Parental Control for Android is an effective method to protect the child from unnecessary content, downloading dangerous and unwanted files, and viewing adult content sites. After all, it is extremely difficult to constantly monitor what a child is watching or playing. Such personal control fetters the child, and programs help to do the same, only unobtrusively.
A few key tasks of child tracking programs:
- setting a time limit for games;
- ban on downloading paid applications;
- protecting children from inappropriate content (pornography and violence);
- protection against potentially harmful code that can get through downloaded files from unidentified sources.
Set a limit to some Android functions for a child, really through the personalization of Android, interaction with Google Play and installation of special applications.
Restrict access using "Settings"
Parental control on an Android phone can be done through the access restriction settings for the user. How to do it:
- Enter "Settings";
- Select the "Users" section;
- Select "Add User";
- Set a limit on your child's account.
Now you can give the choice to the child or decide for yourself which programs will appear in the window and which are hidden. Alternative option— assign a password, for example, for the Google Play store.
Restrictions in PlayMarket
To control the use of the store, it is enough to activate tracking in the Google Play program:
- Go to the store.
- Click on "Settings".
- Select Parental Control.
- Set a password.
At the end, you need to determine the age limit for the selection of games, movies, applications, and in the audio they put a ban on downloading with profanity, it is additionally possible to set a password for paid content.
For those who are faced with the question of how to set parental controls on Android, there are special programs. Here are the best and most popular utility options for a mobile OS:
- YouTube Kids;
- Kid's Shell;
- Screen Time;
- PlayPad;
- Safe Lagoons.
YouTube Kids
A specially designed service that contains videos of an entertaining and intellectual nature. It is possible to remove videos from the selection, for this you need to click "Complain".
All videos are divided into 4 sectors:
- Education.
- Music.
- Kaleidoscope.
The program has wide buttons that are easy to manage even for the smallest users. There is a function for synchronization to TV, for watching videos on the big screen.
Settings for parents will allow you to set a limit on the use of the program and prohibit the search function, viewing will only be on the main screen.
Kid's Shell
Key features of the application:
- a ban on making purchases in any applications;
- mode for the child, it opens only the programs indicated by the parents;
- a password is required when exiting the shell;
- Google Play search and advertising links are blocked;
For 200 rubles, you can open functions for prohibiting the use of the Internet, personalizing desktops, setting a time limit for the phone, and also a built-in player with useful information for a child.
Screen Time
Thanks to this program, parents will be able to monitor and regulate the time of the child. The application has two parts: the main and auxiliary - Screen Time Companion, it is installed on the child's gadget. The program allows you to monitor the activity on the children's smartphone: find out the amount of time allocated to applications, what games are opened, what they listen to and what they prefer in the video.
A few main features:
- blocking individual applications;
- identification of the duration and time of day of the programs;
- in the course of classes, a ban on the use of the network;
- the possibility of adding additional work time for tasks.
To block access or limit time altogether, there is no need to take the phone away from the child, you just need to press the appropriate control buttons on your smartphone.
PlayPad
The application was created for the child for the purpose of entertainment and development.
The utility has a colorful menu with 4 sections:
- Games.
- Development.
- Education.
- Other.
Parents themselves choose programs for these sections. There is an opportunity to create a ban on calls and messages. The child will have access to change the style of the desktop and a bonus from the creators of the program - a drawing board.
Safe Lagoon
Parental control program to use, apply the following steps:
- Download the utility to the child's gadget.
- Install a management profile.
- Specify security settings.
- Download the program client with control functions. It is possible to get data from a web account.
Parents in the profile will be able to see activity on the Internet and games, highlight restrictions on the use of applications and set a geo-perimeter, within its boundaries, parents will be able to see the location of the child and receive a notification when he leaves the specified territory.
Parental control on Android tablets and smartphones is a very useful thing, thanks to which you can protect children from harmful content. Which is better, the choice is yours.
