How to Set Up Parental Controls on iPhone and iPad

The iPhone and iPad offer robust parental control features through Apple’s Screen Time settings. Here’s how to set them up:

Step 1

Open Settings: Go to your child’s iPhone or iPad and open the “Settings” app.

Step 2

Select Screen Time: Scroll down and tap Screen Time.

Step 3

Turn On Screen Time: If Screen Time isn’t enabled, tap Turn On Screen Time and select This is My Child’s iPhone/iPad.

Step 4

Set Up a Screen Time Passcode: Tap Use Screen Time Passcode to set a passcode that only you can use to change parental control settings. This will prevent your child from changing any restrictions.

Step 5

Content & Privacy Restrictions: Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and toggle the switch to enable it.

Step 6

App Limits: Select App Limits to limit the amount of time your child can spend on specific apps or app categories (e.g., social media, games).

Step 7

Always Allowed: Under Always Allowed, choose which apps are always available to use, even when App Limits are enabled. For example, you might want to always allow educational apps or communication apps.

Step 8

Content Restrictions: In the Content Restrictions section, you can restrict adult content, set age limits for apps, movies, music, and books, and block explicit content from appearing in searches.

Step 9

Downtime: Use Downtime to schedule times when only certain apps (like educational apps) are allowed, such as during homework or bedtime.

Step 10

Turn On Family Sharing (Optional): If you want to manage parental controls across all your child’s Apple devices, set up Family Sharing and turn on Screen Time from your own device.

How to Set Up Parental Controls on Samsung Galaxy Devices

Samsung Galaxy tablets have a dedicated Kids Mode and other built-in controls to keep your child safe online. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1

Open Settings: Go to your child’s Samsung Galaxy device and open Settings.

Step 2

Activate Kids Mode: Scroll down and select Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls, then tap Parental Controls. You can either enable Google Family Link for remote control or activate Samsung Kids Mode for localized parental controls.

Step 3

Set Up a PIN: Create a PIN code to prevent your child from turning off the parental controls.

Step 4

Manage Apps: In Kids Mode, you can add specific apps for your child to use and restrict access to others.

Step 5

Set Usage Limits: Set daily screen time limits for the device and individual apps.

Step 6

Restrict Content: In Google Family Link, you can manage app downloads, purchases, and control which websites your child can visit.

Step 7

Monitor Activity: Samsung’s parental control settings allow you to track how long your child has used the device, which apps they’re using, and any other activity.

How to Set Up Parental Controls on Amazon Fire Tablets

Amazon Fire Kids Edition comes with built-in parental controls and offers access to Amazon Kids+ for safe, kid-friendly content.

Step 1

Open Settings: On your child’s Fire tablet, swipe down from the top and select Settings.

Step 2

Tap Parental Controls: Scroll down and tap Parental Controls, then toggle the switch to enable it.

Step 3

Create a Password: Set up a password to lock the parental controls.

Step 4

Manage Content:Once parental controls are enabled, you can set age restrictions for content and manage access to different apps, games, books, and videos.

Step 5

Set Screen Time Limits: Go to Set Daily Goals & Time Limits to limit how much time your child can spend on different types of content. For example, you might set a limit for games but allow unlimited reading.

Step 6

Block Purchases: Turn on the option to block in-app purchases to prevent your child from making accidental purchases.

Step 7

Enable Amazon Kids+ (Optional): If you subscribe to Amazon Kids+, your child can access thousands of kid-friendly apps, games, and videos with age-appropriate filters already in place.

 

How to Set Up Parental Controls on Lenovo Tablets

Lenovo tablets use Google Family Link for parental controls. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1

Download Google Family Link: Download the Google Family Link app on your child’s Lenovo tablet and on your own device.

Step 2

Create a Family Link Account: Follow the prompts to set up a Family Link account and connect it to your child’s Google account.

Step 3

Manage App Permissions: In the Family Link app, you can approve or block app downloads, control which apps your child can use, and block access to inappropriate websites.

Step 4

Set Screen Time Limits: Set daily screen time limits and schedule bedtime restrictions, where the device will lock itself after a certain time.

Step 5

Activity Monitoring: Google Family Link allows you to see which apps your child is using and how much time they spend on each one.

How to Keep Kids in a Single App: Guided Access for iPhones, Android, and Fire Tablets

Keeping young kids focused on a single app can be a challenge, especially when they’re exploring devices designed for older users. Fortunately, there are built-in features on most smartphones and tablets that allow parents to lock kids into one app to prevent them from navigating to other apps or settings. On Apple devices, this feature is called Guided Access, while Android devices offer Screen Pinning, and Amazon Fire Tablets have Parental Controls. Below, we’ll walk you through step-by-step instructions for each platform so your child can safely stay within the app you choose.

How to Set Up Guided Access on iPhone and iPad

The iPhone and iPad offer robust parental control features through Apple’s Screen Time settings. Here’s how to set them up:

Step 1

Open Settings: Go to your child’s iPhone or iPad and open the “Settings” app.

Step 2

Go to Accessibility: Scroll down and tap on Accessibility.

Step 3

Find Guided Access: Under the General section, tap on Guided Access.

Step 4

Enable Guided Access: Toggle the switch to On to enable Guided Access.

Step 5

Set a Passcode:

• Tap Passcode Settings, then choose Set Guided Access Passcode. Enter a passcode that you will use to end the session.
• (Optional) Enable Face ID or Touch ID to exit Guided Access.

Step 6

Start a Guided Access Session:

• Open the app you want your child to use.
• Triple-click the Side or Home button (depending on your device) to start Guided Access.

Step 7

Customize Guided Access:

• You can disable parts of the screen from being touched by drawing a circle around them.
• Tap Options to adjust the time limits, disable volume buttons, or disable motion sensing.

Step 8

End Guided Access:

• Triple-click the Side or Home button again.
• Enter your passcode, then tap End in the top left corner to exit Guided Access.

How to Set Up Guided Access on Android Devices (Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel)

Samsung Galaxy tablets have a dedicated Kids Mode and other built-in controls to keep your child safe online. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1

Open Settings: Tap the Settings app on your Android device.

Step 2

Go to Security or Privacy: Depending on your device, tap Security & Location or Biometrics and Security.

Step 3

Find Screen Pinning: Scroll down to find Screen Pinning (under Advanced or Other Security Settings).

Step 4

Enable Screen Pinning: Toggle the switch to On to enable the feature.

Step 5

Set a PIN: Make sure to enable the option Ask for PIN before unpinning.

Step 6

Start Screen Pinning:

• Open the app your child will use.
• Tap the Overview/Recent Apps button (usually a square icon).
• Swipe up and tap the Pin icon (a pushpin icon) on the app you want to pin.

Step 7

End Screen Pinning:

• To exit, hold down both the Back and Overview buttons at the same time.
• Enter your PIN to unpin the app.

How to Set Up Guided Access on Amazon Fire Tablets

Amazon Fire Kids Edition comes with built-in parental controls and offers access to Amazon Kids+ for safe, kid-friendly content.

Step 1

Open Settings: Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap Settings.

Step 2

Go to Parental Controls: Scroll down and tap Parental Controls.

Step 3

Enable Parental Controls: Toggle the Parental Controls switch to On.

Step 4

Set a PIN: Create a PIN to prevent changes to the settings.

Step 5

Choose Allowed Content:

• Under Apps, choose which apps your child can access.
• You can also enable Amazon FreeTime for more parental control options, like time limits.

Step 6

Exit Parental Controls: To exit, return to Settings, enter your PIN, and toggle Parental Controls off.