With the increasing prevalence of smartphones in modern society, it is not uncommon for children to receive their smartphones at a young age. While smartphones offer a multitude of benefits, they also pose potential risks, such as access to inappropriate content or excessive screen time. As a result, many parents take proactive steps to set up and utilize parental controls on their child's new phones to ensure their safety and well-being.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use parental controls to manage and monitor your child's smartphone usage.
Start by accessing the settings on your child's smartphone.
For iOS:
- Go to "Settings" on your child's iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on "Screen Time" which is located towards the top of the list.
- If you haven't set up Screen Time before, tap on "Turn On Screen Time" and follow the prompts to set up a Screen Time passcode.
- Once Screen Time is enabled, you can set various limits and restrictions for your child's device usage, such as app limits, content & privacy restrictions, and downtime schedules. You can also manage app usage, web content, and screen time reports remotely from your device using the "Family Sharing" feature.
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For Android:
- Go to "Settings" on your child's Android device.
- Look for "Digital well-being" or "Parental Controls" which may vary depending on the Android version and device manufacturer.
- Tap on "Digital Wellbeing" or "Parental Controls" and follow the prompts to set up a parent or guardian account.
- Once set up, you can set various limits and restrictions for your child's device usage, such as app limits, content filters, and screen time schedules. You can also manage app usage, web content, and screen time reports remotely from your device using the parent or guardian account.
Set up content filters: Parental controls allow you to block or restrict access to certain types of content, such as explicit websites, adult content, or specific apps. You can also set up age-appropriate content filters to ensure that your child only accesses content suitable for their age group.
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Manage app usage: Parental controls allow you to set time limits for specific apps or block access to certain apps altogether. You can also set up app restrictions based on content ratings so that your child can only download and use apps that are appropriate for their age.
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Setting up and using parental controls on your child's new phone can provide you with peace of mind and help you establish healthy device habits.
