A mobile phone in the hands of a child today is no longer just an expensive toy and a reason to show off to classmates. Gadgets allow parents to keep in touch with their children and help schoolchildren learn and develop with the times. We wrote a separate post about the pros and cons of a child’s smartphone (as well as how to choose the right device).
However, buying your child a phone (or giving away your old one) is only half the battle. The gadget needs to be properly configured, and it’s better to do it yourself. First of all, you will need to create an account for your child. On an Android device, this is a Google account—without it, you won’t be able to fully use the phone. We tell you how to create it.
How to allow installation from unknown sources in Family Link?
Go to families
.google.com in the family group admin account. Select the Supervised Member option or your child's account. Under Parental Controls, select Websites in Chrome. Under Block adult sites or Approve access to some sites, click Manage sites.
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How to create a Google account for a child on your phone
In Russia, you can only use a completely separate Google account from the age of 13. Of course, it is not difficult to deceive the system by entering the wrong date of birth. But this is not the best solution - in this way you will violate the rules for using Google services, and if this is discovered, the child’s account may be blocked.
Plus, creating a separate child account linked to yours is really convenient. This way, your child will have access to all the necessary services, and you will manage his account.
Preparing a used smartphone
If you are going to give your old smartphone to your child, then it would be most convenient to reset it to factory settings before doing so. Firstly, in this case there will be nothing left on it that should not fall into children’s hands. Secondly, the memory will be cleared. To reset you need to do the following:
- Open Settings .
- Find the System (usually at the very end of the list).
- Inside, click on Advanced .
- From the drop-down list, select Reset settings .
- Click Erase all data (factory reset) .
- Confirm the deletion and then follow the system instructions.
If for some reason you do not want to reset your smartphone, then you must first delete your account from it. Although Android supports multiple accounts, there should not be any other accounts on the child's device.
If you try to create a Google account for your child on a phone that already has yours, the system will issue a warning and prevent you from continuing. So, in any case, you will have to delete all existing Google accounts from your smartphone. To do this:
- Open Settings .
- Select Accounts .
- Click on your account in the list and select Remove account .
- Confirm deletion.
Create a new Google account for your child
Now you can create a children's Google account. To create a child account on a previously used device:
- Open Settings .
- Go to the Accounts and click Add account .
- Select Google .
a new smartphone (or reset it to factory settings) and connect it to a mobile network or Wi-Fi. After the system is updated, you will be prompted to synchronize your data (it’s better to just skip this step) and sign in to your Google account.
The next steps will be the same for both a new and used device. On the Google account sign-in page:
- Click Create an account .
- From the drop-down menu, select For Child .
- Click Continue .
- Enter your child's first and last name and click Next .
- Enter the date of birth and gender of the child and click Next .
- Create an email address for your child or enter an existing email address.
- Click Next .
- Set a strong, unique password for your child's account and click Next .
- Enter your email or phone and click Next .
- Read the terms of use for Google services, check the boxes confirming that you accept them and agree to the processing of data, and click Accept .
- Enter the password for your account so that the system can verify that it is really you who is creating your child’s account. Google will then verify your information, which may take some time. You may also be asked to create a family group if you don't already have one.
Ready! Now the child has a Google account. He can use it without restrictions, and you can control what happens to your child’s account. For example, you will receive notifications by email if someone logs into your child's account from an unfamiliar device, tries to reset the password, and so on.
In addition, with the help of a family group, you can manage your child’s purchases and share games, books and TV series with him. We have a separate detailed post on how to properly set up a family group and other important functions on a child’s phone.
How to Use Spyware as Parental Controls
There are many programs that allow you to monitor your child using the phone in his pocket. Each of them has intuitive controls and instructions for establishing a connection and further use. The examples of parental control programs described above in the article are the best and proven choice, and mastering other surveillance applications in their likeness will not be difficult.
It is much more important to carefully approach the choice of such software: search only on official application sites, read user reviews and notes from specialists. After all, no one wants the information generated by such an application to reach third parties who can use it for their own selfish purposes. It is worth remembering that such software is installed at your own peril and risk.