If you still have questions on the topic “How to set parental controls on Android?”, You can ask them in the comment
A smartphone has long become a familiar thing not only in the hands of an adult, but also a child. Many children receive their first mobile phone almost from the first grade in order to always stay in touch with their parents. In addition, a smartphone is not only a means for making calls, but also a rather powerful educational and gaming platform.
However, a multifunctional gadget in the hands of a minor can also become a source of problems associated with visiting unwanted sites on the Web or downloading malware. Therefore, the Android system provides the ability to set parental controls on the child's phone.
Main features of parental control:
- Protecting the child from negative web content (violence and pornography);
- Prohibition on downloading paid programs;
- Protection against malicious viruses that can get into the phone along with applications from untrusted sources;
- Limiting the time a child spends on games.
Parents can restrict their child's access to certain phone functions through Android settings, the Google Play store, and by installing special applications that are installed on a mobile device.
Method 1. Parental control settings in Android
To make the gadget as safe as possible for the child, it is enough to set up user access restrictions:
- Open Android settings;
- Select Users;
- Click on the Add user command;
- Set restrictions on the guest account.
The child will be able to choose which applications will be installed on his desktop, but parents will control access to them. For example, you can restrict access to the browser or assign a password to the Google Play store.
By setting up parental controls, adults can provide their child with the most useful study apps that will become great helpers for him in school lessons and when doing homework.
Method 2: Google Play Settings
To prevent the child from downloading everything from the shelves of the Google virtual store, parents just need to enable the "Parental Control" function in the Google Play application itself:
- Open the app store;
- Go to settings;
- Select "Parental Control";
- Set and confirm the pin code.
After that, Google Play gives you the opportunity to set up content filtering. Games, apps and movies are subject to rating limits ranging from 0 to 18 years old. And the checkbox in the "Music" section sets a ban on downloading songs with profanity.
Method 3. Applications
Parents who are worried about how to control their child's phone can use the functions of special applications. There are several popular and convenient parental control programs on Google Play:
- Parental control Screen Time;
- Kid's Shell;
Parental Control Screen Time
The Screen Time app helps parents manage their child's smartphone time. The program consists of two parts: the main application and the Screen Time Companion add-on, which is installed on the child's mobile device.
After that, adults can track all the activity on the phone of a son or daughter: what games the child plays, how much time he devotes to entertainment applications, what he watches or listens to.
Among the main functions of the Screen Time app are:
- Setting the running time of applications;
- Blocking certain applications;
- Prohibition of access to social networks during school hours;
- Adding extra minutes for programs.
Thus, if a child instead of lessons or lunch, as they say, “sticks” on the phone, parents just need to press the necessary buttons in the application on their gadget several times without taking away their favorite mobile phone from the teenager.
Kid's Shell
Kids's Shell is a launcher for launching only allowed applications and games on the phone. With its help, a kind of safe zone is created on the child's mobile phone. The launcher can also be installed on the parent phone to which the child has access. In this case, calls and SMS are blocked , as well as access to Google Play.
The main functions of Kid's Shell
- Children's mode, in which only applications selected by parents are launched;
- Blocking the transition to Google Play, as well as through advertising links and banners;
- A ban on purchases within installed programs;
- Setting a mathematical password to exit the shell.
In the PRO version for 200 rubles, the application's functionality is expanded to a ban on Internet access, desktop settings, setting the smartphone's operating time, as well as a built-in player with content useful for the child.
YouTube Kids is a special application that contains entertaining and educational videos. At the same time, if parents do not like any video, they just need to click on the "Complain" button, and the specified video will be removed from the program.
All videos in the application are divided into four categories:
- Music;
- Education;
- Kaleidoscope.
Thanks to the large buttons, even the smallest users can control the interface. Also a smartphone installed program Can be connected to a TV and watch videos on a big screen.
Special settings for adults will allow you to turn off the search function so that the child watches only the video on the main screen, and also limit the time the program runs.
