What locks to install on a child's smartphone. How to make your phone safe for your child

In the 2000s, parents were looking for solutions to control their children from spending too much time on computer screens, playing games all day long, and not accessing sites that were not for children. Parents of this decade have a more difficult task. All threats computer addiction and the dangers of the Internet that were relevant ten years ago still remain, but new problems have also been added. For example, before you could push your child outside and be sure that now he would definitely be running around the yard and not watching cartoons. However, in the age mobile technologies he can go into the yard with a tablet, sit next to the local old ladies on a bench and continue watching “Smeshariki.” And it’s also good if he watches “Smesharikov”!

As a rule, acquaintance with a smartphone or tablet occurs during infancy. Already by the age of 7-8 months, the baby is actively interested in the object that the mother constantly holds in her hand while she feeds him or rocks the stroller. Usually, even before his first birthday, a child already knows perfectly well what a smartphone is like, and between one and two years of age there is no more exciting activity for him than poking at multi-colored icons. In clinics, in waiting rooms at airports and train stations, and in any other queues, a smartphone is an excellent way to concentrate a child’s attention and help him be quiet. With this approach, which is practiced by modern parents everywhere, by about two or three years old children simply cannot do without electronic devices. And parents have to think about how to make their use as safe and useful as possible for their children.

⇡ Standard Android OS tools

Starting with version 4.3, Android tablets have the ability to use restricted profiles. Thus, some means to ensure safety when children use the device are in the operating system itself. To create a profile, go to settings and select “Users” → “Add user/profile”. Then select "Restricted Profile". Parents can decide which installed apps are available to their children and prevent in-app purchases. If the application developer has taken care of users of different ages, then when setting up a profile it will also be possible to limit the content of each program in accordance with the user's age.

A profile with limited access gives the child the opportunity to independently configure appearance start screen, including using widgets. In addition, data for each application for each account is stored separately. This way, children of different ages can play the same games on the same tablet, but each will have their own achievements. It is worth keeping in mind that if parents close access to the application and then open it again, user data (information about completed levels, earned coins, etc.) will be lost forever.

There's no doubt that built-in parental controls on Android devices will continue to improve. In the meantime, this mode is far from perfect and, moreover, only works on tablets, you can turn to third-party applications.

Not all parents have the opportunity to buy their own smartphone or tablet for their child, and some do not do this consciously. In any case, when you give your child a smartphone to “play with”, after an hour or an hour and a half you may not recognize your device: the wallpaper will be different, the shortcuts from the main screen will be removed, and so on. To avoid this, you can use the " Parental control" Essentially, this is a launcher for Android, just a specialized one. All a parent has to do to save their smartphone settings is set up the app once and then launch it before handing the device over to their child.

Having received the smartphone in hand, the child will see this cheerful main screen with four groups of applications.

Which programs will be in each of the groups is chosen in advance by the parent. To do this, in parental mode, you need to open the list of all installed applications and manually drag the one you need into the appropriate categories - “Games”, “Development”, “Education” and “Other applications”.

In addition, the parent can determine whether to block the ability to make calls and send SMS. If this option is enabled, the corresponding buttons on the main screen will not be available.

It's worth keeping in mind that in Kids Mode, your child will have access to the notification panel, so they can change quick settings. However, go to full list He will not be able to configure the device - “Parental Control” by default blocks the launch of the “Settings” application. The most favorite children's option - changing the wallpaper - is available in the application. If the parent allows, the child can freely change the wallpaper on the home screen.

As a bonus, “Parental Control” has a drawing board, which will certainly help in cases where the child is already tired of playing with the smartphone, and the turn to the doctor has not yet come. Draw something for your child or offer to draw it yourself. To display the board, simply swipe from the left edge of the screen towards the center. You can draw in different colors.

For older children (more precisely, for the parents of these children) who already have their own electronic device, Parental Controls can offer several more functions. So, parents can set restrictions on use. In the free version, you can only specify the maximum number of hours that a child can spend in front of a screen during the day. It is also possible to set restrictions only on individual applications or categories of programs.

