secondary and guest user accounts. However, some phone manufacturers and cellular service providers have removed this feature from their devices. ..

Android tablets come with multi-users features, but there are inconsistencies across devices. This is a downside to Android’s otherwise powerful and versatile open-source programming. ..

When discussing how to make your Android device kid-safe, we must look at two scenarios: using Android’s built-in features where they’re available, or installing a third-party kid-friendly app. The good news is that there are several of them, including Google’s own free Family Link app.

Android has several screen lock options that you can use to keep your child from using your device without your permission.

Locking Access To Your Smartphone Or Tablet

Android provides a variety of password and PIN screen-lock options, as well as a few biometric features. Many devices allow you to use a combination of conventional and biometric locks.

Android lockscreen options can be accessed through the Settings app on your device. There are PIN and password locks, as well as biometric locks. ..

If you’re using a phone that supports biometric scanning, the chances of your child defeating a fingerprint, facial, or iris scan are slim to none.

Creating Multiple Users On Your Android

  1. Log into your device and open the settings.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom and select “user profiles.”
  3. Click on the “create a new profile” button.
  4. Enter a name for your new profile and click on the “create” button.
  5. You’ll now be able to restrict what your child can do on their device by creating a separate profile for each one of them!

Scroll to and tap the name of the user you want to change your password for.

In the ensuing dialog window, tap the Add user button.

Android allows you to switch access to nearly everything on the device, including Chrome and the Google Search app. By default, most options are turned off. However, you can turn on access to some options by pressing a button on the screen.

To allow specific content and apps on your child’s device, go to the Settings app on your device and select “Content & App Settings.” From here, you can toggle which content and apps are allowed on your child’s device. You can also adjust settings based on your child’s age. For example, you can restrict certain content or apps based on their age group (for example, allowing only age-appropriate content for children under 12 years old), or set limits on how much time they can spend using specific apps or websites. ..

TV apps like Netflix and Hulu let you limit what you see by rating it using traditional ratings, such as PG or PG-13. You can also turn off Allow unrated content to help keep your viewing experience clean.

You can restrict each user’s access to specific apps and content. Remember, too, that for each new app or content you install or download for the children in the future, you’ll need to allow access.

Notifications pull-down: To switch between users, you can use the Notifications pull-down on your device. This will show you the user names and passwords for both of your devices.

To sign out of a different user’s account on your phone: From the top of any Home screen, the lock screen, and many app screens, swipe down with two fingers to reveal Quick Settings.Tap Switch userTap a different user. That user will now see a sign out button at the bottom of their screen. Tap Sign out. ..

Setting Parental Controls In Google Play

To make your device kid-safe for an older child, you can turn on and define the built-in Google Play Store parental controls. With these, you can restrict the types of apps, books, music, and movies available for download to your Android.

Open Google Play Store.Tap the app menu icon (four horizontal lines) in the upper-left corner of the app.Scroll to and tap Parental controls.Move the Parental controls slider to the right to turn on parental controls.

In the ensuing Content PIN dialog box, type a four-digit number, tap OK, retype the PIN to confirm, and then tap OK again. From the Parental Controls “Set content restrictions screen,” enter each section and set the level of allowed content.

In the Apps & Games section, you have several options between “Everyone” (the most restrictive) to “Allow all, including unrated” (least restrictive). You can, of course, turn off or change parental controls as needed, but only after entering the four-digit PIN. So don’t forget it. ..

This article is about how Parental Controls work on your device before you turn them on.

Third-Party Kid-Safe Apps

Google Family Link lets you control most aspects of your child’s Android access, including setting time limits. A drawback to Family Link is that it requires two devices, yours and your child’s.

  1. ADB sideload
  2. Fastboot sideload
  3. CWM recovery

Kids Place Parental Control is a launcher that essentially turns Android into a kid-friendly environment where you decide nearly all aspects of functionality and accessibility. As with all launchers, you can easily turn it off or turn on another launcher. Net Nanny has been filtering content, blocking porn, and setting time limits on Windows machines for several years. It requires Restricted Profile users, though, which not all Androids support. Toddler Lock restricts your child to a single app, period.Applock provides extensive controls over nearly all Android functionality and content. ..