Safe Lagoon is a universal parental control app. To use it, just follow simple steps:
- Download Safe Lagoon on your child's device;
- Create a parent profile;
- Set up security;
- Install Lagoon for parents or go to your profile on the site.
In the profile, parents can track their child's activity on the Web and applications, set a limit for working with programs, and even set a geo-perimeter within which dad and mom can always see where their child is and receive a notification if he has gone beyond a certain territory.
How to choose a smartphone for parental control
Before setting parental controls on a child's phone, adults should take care to provide their child with a reliable and inexpensive gadget for studying and playing.
If we are talking about a smartphone for a student, the following characteristics of the device should be considered:
- Price. A smartphone should not be too expensive, as children often break even their favorite toys;
- Functionality. Game and educational applications, as well as special shells for parental control with the programs contained in them, should run without problems on the child’s mobile device;
- Small dimensions. For children from 7 to 14 years old, it is advisable to purchase light and compact smartphones for more comfortable use.
You can read more about the parameters that parents should pay attention to when looking for a mobile gadget for their child in the article "How to choose the best smartphone for a student".
In order for the child to be provided with a multifunctional mobile device that parents could control using applications and special settings, we recommend paying attention to the Nimbus 11 smartphone from the British company Fly.
It is worth noting that for 14 years, Fly has been consistently providing consumers with powerful, productive and affordable smartphones. At the same time, a suitable model can be selected for both an adult and a child.
Fly Nimbus 11 may well become the first smartphone for a child that will serve him faithfully for many years, educate, inspire, entertain and open the door to the world of high technologies for a small person.
For very little money - only 3,790 rubles - adults will be able to provide their child with a convenient and lightweight smartphone with extremely comfortable dimensions: 132.9 x 67.3 x 10.2 mm. The 4.5-inch screen perfectly displays videos and interfaces for entertainment and educational applications.
On the Fly Nimbus 11 smartphone, you can safely install the most convenient parental control applications, including launchers with selected software. A powerful 1.1 GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM are responsible for stable work. high-speed 4G LTE connection.
Own smartphone or tablet, which almost every child has, is a window to a huge, attractive and inviting, but far from harmless virtual world. Parental controls will help protect a minor from harmful information, as well as limit the time he spends on the Internet and playing games. Today they are being developed not only for desktop computers, but also for mobile devices based on Android.
I suggest getting acquainted with several programs that allow you to filter and block unwanted content, as well as have other useful features for parents.
Features of Google Play
The simplest parental control is present in Android by default - this is one of the functions of Google Play. With it, you can prevent the installation of applications that are not suitable for the child by age.
For this:
There are 3 sections in the "Content filtering settings" list: "Apps and games", "Movies" and "Music". As for music with explicit content, access to it can either be completely allowed or denied.
In the other two sections there is a gradation by age (rating) - from 0 to 18 years. Choose the one that suits your child's age.
Unfortunately, the Russian version of Google Play parental control does not filter all the content that is in the store. For example, it will not prevent a child from downloading a comic book or a book that contains non-childish information. In addition, this option is ineffective if the child knows how to use a browser, so it is better for parents of children older than 7-8 years to install a separate protective application - one of those that I will discuss later.
Parental control from antivirus vendors
Parental control on Android can be organized using antivirus software, which may already be installed on your child's phone or tablet. Such products include, for example, F-Secure SAFE and Quick Heal Total Security.
There are also separate programs of this class from antivirus manufacturers. They can be used both as an addition to the main product, and on their own. Let's take a closer look at some of them.
Safe Kids comes in paid and free versions.
Among its functions:
- Web content filtering.
- Search filtering (allows you to exclude sites with unwanted content from search results).
- Blocking the device at a set time (excluding calls).
- Determining the geographical location (the parent can find out where the child is).
- Monitor device usage and send reports to your phone or email parent.
The app is easy to set up and easy to use. All the main ways to protect children's safety are present in it. It is suitable for both adolescent and young child control. But you can use it only by mutual agreement, since there is no protection against uninstallation in it: if the child objects to the restrictions, it will remove the program without any problems.