Premium users can also set individual restrictions depending on the days of the week, blocking work at certain times (say, during the hours when you need to perform homework or when the child is at school). The text that will be displayed on the lock screen can be anything - it all depends on the parent’s sense of humor and imagination.

“Parental Controls” collects statistics on device use in child mode and stores this data for a week. Therefore, curious dad and mom will always be able to find out which programs occupy the child the longest.

Finally, another feature of the app is location tracking. It works in conjunction with another application from the same developers - “PlayPad Remote Control”. By turning on tracking, parents will always be able to find out where the child is at the moment.

For premium users, movement information is stored for twelve hours. By the way, using remote control, you can change any settings of the “parental” launcher on a child’s device: change the list of programs allowed to run, manage the allowed time for using the device, and so on.

Overall, the PlayPad may be suitable for younger and middle-aged children before school age as protection against accidental clicks on my dad’s smartphone. The application does not have protection against deletion - this can be done in the standard way. If, of course, the child manages to figure out how to launch the prohibited “Settings” application.

The development of the Xooloo company is implemented according to the same principle as the previous application. Essentially, Xooloo App Kids is a launcher, and for it to work fully, parents must select it as the default downloader. When starting for the first time, mom or dad will need to come up with a four-digit PIN code, as well as indicate the address of their mailbox and enter the activation code that will be sent there. In the future, to access the settings and exit the children's launcher, you only need to remember the four-digit PIN code.

Unlike Parental Controls - PlayPad, this application does not allow you to work with the notification bar, filling the entire screen. You won't be able to switch between apps when Xooloo App Kids is active. Shortcuts to all applications available to the child are displayed on the main screen. Unfortunately, there is no way to create folders, so if there are more than twenty applications allowed for a child, they will be placed on the next screen. You can move between screens in the standard way - by scrolling.

By default, all applications installed on the device are hidden. You can specify which of them will be available in children's mode in the settings.

Parents are offered several pre-installed applications, including one that is responsible for changing the wallpaper. A tool for viewing cartoons is unlikely to be of interest to most Russian parents, since the cartoons selected in it are English language. In addition, parents are asked to choose a schedule according to which the child can use a smartphone or tablet.

The paid version of Xooloo App Kids has more features. Thus, the child will be able to call contacts selected by the parents from the address book. You can also allow access to view selected photos in the gallery, and specify video files allowed for viewing. In addition, the application offers its own browser, which is equipped with a safe surfing function. In any case, you can add sites to the black list manually.

Xooloo App Kids does not appear in the general list of applications - you can only remove it from parent mode.

And here is a Russian development, in many ways reminiscent of Xooloo App Kids, but offering content in Russian. Since children not only love to play on their tablet, but also watch cartoons, the application has a selection of Russian-language YouTube channels with popular cartoons. Which of them will be available to the child is decided by the parent when setting up the child mode. In any case, this approach is very convenient. A child will not be able to set off freely through the ocean of similar videos on a video hosting site, which can lead him to completely unchildish pages.

In addition to YouTube, you can give your child access to watch video files stored in the device’s memory and on the memory card. A similar approach is implemented for books and music: the application displays a list of all found files and invites parents to choose which of them will be available in children's mode.

All available applications are divided into games and programs. As with all parental control solutions, you can choose whether the app will be shown to your child and which group it will be assigned to.

The recommended applications section contains some children's programs for different ages: puzzles, language learning aids, math aids, and so on. You can perceive them as advertising, or you can take them as help in choosing suitable applications for your child. By the way, the advertising banner takes up most of the screen in parental mode, but what’s nice is that the advertising is targeted, on a children’s theme, and therefore may also be of interest to parents.

The design of the children's regime suggests that the target audience applications - preschoolers. In any case, from the child’s point of view, everything is as simple as possible. For example, selecting the Video icon shows thumbnails of all available videos and channels on YouTube, and then immediately starts playing.

