Is it possible to put parental control on the phone. Installing parental controls on an Android phone or tablet

Own smartphone or tablet, which almost every child has, is a window into 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 lyrics, 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, Russian version Google Play parental controls do 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 security application - one of those that I will discuss later.

Parental control from antivirus vendors

Parental control on Android, you can organize it 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 child control. younger age. 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.

Available in the free version:

• 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 junior schoolchildren, which long time are outside the home.

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.
• Hide 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.

Walking down the street you can meet a small child with a tablet or smartphone in his hands and this does not surprise anyone. When choosing the "first" device for their child, parents opt for Android because of the simple interface.

And since the time when the child has mastered new technologies for him, parents have many questions: How much time does the baby spend with the phone? What applications does it download? But do not worry, there is a way to control the child's actions and possibly protect him from mistakes. This article is detailed introduce the function"Parental Control on Android".

IMPORTANT! In this article, feature placement is described for the new Android device. If custom launchers are installed on your smartphone or tablet, the location of the settings can be changed.

Feature - App Lock

What does this function mean by itself: if one application is already being used in full screen, then it will not be easy for the baby to return to the desktop and launch another program.

To start you will need:

Play store settings

Google Play Store allows you to activate the parental control function in order to limit the unnecessary purchase and installation of various applications.

What you need to do for this:

How to use parental controls on YouTube

Often on YouTube you can stumble upon inappropriate videos with profanity. To protect your baby from viewing them, you can activate parental controls on YouTube. For this you need :

• open YouTube and on its working panel select the option " Settings»;
• then select the cell Are common» and activate the item « Safe mode».

Should know! Already now, Google Play can please parents with the new YouTube for Kids application, where all restrictions are set in an irreversible mode.

Using multiple users on Android

Android devices come with a feature that allows its users to create multiple accounts. To do this, you need to go to Settings”, select the option “ Users».

Before creating a new account, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with all the possibilities of this option.

• parents can create new account for a child who does not have access to payment data, and restrict access to his account with a password. Thus, the kid can install free applications with an age limit only on his account;
• also note that installation/uninstallation information is automatically displayed on all accounts. In other words, parents can easily control what programs the child uses.

Restricted user profiles

For quite a long time on Android devices, the option “ Create a limited user account". In this function, you can activate "Parental Control", which prohibits opening and using applications. But few users appreciated this feature and currently it can only be found on Android tablets.

In order to activate the option, you need :

• open settings;
• find tab " Users»;
• click on the option " add profile»;
• and finally select " restricted account". If this feature does not appear, then it is not available on your device.

We use third party applications

The parental control feature is quite in demand among users, but Android does not have enough features to fully implement and develop this option. Therefore, the Play Store "picked up" this idea and now you can find many applications for parental control in it. Next, we will talk about the two most popular programs (functional in Russian), which can boast of many positive feedback from their users.

Kaspersky Safe Kids

The program is free, but, despite this, it has many features, including:

• blocking access to certain applications;
• impossibility of visiting sites indicated by parents;
• view actions which were carried out on a smartphone and tablet;
• the program may even limit time using an Android device.

But Kaspersky Safe Kids is also equipped with a number of paid features:

• viewed activity in in social networks ;
• parents can view SMS messages, and which numbers were called;
• location devices, and hence the child.

But mostly the free features of this application are in great demand.

What you need to do to properly install Kaspersky Safe Kids on Android:

IMPORTANT! A child cannot delete a parent's account.

The Android operating system differs from the usual Windows in the absence of a parental control function. Because of this, parents of young children often suffer from the fact that the child can press something on the phone, enter the network on prohibited sites, or spend all the money from the mobile account. Of course, you can put a password on the device, hide applications, create a special account for the child. However, in this thread, we will introduce some ways to set up parental controls for Android.

Lock apps while using your phone

This method is suitable in cases where a parent, having turned on a game or a cartoon on the phone for his baby, prohibits access to the main menu or other applications. In other words, the kid will not be able to exit the game or close the cartoon on the phone. The sensor will not respond to the actions of the baby. The function that is responsible for blocking the software is called "Lock in the application." To enable it, do the following:

• Select "Menu", "Settings", "Security". Here we find the function "Lock in the application."

• A message will appear stating that by clicking on the Browse button (which looks like a pushpin), you can pin the screen.