Vyacheslav
For several years he worked in mobile phone stores of two large operators. I understand tariffs well and see all the pitfalls. I love gadgets, especially Android ones.
Ask a Question
Question to the expert
How can I continue to monitor my child through a Google account and the Family Link application if he is 13 years old?
It's possible. You just need to change the date of birth in the “Personal data” section of the child’s account. Sometimes, when you change personal data, Google asks you to provide previously specified information, so I recommend keeping a list of modifications to this item in your account settings.
Is it possible to monitor not only a child in this way?
Certainly. Using the methods described in the article, you can monitor anyone you care about and who has agreed to install and connect the tracker program. These could be elderly relatives, close people with disabilities, or just a person you care about, because anything can happen in life.
How is location determined and how accurate is it?
In the case of smartphones, location determination works using the GPS module installed in the device. If surveillance is carried out on a push-button telephone, billing is used - determining a point on the map by the distance from the nearest cell phone towers based on the signal. In the first case, the average error is 13.1 m, in the second case it depends on the power and relative position of the base stations, as well as on the terrain and varies from several meters to a kilometer.
How can you tell if the phone is with your child?
Indeed, surveillance occurs on the location of the phone, and not the child himself. This can be determined by additional activity that remote access applications can control. Also, for example, there is a way to install a pedometer on your phone. Such programs are based on the gyroscope built into the gadget and “feel” movement in space.
4.9/5 — (32 votes)
How to restrict access using cellular network operators
Cellular operators are keeping up with the general trend and are also developing their own methods for limiting network use, which is not difficult, since they are communication providers.
MTS, Megafon and other operators have a paid connection that allows you to limit a child’s access to unwanted sites and search queries, track his location and traffic consumed from the network, set safe zones, upon leaving which a notification is generated for parents.
The cost of the service varies depending on the operator. Also, connecting to the service requires that the child’s SIM card be registered to the person who wishes to apply for this type of control.
Let's look at additional information about the service using Megafon as an example. A huge advantage of this approach is the ability to track the actions and location of a child, even if he uses a regular push-button telephone and not a sophisticated smartphone. The only condition is to be within a cellular coverage area.
There are also disadvantages:
- A jump in device power consumption.
- Confirmation is required from the subscriber being monitored.
- It is the device that is being tracked, not the child himself.
- There are tricks for bypassing control that a child can learn about, for example, from older children.
What is parental control and why is it needed?
Parental control is a set of measures aimed at limiting the child’s freedom of action and time spent in applications when using the gadget, blocking unwanted content, as well as obtaining information from parents about the location and history of the child’s activities.
While location tracking and close monitoring of activities are ethically controversial approaches, limiting access to NSFW content is mandatory as part of providing children with access to the Internet, where everything is available on demand, and sometimes even accidentally.
Smartphone for a junior high school student
Step-by-step instructions on how to prepare your child’s first phone so that later it won’t be painfully expensive, embarrassing and embarrassing in front of the parents’ committee.
According to my observations, approximately a quarter of Moscow children receive their first smartphone in kindergarten, and already in the first or second grade only a few go without a phone. Even if parents don’t really want to give such a gift, the situation often inclines towards this: they want to know that everything is fine with the child, they want their classmates not to tease him for being “retarded” - well, you understand all this yourself.
What's on the other side of the scale? The child will spend hours playing with toys and videos on Youtube, meet pedophiles on the Internet, break or lose the device. Now the good news: “the other side of the scale” can be greatly eased by reducing these risks. You will have to pay for this with your time and a small amount of money, but the parental peace of mind is worth it.
How to make Google age limit?
Set up parental controls for children over 13 years of age (age restrictions may vary by country)
- Google
account” email . - Read the letter and select View settings.
- Check your account settings and click Accept.
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Setting up a smartphone for a child correctly
Before diving into technical details, let's agree on what settings we will proceed from. If you agree with the position described below, the instructions will be useful “as is” - otherwise, you will have to “tweak” it yourself towards more strict or, on the contrary, more democratic settings.
Don't be under any illusions—gaming will account for 50 to 99 percent of the time your child's phone screen is on. But we must ensure that this time does not add up to many hours every day.