TimeAway is a parental control solution designed for children of preschool and school age. It is assumed that the child already has his own electronic device. TimeAway needs to be installed on it, as well as on the parent’s smartphone. You can link up to six devices with your free account.

When registering, the parent selects a five-digit PIN code, which will later be used to change settings. You can remotely set hours when the device will be unavailable (during sleep and school hours), set time limits for use separately for each application, and set a break in using the device.

In addition, it is possible to immediately block all functions of the device. What's interesting: when managing multiple devices, you can block them all in one fell swoop. This is an effective remedy that can help if, say, you can’t get all family members together at the dinner table.

TimeAway keeps detailed statistics on device usage by application. In addition, there is a function for tracking location on a Google map and blocking individual applications.

It's nice that all functions are available in TimeAway for free, but there is a fly in the ointment. The application has a terrible translation into Russian, probably done with the help of a machine translator. As you know, it is impossible to change the language of an Android application if the developer has not provided for it, so you either need to accept it or look for an alternative.

TimeAway appears in the general list of applications, but you cannot delete or stop it. To do this, you first need to enter the parent PIN code in the program settings.

In modern children's literature they often write that restrictions and prohibitions are not the best The best way impact on the child. Children grow up and sooner or later become smarter than their parents, which means they can easily figure out how to bypass the protection. It is much more effective not to prohibit, but to turn parental control into a fun game.

This is exactly the approach that is practiced in the KidRead application. This is the same children's launcher, but with a timer. All applications that the child launches are divided into gaming, educational and neutral. Parents decide which category each program installed on the device belongs to.

Then, for the time spent in the educational application, the child can earn points, and for the time spent in games, he can lose them. Neutral applications, which by default include programs for making calls and sending SMS, do not participate in the game with points. When you first start KidRead, your child starts with fifty points, and the number goes up or down depending on what the child does.

If the number of points drops to zero, the child can no longer play. Each application can be rated by a parent from -5 to +5 points.

However, when installing the application, parents should remember that if the child can download the games on his own, then he will have to fill out the educational section himself. And doing this once will not be enough - children get bored of the same thing very quickly, so most likely you will have to spend more time looking for interesting and useful applications for the development of your child. By the way, to train the parent's brain, the KidRead developers have provided an interesting way to exit the child mode. Along with the PIN code and graphic password, you can also solve addition, subtraction and multiplication examples. True, if the child has completed the first two grades high school, he can bypass such passwords without problems.

KidRead supports multiple accounts, which is convenient for parents who have more than one child.

For each, you can create your own set of allowed applications and set your own restrictions. The application allows you to specify the total time that each child can spend with an electronic device, as well as separately for each category of applications.

While in his profile, the child can change the wallpaper, turn Wi-Fi on/off, and add application shortcuts to the screen. To exit child mode, you can choose one of three options: use a pin code, a graphic password, or solve an example.

You can manage allowed apps and restrictions, and view statistics at kidread.com. Here data is collected about all applications that the child launched. Information can be viewed in text or graphic form.

⇡ Conclusion

In general, parental control apps solve two main problems. When it comes to very young children, they help keep mom or dad’s device in its original form, creating a kind of “sandbox” for the child. In the case of older children, they can also help parents control the time the child spends in front of the screen and limit the use of certain applications. In any case, if a child understands that he is being limited, then you need to discuss the meaning of the prohibitions with him in confidential conversations and do not forget to offer an alternative. If you don’t like what cartoons your child watches, spend time and find better ones; if you think the games are inappropriate, offer good ones; if the child sits on the couch all the time, throw a ball at him and invite him for a walk in the park together.

And under no circumstances should you use parental control programs as a substitute for communicating with your children. The day will come when such a funny preschooler of today will win the city Olympiad in computer science, and then (and most likely much earlier) he will come up with a dozen ways to circumvent parental prohibitions.