• Now, having turned on the game for the baby, press the "Browse" button and hold it. To disable the lock, you should hold down the "Back" button.

Thus, the child will not be able to press anything on the phone or confuse the settings.

Setting up parental controls in the Play Market

Fortunately, such a service Play market has a parental control feature. In order to enable it, you need to select the "Service Menu", go to "Settings" and select "Parental Control".

A new window will open. Drag the slider to the "On" position.

To prevent your child from spending money on buying apps in the Play Market, you should enable the "Authentication upon purchase" function. After its activation, the child will not be able to buy a game or a movie on this service without entering a login and password from the account.

Create an account for a child

In order to create a new account for the child, in which only some applications will be available for use, it is worth going to the “Settings”, “Users” section and clicking “Add user”.

After that, select "Restricted User". Once the account is created, you need to specify which programs the new owner can use.

Using Kaspersky Safe Kids for Parental Control

The Kaspersky Safe Kids app was the first to allow a parent to monitor their child online and beyond. By installing such an application on their smartphone and the child's smartphone, the parent can specify which programs, sites and resources will be blocked for the child. Also, with the help of this software, you can track the location of the child.

Initially, the parent must create their own account on their device.

Registration must also be done on the child's device. Only after creating linked accounts, the parent can choose the level of protection.

It is important to note that most modern antiviruses for Android have a parental control feature. Therefore, Kaspersky Safe Kids is not the only option for organizing parental control on a child's smartphone.

For details on how to set up parental controls on Android, see the video:

Parental control is a protection of a child from unwanted content on the Internet, which a child can stumble upon even quite by accident, as well as protection from too a large number time spent on the Web and on a smartphone (or tablet) in general. Parental control for "Android" is implemented by various programs for this mobile OS. At right choice applications, you can sleep peacefully and not worry about the safety of the child.

Parental control programs - free, paid, demo versions and full licensed ones - are presented below.

"Parental Time Control"

The Russian-language program from the domestic manufacturer "Parental Time Control" is designed to ensure the safety of the child while he is on the Internet.

It includes:

• setting your own time limits for the Internet, games, and so on;
• blocking sites and applications that the parent deems inappropriate;
• compiling a list of recommended applications, the time frame for which will not apply;
• prohibition of any sites and applications at a certain time (for example, games and the Internet in the classroom, at night, etc.);
• the ability to remotely control the activities of the child on his smartphone through the official support service of the application.

All settings become available immediately after installing the application - this is the first thing that is displayed on the screen point by point. If you check the box next to the "Connect to account" option, it becomes possible to control through the service - on the site of the KidLogger developer team, you will need to log in with the appropriate login and password. The program "Parental Time Control" is available for download on the same site. It's free.

Kids Place

An application that provides parental control for Android, Kids Place is translated from English as "Child's Place", which fully reflects the essence of the program. "Kids Place" is not just a list of restrictions imposed on the OS, but a replacement for the standard device launcher - in other words, when a child "sits" on a tablet or smartphone, he surfs it only using this application, and exiting it is for him becomes an insurmountable task. Restarting is also useless - in the settings you can specify that at startup you will automatically be logged into Kids Place.

In fact, the only thing the parent needs to do is specify which applications are available to the child through the running program, and at what time. You can also save some data that will not be available through "Kids Place".

It is easy to trace the peculiarity of the application: it is supposed to be installed not on the child's phone, but on the parent's phone, in order to give the child a little "his place" on his mother's or father's smartphone.

Care4 Teen

But the application Care4Teen ("Care for a teenager") is installed on the child's phone. This program provides parental control in a slightly different way. It is not the protection of mom / dad's data that comes to the fore, but the safety of the child. Of course, here you can also set your own restrictions on applications and sites.

Parental control for Android can also be set by default - Care4Teen already has its own list of prohibited online resources that a child (or teenager) will not go to even by accident. Functionality is complemented by synchronization with GPS.

The only drawback is the English language program. Parental control for "Android" is implemented in it at the height: "Care for a teenager" always works in the background, so the child will not be able to turn it off.

Kaspersky Internet Security

The powerful Kaspersky Internet Security tool guarantees the safety of both the child and his device. Kaspersky provides parental control on Android, Windows tablets, iPads, PCs, smartphones of any existing mobile operating system. Among its functions are virus protection, confidentiality of information, setting restrictions on the child's activities on the Internet.