Norton Family parental control (Symantec)
Norton Family has almost the same set of features as the Kaspersky product. It is also available in paid and free versions.
IN free version available:
- The function of monitoring visits to websites (logging).
- Web content filtering.
- Immediate warning of parents about undesirable actions of the child.
The paid additionally contains the ability to selectively manage access to applications, create a report on the use of the device for 90 days, receive weekly or monthly summaries of the time spent by the child on the device and the actions on it by e-mail.
Unlike SafeKids, Norton Family has deletion protection, but some particularly cunning teenagers still manage to turn it off.
The range of possibilities is somewhat wider. Available in the free version:
Additional functionality is more suitable for parents of younger students who are away from home for a long time.
Offline Parental Control Apps
Perhaps one of the most functional and flexible parental control tools, but paid (from $5.95 per quarter).
Among its features:
- Safe search in all popular browsers.
- Individual site blocking settings (black and white lists).
- Web surfing time limit (you can create a schedule for each day of the week).
- Remote control of settings and rules (from an adult's smartphone).
- Limiting the time of using the device.
- Reports on the child's online activity (time and content of visited sites, search queries).
- The ability to allow or deny a child access to certain content in real time.
- Hiding applications not intended for use by children (customizable).
- Blocking applications by working time.
Despite the abundance of features, using SafeKiddo is quite simple. In addition, it can be used to control several children, using separate rules for each.
Kids Zone Parental Controls
Kids Zone Parental Controls is useful for creating separate profiles for children on a device used by an adult. The program is intended mainly for kids. Available in free and paid versions.
With Kids Zone you can:
- Create an individual profile for each child on your phone or tablet, set their personal desktop wallpaper. Children's profiles will only show apps that you allow.
- Protect program settings from changes using a pin code.
- Limit the time you use the device.
- Block outgoing calls and SMS.
- Deny Internet access.
- Prohibit downloading and installing programs from Google Play and other sources.
- Block access to device settings and personal data of the parent account.
- Monitor the use of the device by children.
- Remove the blocking by pressing one button (when you need to answer the call).
The disadvantage of Kids Zone is that it is not translated into Russian. But everything else is pretty good.
For modern children, figuring out how to use the Internet and a smartphone is a simple and quick matter. Fortunately, it is also not difficult to protect a child from “18+” materials, of which there are by no means few on the network. Operators have services to customize the use of gadgets by children. We will deal with their capabilities using the MTS Internet Control service as an example.
Closing access to websites
“He will climb anywhere” is the main fear of a parent whose child uses the network. There is only one way out - content filtering. There are five safety modes in " " for each age. Options are available from the most strict "Under 7 years", with access to a very limited list of children's sites and safe search, to "Adult", where the list of allowed sites is significantly expanded, but sites of dangerous categories are still blocked. In the "Personal" mode, you can independently "close" different categories of sites, turn on the safe search mode in Yandex, Google and YouTube. If you want to allow the use of a resource blocked by the system, create your own "white" list.
Security Modes
Site groups
Setting the schedule
To avoid “well, five more minutes, please” and solve the issue of school breaks without taking your eyes off the screen, setting up an access schedule will help. In the MTS service, you can select the days of the week and the time when access to the Internet will be completely prohibited. During X hours and days, for example, on weekdays, the child will not be able to access the network at all, at other times, for example, on weekend evenings, he will use it in accordance with the configured filtering type.
Access Schedule
Start a magazine
"Internet Control" allows you to view detailed statistics on the use of the Internet by a child. Reports with information about when, what sites and how many times the child visited can be sent to your e-mail according to the selected schedule. To do this, you will need to establish an extended link between the number of the child and the parent, which we will discuss in detail below.
Statistics
Date and time of visits
Another possibility of the service is to disable downloading files to a smartphone or select allowed categories - images, audio files, video files or documents.
How to set it up?