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

Parental control programs - free, paid, demo versions and fully licensed - 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 objectionable;
• compiling a list of recommended applications that will not be subject to time limits;
• prohibition of any sites and applications at certain times (for example, games and the Internet during class, at night, etc.);
• the ability to remotely monitor a child’s activities on his smartphone through the official application support service.

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, control through the service becomes possible - you will need to log in to the KidLogger development team website with the appropriate username and password. The Parental Time Control program is available for download on the same website. 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 device’s standard launcher - in other words, when a child is “sitting” on a tablet or smartphone, he surfs it only using this application, and it is up to him to exit it becomes an insurmountable task. Rebooting is also useless - in the settings you can specify that upon startup you will automatically log into Kids Place.

Actually, the only thing a parent needs to do is indicate 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.

Care4Teen

But the Care4Teen application is installed specifically on the child’s phone. This program provides parental controls in a slightly different way. What comes to the fore is not the protection of mom/dad’s data, but the safety of the child. Of course, here you can also set your own restrictions on applications and sites.

Parental controls for Android can also be installed by default - Care4Teen already has its own list of prohibited online resources that a child (or teenager) will not visit even by accident. The functionality is complemented by synchronization with GPS.

The only drawback is the English-language program. Parental control for Android is implemented at its best: “Teen Care” always works in the background, so the child will not be able to turn it off.

Kaspersky Internet Security

The powerful Kaspersky Internet Security guarantees the safety of both the child and his device. Kaspersky provides parental control on Android tablets, Windows tablets, iPads, PCs, smartphones of any existing mobile OS. Its functions include protection against viruses, confidentiality of information, and setting restrictions on a child’s actions 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 this quality, developers ask for a certain fee. However, on the official website you can download a thirty-day trial version and try how well the application really works. 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 from a company producing e-books, surprised the market first with its suddenness, and then with its quality. Parental control for Android KidRead allows you to configure the applications and games that your child will have access to. You can even classify them by rank: they are neutral, exclusively gaming or educational.

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

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

The application motivates you to read using a special, built-in default plugin - “Extracurricular Reading”.

MSpy

MSpy is a feature-rich program. Parental controls for Android are presented in an extended version.

It’s not for nothing that it’s in its name English word"spy" - with the help of "MSpy" you can find out who the child is talking to, with whom he communicates via SMS and via correspondence in in social networks, where he is located, what sites he visits using the browser on his device. All this data is transferred to hidden mode, the parent himself decides which of this information he needs.

MCpy is a surveillance tool, not a restriction tool, so while it is very powerful, the ethics of its use are questionable.

Just 5-7 years ago, a smartphone was considered a luxury that only wealthy people and adults had. With the development of technology and the reduction in the average cost of smartphones and tablets, they have become available to a wider range of users. We often give our mobile devices to our children, nephews or younger siblings. However, many would like to limit the immature minds of small users from the negative influence of the global network. For this purpose, Android has a built-in parental control feature. Next, we will tell you how to set up parental controls on Android gadgets.

"App Lock" protection for kids.

The App Lock feature limits your device's functionality to a single app. Thus, when your child turns on the game, he will not accidentally enter the gallery or launch unnecessary applications, games or videos.

Parental controls on Google Play

In the official app store Google Play There is built-in protection against purchasing and downloading applications.

There are many other ways to keep children safe online. You can set restrictions for the YouTube app. There is also a special version of YouTube Kids, designed exclusively for kids. You can also use third-party child monitoring apps. Among the most popular are Kaspersky Safe Kids and Screen Time.

Is it advisable for children to buy a device running the Android operating system? There is no clear answer to this question, and all because of the large number of opinions. Some people think that this is unnecessary window dressing. Others say that it is very convenient and useful for studying.

Before you exchange your child’s modern smartphone for a black and white phone, think about its undeniable advantages. After all, the “green robot” allows the owner of its user to be wiretapped. Yes, yes, it's true, parental controls on Android are a reality.