When registering and logging in on different devices to the same account, the entire configuration will be similarly copied to the new device.

However, Kaspersky is not a free program. For such quality, developers ask for a fee. However, on the official website you can download a thirty-day trial version, try how well the application will really work. And if you like it, why not? This manufacturer has been on the market for a long time and has its own good reputation.

KidRead

An unexpected development of a company that produces e-book, surprised the market first with its suddenness, and then with its quality. Parental control for "Android" KidRead allows you to customize the applications and games to which the child will have access. You can even classify them by rank: they are neutral, exclusively gaming or educational.

Through "KidRead" it is also proposed to set the time limits during which the child will be able to surf freely in the virtual world. Remote access is also expected.

Since we nevertheless developed the PocketBook application ("Pocket Book"), it feels the focus on reading in electronic device- although this is even a plus. Game moment in "KidRead": setting certain points for allowed applications (both positive and negative), the accumulation of which the child will really like, because in the end they can be spent on extra time to play, or some other entertainment to taste .

The application motivates for reading with the help of a special plug-in, built-in by default - "Extracurricular Fiction".

MSpy

MSpy is a feature rich program. Parental control for "Android" is presented in an extended version.

No wonder it's in its name. English word"spy" - with the help of "MSpy" you can find out with whom the child is talking, with whom he communicates by SMS and through correspondence on social networks, where he is, what sites he visits using the browser on his device. All this data is transferred to stealth mode, the parent himself decides which of this information he needs.

MSpy is a surveillance tool, not a restrictive tool, so while it is very powerful, the ethics of its use is being questioned.

MOSCOW, September 7 - RIA Novosti. The desire to control everything that a child can do on their smartphone or tablet can be visited by any parent who dares to donate such a device by the beginning of the school year. RIA Novosti correspondents tried to figure out what exactly you should pay attention to when choosing an application.

Developers of applications that provide parental control functions on mobile devices do not agree on the basic approaches to the functionality of such services and often do not provide flexibility in their settings.

Parental control tasks may include a ban on visiting unwanted Internet sites, restricting a child's access to communication services, as well as controlling the use of applications on the device. As an option, there may be remote monitoring of what exactly (and not in the classroom) the child is doing at the moment.

However, not every developer includes all the components in their product, and sometimes even "redoubts" erected by companies that have eaten a dog on information security surrender almost without a fight.

As part of the most widespread mobile platform in the world, Google Android, there is no built-in parental control function, but upon request, a list of almost 500 positions is issued in the Google Play online application store, including different versions of the same programs: it is not easy to understand such a variety.

Apple iOS has its own “restraint” function, and therefore there are an order of magnitude fewer alternatives and add-ons in the App Store than in Google Play. In the platform Microsoft Windows Phone 8, which is expected to be released in the near future, will also have a built-in parental control feature.

Android on guard

The list of all available programs that could help parents limit their children's use of smartphones and tablets, and at the same time keep an eye on the actions of the child, is long.

Most of these applications are organized according to the principle of creating a "sandbox": parents indicate safe from their point of view programs from among those installed on a mobile device, and the child gets access only to them. Changing the settings is locked with a password. Access to calls and other paid services of telecom operators can also be configured.

In the free application "Playground" (Kids Place) for the child, a separate shell with programs selected by parents is launched, from which the child cannot exit without knowing the password. The shell will also automatically start when the device is rebooted: if an application similar in functionality does not have such an option, then all other barriers become meaningless.

Alternatively, you can find Kytephone programs on Google Play: Parental Control, Best Parental Control Android and others. The mentioned applications differ slightly from each other.

In most cases, the browser can be included in the number of programs available in the "sandbox", but developers do not always puzzle themselves with finer settings for filtering individual sites or their categories. If the child, according to the parents, has already grown up to the Internet, but not to everything that is there, it is necessary to look for a solution with detailed browsing settings.

RIA News. Igor Zarembo

Sometimes "protective redoubts" built by gadget manufacturers do not prevent a child from receiving forbidden information.

Parental Control "Kaspersky Lab" is served by the authors just as a means of controlling visits to "non-children's" sites. However, the program works based on its own "black" lists of sites, and these lists cannot be changed or supplemented.

