I let my child play with my tablet, but he may delete applications or install unnecessary ones. How can I control its actions on the tablet so that it doesn’t do anything unnecessary in my opinion?

Answers (3)

This comment is edited.


It is possible to configure work restrictions using built-in methods only on the latest versions, so it is best if the parental control on the Android tablet is third-party, for example, the PlayPad children's launcher application. It works like this:



To configure available applications you need:



To exit the application, in the settings, click on the “close launcher” item.


First, I’ll tell you how to install parental controls on a tablet with Android 5.*, since this feature was initially implemented best on it. This can be done using the following functions:

• limit downloading of paid content from the Play Market;
• pin the application to the screen;
• create a user with limited capabilities.

The first option is implemented like this:

• open Play Market;
• Click on the three horizontal lines at the top left;
• in the menu that opens, select “settings”;
• Scroll down and go to the “Parental Controls” subsection;
• click on the switch in the upper right corner;
• A window will appear in which we enter the pin code and tap “ok”;
• Click on the “games and applications” item that appears;
• select the desired age.

After this, to purchase applications in the Play Market, you will need to enter a pin code. To disable this feature, you will need to enter the same password in the settings.

Another way to limit work with the device is to pin the application, and only the selected program can be used. You, as a parent, can do this very simply:

• go to general settings;
• open the “security” section;
• at the very bottom, tap on the “block in application” item and click “on”;
• then return to the desktop and click the “review” button (it’s on the right with a square);
• a list of open applications will appear and a window with a pin into which we drag the desired program (on some versions only the latest one is possible);
• A warning will appear, click “yes”.

Now only one application will be available. The disadvantage of this method is that the function is disabled by simultaneously pressing the “review” and “back” buttons (with triangle and square). The child can know this and take advantage of it.

On later versions, attaching an application is implemented using a pin code. Everything turns on the same way, only in the “lock in application” item you need to enter a password. To disable, you need to click the “review” button and enter the assigned pin.

Nowadays, children acquire basic skills in using a phone or tablet at a fairly early age, and most often this is a gadget based on the Android OS. In this regard, parents are increasingly becoming concerned about what exactly their child is doing online, what sites they visit, and how much time they spend working with the device. It is logical and expedient to want to protect your child from unwanted content and programs, use the phone without any restrictions, and so on. In this article, I will talk about how to set up parental controls on Android, how to configure it, and also describe other measures for managing device access rights for children. At the same time, I will touch upon both the embedded funds of the system and third-party programs designed purely for such purposes.

Parental controls integrated into the system

It is important to note that at the time of this material’s creation, Android itself does not have too many seriously pressing and in-demand functions for monitoring children for parents. But a number of things can be configured without resorting to external mobile software modules.

Comment: the location of all features is indicated for stock Android. On a number of devices with personal launchers, the parameters may be located in other sections and places (for example, in “Advanced”).

Blocking in the program - for the little ones

An exclusive feature called “App Lock” provides the ability to run one application in full screen mode without the ability to switch to any other program or main form of the operating system.

To use this feature you need to take the following steps:

Go to Settings -> Security -> App lock

Activate the proposed option (after first reading in detail the instructions for its use)

Launch the desired program and tap on the “Browse” button (the hardware key in the form of a rectangle at the bottom right), pull the window up a little and click on the “Pins” image

As a result, the use of Android will be completely limited to one single program until you deactivate the lock: for this purpose, press and hold down the “Back” and “Browse” keys.

Parental controls on Android through the Play Market

Google Play Market provides the ability to set up parental control over children in order to limit the installation and purchase of programs in the store.

Press the "Menu" button in the Play Store and open the options

Use the "Parental Control" option and activate it, set a PIN code for security purposes

Set age restrictions to filter programs and games, movies, and music

To prohibit the purchase of paid programs without entering your Google account password, in the Play Market settings, enable the “Authentication upon purchase” option.

Parental controls in the YouTube app

YouTube settings make it possible to set a certain restriction on watching videos that are unnecessary for your children: in the YouTube program, click on the menu button, go to the “Settings” -> “General” category and activate the “Safe Mode” option.

In addition, in Google Play you can download a discrete program from Google - “YouTube for Children”, where this option is already activated by default and there is no way to switch it to its original position.

Parental controls on Android using accounts

Android OS provides the ability to create multiple user accounts in the “Settings” -> “Users” menu.

Under normal circumstances (not taking into account profiles with limited access, which are rarely available in everyday life), it will not be possible to define auxiliary limits for the second user, but, nevertheless, this function can bring significant benefits.

Program parameters are stored in a separate place for each individual user, i.e. for the user who is the owner, you have the right not to specify parental control settings, but simply lock it with a code word, and at the same time, allow the child to log in only under the second user.

Payment information, passwords and other data are also saved for discrete users (in particular, you can limit purchases in the Play Store without adding payment information in a newly added profile).

Comment: when a number of accounts are involved, installation, removal or deactivation of programs affects all Android accounts.