"Download" software

Parental supervision on mobile, Android smartphones and tablets can be activated by installing a special application. A program for monitoring a child’s phone is a valuable opportunity. undetectable penetration into his personal life. If the idea arose for a good cause, then the moral code can be neglected.

It is useful for the user to know how to control their child on the Internet. This will help protect children from inappropriate content. To implement the idea, you just need to install the application on the user’s device. It will block spam, porn and other unwanted materials. This is a kind of children's Internet limiter.

Wiretapping

It is also possible to listen to conversations, and now we will tell you how this is done. To get the “key” to someone else’s mobile device, there are several ways.

We will not consider standard methods such as installing a bug; they are outdated and impractical. Instead, we will provide you with a list of the most revolutionary techniques.

Methods – effective and widely used

The first is downloading the listening material onto the device. software. An easy way to control your child's phone. Underwater rocks:

• Sometimes teenagers simply won’t let them pick up their gadget. This means that you will not be able to install the program on it.
• Not everyone is able to find a service that will work.
• Poor transmission quality.

The second method is much more complicated and more effective. Peace of mind for parents is achieved by monitoring the phone using a desktop computer.

Parents have a chance to control their child’s access to information. This will limit unwanted actions on the part of the child.

Mobile spy resource

Do you want to quickly and effortlessly monitor your teenager? Use the Internet project at the link below, which provides similar services.

Here you will find a lot of programs and applications suitable for your situation.

Innovation in the world of technology not only brings new opportunities for people, but also new challenges for parents. This is due to the fact that almost every child in modern world has a tablet - a gadget that opens the door to the world of the Internet, online games, virtual reality. The inexperienced younger generation may well get lost in the world of opportunities, not having “immunity” against virus programs, adult games, prohibited films, and dangerous Internet resources. In this case, it is the sacred duty of adults to help the child, and therefore it’s time to learn how to set up parental controls on your tablet.

Locking the tablet through settings

Google, which develops software for the Android OS, offers ample opportunities for parents. Systems, devices with operating system Android no older than 5.0, parents will be able to set a ban on the use of certain applications on the tablet. To do this, the following algorithm of actions is used:

1. Open "Settings".
2. Open the “Security” tab.
3. Select the “Attach to screen” pointer in the window that opens.
4. After opening the “Advanced” folder, you can specify a password that will be available only to parents.

After these manipulations, you will need to press the “Browse” button, which will allow you to display only active programs, and move the selected game up. To secure the selected software, click the paper clip, which is located at the bottom right of the page. After such actions, it will be possible to safely give the tablet to a child, since he will not be able to go beyond the specified program without knowing the password. The parent can change the settings himself by specifying a password and performing all the above manipulations.

Restricting access to a specific user

If everything is very clear with blocking the tablet, then you just need to figure out the access restrictions. This function allows you to protect the tablet (and therefore the child) from the influence of unknown users. It is this method that makes it possible to introduce a ban on studying certain types of content. To set restrictions:

• Go to the “Settings” tab.
• Select the function of adding a user and specify “Limited profile” for him.
• After such actions, you can determine and indicate which site or resource will be available to the younger generation. Prohibited content is also indicated here.

To secure specified settings you need to come up with and enter a complex password that only adults will know.

Network access: main restrictive settings

The router is also included in the monitoring function's range of capabilities. If you only use a home access point to connect to the network, you can configure a router that will only work with certain portals and avoid “walking” through dangerous resources. Used to prohibit and restrict special program, which is presented on the Google Play resource.

Restrictions on access to purchases and use of Google Play features

This opportunity is provided by the resource itself, which allows parents to set certain limits for their child to download games, programs, and applications. To set restrictions:

• Find the “Settings” tab in the store itself.
• Select the “Parental Control” option, after which you will need confirmation - a password.

After logging in, you can set a limit on how your child can use the system. Parents will be able to exclude the possibility of purchasing expensive software, certain product categories in the Google store, or limit free content.