Due to such inflexibility, for example, the Yandex search engine, and at the same time all the services of the same name, are among the trustworthy ones. In particular, the "Yandex. Pictures" service, combined with the knowledge of the "correct" keywords to search will allow the child to find absolutely any image.

Some applications, such as Symantec's Norton Safety Minder, require an account to be created on the service's website, through which parents can set limits for their child's device.

Such programs often refuse to work without access to the Internet, which can hardly be attributed to their merits. However, connection to the Internet, firstly, allows the device to work with constantly updated "black lists", and secondly, gives parents the opportunity to receive information about what is happening on the child's smartphone at any time through the online interface.

Allows you to monitor your device from afar, such as Safety Minder or Bitdefender Parental Control. Both of these applications, unlike the brainchild of Kaspersky Lab, also allow you to specify unwanted Internet addresses manually, and not rely only on the recommendations of the service itself. Sandboxing features with the ability to block applications and communication services are also provided by Bitdefender and Symantec products.

These and some other programs also allow you to set the time during which your child can use certain features of the phone, such as playing games or using the Internet. In addition, if the smartphone may be in the hands of different children, you can create your own profile with settings for each of them.

There are programs that protect not so much the child as the parent's wallet, for example, Phone Control costs more than 120 rubles. The application is specialized in fine tuning, including remote communication services available on the device, including a list of contacts with whom you can call and chat. The program also allows the parent to receive copies of incoming and outgoing SMS messages from the protected phone SMS and emails on their phone.

Protection from Apple

Parental controls built into operating system iOS allow you to restrict the use of some regular applications, as well as prohibit the installation and / or removal of applications. Among the programs that can be turned off are the Safari browser, the client for viewing videos on YouTube, the camera, the application for shopping in the iTunes online store for audio and video content.

To protect parental settings, a four-digit password is used, which gives about 10 thousand combinations. However, even if the child is patient, it will not be easy to guess the password: after several unsuccessful attempts, the device gradually increases the timeout before the next attempt. In addition, the number of failed attempts is displayed on the password entry screen, which will give away a young hacker with a head.

There are no settings for filtering sites in Safari. When you disable the application, it simply disappears from the menu. You can leave the opportunity to use respectable resources only with the help of third-party solutions.

The iOS platform imposes strict requirements on developers, which does not allow them to create programs that work at the system level and control other software without violating Apple prohibitions.

Thus, in fact, the only way to filter web content is to use a third-party browser that provides such functionality. At the same time, all other browsers must be removed (along with blocking the possibility of installing programs), and the standard Safari is disabled: otherwise, the meaning of using the "guardian" is lost.

RIA News. Alexey Kudenko

For Apple, the only way to filter web content is to use a third-party browser that provides this functionality.

In the absence of other browsers, the aforementioned Kaspersky Parental Control, also released for iOS, could help, but this protection, as has been shown, can be easily bypassed.

The K9 Web Protection Browser application better resists attempts to get to the forbidden fruits: the authors blocked the search for images and videos. By the way, the same application is also available on Google Play, but after installing it on a smartphone, it did not work stably, which negates all the advantages of the programs.

Windows and Blackberry

There are also options for control on Blackberry devices, if any parent wants to give their child one of these traditional smartphones for business communication: the corresponding Parental Controls application is available on the BlackBerry App World.

Through the application, you can allow calls to certain contacts (including incoming), allow or prohibit the use of the camera, Bluetooth, installation of applications and their use. There are no settings for the availability of Internet resources: you can either allow everything or prohibit everything.

The Kid's Corner parental control service will become part of the Microsoft Windows Phone 8 platform, which will be released in the fall. According to the description of the service, parents will be able to configure the availability of music, video, applications, but it is not yet possible to judge how it will actually work. versions of the Windows Phone 7 platform, using the built-in tools, you can only configure the availability of certain applications for download.

flickr.com, honou

Blackberry devices have an app that allows you to only allow calls to certain contacts

Summing up, we can say that the most difficult thing in parental control is reasonable content filtering on the Internet. Protecting children from online slums, it is harmful for parents to underestimate the curiosity of their children: in particular, it should be remembered that many applications have a built-in browser for reading links. For example, such a function is available in the official Twitter client.

Even if you disable the Safari browser on the iPad given to the child at the system level, then using the built-in browser windows, you can access the Web and, with some skill, get to the site of some search engine. From there, the road to almost any Internet resource is open.