Based on materials from androidcentral.com
Giving our tablet or phone to a child, we count on the longed-for minutes of peace and quiet, while the child is keen on a game or cartoon. But a child can get much more from a Android device, and here it is important not only to choose the right device. Initially, these devices are tailored for adults, so a certain adjustment is also required in order for an ordinary smartphone or tablet to become suitable for such use.
Here are some steps to help you make the device on Android comfortable and safe for your baby.
Create a new account
The easiest way to set up a device for a child is to make your account the primary account and add the child as a restricted account. The main user has administrator rights to control limited, you can choose which applications are included in his interface, and control what content will be available to the child. The degree of account openness is regulated by you, you can change anything and in any direction whenever you want.
In order to configure this, go to Settings-Users-Add user or profile. Make sure to select the restricted profile in the pop-up options so that you can enable or disable apps that you are allowed to access. Some apps have an additional setup menu next to them – for example, Google Play Movies gives you the ability to refine your rating before buying or watching.
With these basic settings in mind, you can decide whether to create or add a Google Account for this profile. Google has one account for everything – for apps, mail and your own social networks. You can create one and add your child's name, but this means that you give your child the ability to decide for himself which applications he installs, which films he will watch and which games to play, and this information will not appear in your account in any way and will not change Google recommendations .
It doesn't matter what device you have, this feature may not be available. Limited profiles only appeared in smartphones with Android 5.0, and some manufacturers have abandoned it in the current generation of devices. But if there is one, this is the first thing to configure.
Google Play for kids
If you give your child access to Google Play, there are a number of options that you need to take advantage of so that they can only select acceptable content from the variety of Play Store. Parental controls are located in the Play Store – Settings – Users app, but you need to log into the child's account to activate it. You will be prompted to lock the settings with a pin code so that the child cannot change them. Once you're done with the settings, you can from now on rate-limit the available apps in the Play Store and music (for example, containing profanity) in Play Music.
Also, the settings in the Google Play Store will allow you to set restrictions on the ability to make purchases, assuming that you restrain the child's desire not only, for example, by the face value of a gift card or a similar small limit. In the Parental Controls section of the settings, you will find the requirement for identification upon purchase: you can choose when Google will ask for a password: every time, every 30 minutes, never. The choice is yours, but each time you adjust this setting, you will significantly protect your family budget from 'accidental' purchases in the Play Store.
Extending control with parental apps
In order to gain additional control over how your child communicates with the Android – device, you can use third-party applications. There is no shortage of apps that monitor activity on someone else's device, but one of the best free solutions is DinnerTime Plus. The application is designed for remote control by parents from their own device with the ability to remotely make changes. As the name suggests, you can even press a button, and the screen of the device in the child's hands will light up red, signaling that it's time for lunch, which means, let go of the gadget.
Aside from limitations like the red screen, the key functionality of the app is that it generates reports and gives you, as a parent, control over certain apps. If restricted accounts don't work for you, the app lock feature can be useful. It is also very convenient to set the time at which the child can use the device, and receive reports on when which applications have been used and for how long. This is something that Google may never make part of their OS, but for a parent watching a child master technology, it can be extremely important.