You can secure a children's smartphone in a couple of minutes. To do this, you will need him (the device, not the child), your phone and a computer.
1. The easiest option is to dial the command on your phone *111*1116*1# In response, you will receive an SMS about the connection to the service number “Internet Control. Parent". Two types of links are possible between parent and child numbers:
- a basic bundle that allows you to manage the settings of your child's device. Installation requires confirmation for a service SMS message;
- an extended link, in addition to managing settings, allows you to view the history of sites viewed and blocked as part of the provision of the service. The numbers of the parent and child must be issued to one personal account or to the same subscriber (verification according to the passport data of the owner of the number). Verification takes up to three days.
2. Now head to Personal Area MTS to send a request to connect the service to the child. Select the section "Service Management", "Internet" and follow the link "". The window for adding a child's number is hard to miss. If it is issued to you, select "Advanced Communication" and get the opportunity not only to set rules for using the Internet, but also to view statistics on visits and downloads.
Service selection
Link type selection
An SMS message will be sent to the number of the son or daughter with a request to confirm consent to a bunch of numbers. After sending the answer with the text "Yes", you can proceed to setting up the rules.
How convenient it is for parents to be able to always call their child, whether he is, for example, at school or alone at home. Do you know how convenient it is for a child to always be able to play on the phone, surf the Internet, social networks or youtube, invent different stories and deceive their parents when they don’t even have the opportunity to check what was said ... Although no, of course you know all this just close your eyes to the problem.
Meanwhile, it turns out that the child has uncontrolled access to adult content through the phone. IN in social networks very bad groups go, I don’t even want to mention them once again. Yes, and by downloading viruses either voluntarily or out of ignorance, subscribing to paid services with payment by SMS, your child will simply put you up for a lot of money.
Those. turning a blind eye to a potential problem is stupid. Laziness is also not an excuse. There is a solution to the problem called parental control on the phone to be used. What it is and how it is used, read below.
What is phone parental control
Phone parental control is a software-implemented set of rules for delimiting access to the phone and the Internet in order to reduce its negative impact on the child under guardianship.
It will not necessarily be some separate program with which you prohibit the child from accessing the smartphone. It may just be functionality that is already built into operating system(for example, parental control on an android phone is described below). This may be, which, in addition to the limitations on a smartphone, will also provide you with a lot of interesting and very useful opportunities for inconspicuous control and observation of the child, which will allow you to conduct education more competently. Even mobile network operators themselves offer a similar service, limiting the capabilities of a SIM card at the request of a subscriber (not all, you need to check with your operator if it has such a function).
Typical functionality of parental control programs:
- Blocking negative Internet content;
- Prohibition on downloading paid programs and programs from unreliable sources;
- Restriction of games by time or duration;
- Location control with control over the crossing of the "guarded" perimeter.
Nothing supernatural, only the necessary access restrictions. If you need more, then you should look towards the spyware mentioned above, which will also allow you to listen to conversations (both on the phone and the environment of the device turned off), read correspondence, track movement, turn on the camera, see what the child did on the Internet, with whom chatted, etc.). Those. in this case, you are not so much forbidding as quietly observing and drawing conclusions to make an adequate, balanced decision! Although the program at the link above also has an implementation of the prohibition functionality.
How to put parental controls on android phone
We will look at individual programs below. Just as we will not now consider the possibilities of cellular network operators regarding the issue of organizing parental control on the subscriber's phone. Now let's see what android itself offers us as a restriction of a child's access to bad Internet content and smartphone functions.
user management
This is parental control on the child's phone with the installation of appropriate restrictions for the user of your child to launch applications and change settings. Let's say right away that this feature is not available on all versions of android and not even on all smartphones. Some manufacturers turn it off so that the phone does not slow down. It's just that if the mobile phone is weak, then it's not convenient. And if the “titled” device starts to slow down because of this, then the manufacturer will spoil its image.
The essence of this approach is to create a separate user for the child. In this case, the user account will be restricted. To create an account, select the appropriate item in the android settings: " Settings» - « Users» - « Add user/profile» - « Restricted Profile».
Blocking the current application
This is a half-measure function for a time limit or for very young children. However, to some extent, this is also parental control on the child's phone.
Learn more about how to set parental control on your phone through app lock in full screen mode. IN android settings need to choose: Settings - Safety - App lock. Now, when reviewing all running applications on a smartphone, if you stretch one of them a little up, you will be able to open it in full screen and lock it in that position.
How to install play-market blocking
It is often necessary to limit the software capabilities of a smartphone for children. You don’t need to do anything complicated for this - such an opportunity is implemented in the android itself and in the play market. To do this, disable the permission to install applications from unreliable sources in the settings (security section). Set up access to play market, limiting the installation and purchase of applications:
- Button " Menu" V Play Store and open settings.
- Enable item " Parental control" (position " On"). Set a pin code.
- Set age limits for games, apps, movies, and music by age.
- Turn on the item " Purchase Authentication”, which requires you to enter your Google account password to purchase paid apps. Accordingly, do not tell the child this password.
How to set youtube blocking
Another part of the procedure for installing total parental control on an android phone is restricting access to the “wrong” video for a child through the YouTube setting. To do this, in the YouTube application, go to the menu and select: " Settings» - « Are common” and turn on the item “ Safe mode».
Or, on Google Play, you can use the separate application "YouTube for kids", where such a function is installed by default and cannot be disabled.
Dedicated parental control apps
We will analyze each individual application in a separate material. Here we simply list them, adding links to reviews.
In general terms, parental control programs offer a more serious set of functions in comparison with the solutions of Android itself. You simply install such a program on your smartphone and make the necessary settings according to the instructions.
Parental control on android phone
- Screen Time
- Kid's Shell
- Safe Lagoon
parental control on iphone
- KidLogge
- Qustodio Safe Browser
Access restriction at the level of cellular network operators
If you have read up to this point, then you are really interested in the safety and effective upbringing of your child. But it is also obvious that you already have little strength to read long explanations. Therefore, we will do the same as with parental control programs - some general information and links to detailed overview capabilities of different mobile network operators.
The bottom line is, you order a service (which will probably be paid) by sending SMS to the number indicated on the official website from the child’s phone and from your own (of course, there will be differences in the encoding or in the numbers to distinguish the child from the parent). Details or the possibility of customization are always provided by mobile operators in detail on their websites. Everyone has a different feature set. There are operators that allow you to set up tracking the movements of the child with the notification of parents about leaving the protected area.
Spyware as parental control
And the last issue that needs to be considered is the installation of spyware on the child's phone. It just sounds ominous. In fact, you will be able to manipulate the child without any pressure on him. This is much more pedagogical than banning everything and restricting everything. After all, trying to predict, we can think up problems. And having received the fact, we know exactly what is wrong, and we have the opportunity to understand how to fix it.
A simple example - parental control of the Internet on a child's phone will not solve the problem of everyday communication in a dysfunctional group of classmates. Well, you forbid access to the Internet, but a friend has it. So, what is next?
Mobile spyware, unlike parental controls on the phone, do not ban but monitor. You can listen to your child's conversations. Or find out how he communicates in a team by listening to the environment of the smartphone. You can find out where he is now, or where he was during school hours. And this is just the basic set of features. More serious ones also have parental control features. You get two in one - important information and access restrictions. How to install like this software and where to get it read the links above.
conclusions
From the material, you learned what parental control is on an android phone, how to install additional programs or set up standard mechanisms for restricting the smartphone OS itself.
Now there are many interesting software solutions that use cellular networks and mobile devices for monitoring and monitoring children. But remember that this is only a half-measure, a tool to help parents raise their children, but it does not replace parenting itself.
We are convinced that lazy parents are not puzzled by this issue, caring ones choose and install parental control programs, and smart and caring parents raise their children. The latest help in this matter is spyware for phones.
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