Limitations in user profiles on Android

About 3 years ago, a feature appeared on Android related to the generation of a limited user profile, which allows you to use integrated parental control functions (for example, prohibiting the launch of programs), but for a number of reasons its development was suspended. As a result, it can currently only be accessed on a number of tablets (not on phones).

This function is available in the “Settings” menu -> “Users” -> “Add profile/user” -> “Restricted access profile” (if this option is missing and profile creation is immediately initialized, this means that your device has this feature not available).

External parental control programs for Android

Taking into account the popularity of parents monitoring the use of various gadgets and the Internet by children, as well as the fact that the capabilities of Android itself are not yet sufficient for its full implementation, it should not be surprising that a wide variety of programs for monitoring children are available in the official Play Market. children. Below I will talk about one such program, localized into Russian and having positive feedback from the user side.

One of the most comfortable and friendly programs for Russian-speaking users is Kaspersky Safe Kids. The free version supports many popular functions (limiting the period during which your child uses a mobile device, tracking the use of a tablet or smartphone, blocking websites and applications), some functionality (location identification, VK activity tracking, SMS monitoring -messages and calls) is present only in the paid version of the module. As for the control of children by parents, even the free analogue of Kaspersky Safe Kids contains enough mechanisms to ensure control over the actions of a child from a mobile gadget.

We will describe detailed instructions for applying the settings and configuring this software module:

We install the application on the child’s mobile gadget. Select the “Child” option in the start menu

Click the “Add child” button in the initialization menu

Enter information about the child's name and age

On the next info form, select the option “Activate device administrator”

Let's move on to further configuration of the program. Click the “Continue” button

Let's start configuring special features. Activate the “Kaspersky Safe Kids” item

Move the slider to the desired position

Now we get access to system functions. We get acquainted with their description and click “Continue”

We allow the program to run in the background, despite the faster drain on battery power. We agree and move on

We activate all permissions and proceed to the final configuration phase. These permissions allow the program to control the device and prevent it from being removed from the environment. Now the preliminary setup is complete and we can click the last button “Enable protection”.

So, now everything is ready to work with Kaspersky Safe Kids. Protection is enabled, and we can start working with the parent account.

To access the parent panel, you can go in two ways. The first is to install Kaspersky Safe Kids on the parent’s device. Another way is to log into the admin panel from the same account that you used to register your child, from the computer at my.kaspersky.com/MyKids. This will allow you to track the child’s activity and configure the rules for using the gadget, the Internet and programs. I will consider the last of the two options described.

We enter the same data that was used when registering the child’s account. As a result, we get to the main form for configuring parental settings for your account.

All the most important functions are concentrated on the “Children” tab, so let’s go to it.

So, what options are available to us in the free version of Kaspersky Safe Kids? First of all, it is control over traffic. All sites your child has visited will be displayed on the “Browse” tab in the “Internet” section. The same applies to queries in a search engine.

The information on this tab is updated instantly as soon as the child makes a new request from his device or goes to a web page.

Another useful feature is “Safe Search”. The function removes adult content related to violence, pornography, religious backgrounds, etc. from the results of search queries. In the parent panel, the function is enabled by default, so you do not need to worry about activating it additionally.

The last functionality that you can use for free in Kaspersky Safe Kids is program usage control. Let's go to the "Programs" tab in the "Children" section and look at the options available here. The user has 3 functional features to choose from: configuring program categories, using age restrictions for downloading programs from the Play Market, and individual permission to work with selected applications on the smartphone.

Categories of programs are configured individually, that is, you can prevent your child from installing software for the specified purpose. There are more than a dozen categories here, so you will probably have enough to choose from.

Age restrictions are set in accordance with generally accepted ratings compiled by the ESRB and PEGI organizations. As a result, each program is assigned a specific age category, and if the child’s age is lower than that associated with the desired program, he will not be able to download and install it. A very convenient mechanism - I recommend it for use.

You also have the right to individually indicate which programs are available to run on a mobile gadget and which are not. This can be done in the list located at the bottom of the screen.

In addition to this, on the “Device Usage” tab, you can set time restrictions for working with the corresponding mobile gadget for each day of the week individually. Activate the “Device Usage Control” checkbox and indicate all the parameters on the timeline.

This is where the available functions in the free version of Kaspersky Safe Kids end. However, this is more than enough for basic correction of a child’s online behavior. If you want to make parental control on Android more complete and flexible, you probably can’t do without purchasing a paid license.

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 their child may press something on the phone, access prohibited sites, or spend all the money from their mobile account. Of course, you can put a password on the device, hide applications, create a special account for your child. However, in this topic we will present some ways to set up parental controls for Android.

Blocking programs while using the phone

This method is suitable in cases where a parent, having turned on a game or cartoon on the phone for their child, denies access to the main menu or other applications. In other words, the child will not be able to exit the game or close the cartoon on the phone. The sensor will not respond to the baby's actions. The function that is responsible for blocking software is called “Blocking in the application.” To enable it, do the following:

• Select “Menu”, “Settings”, “Security”. Here we find the “App Lock” function.

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

• Now, having turned on the game for the baby, click on the “Browse” button and hold it. To disable the blocking, hold down the “Back” button.

This way, 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, a service like Play Market has a parental control function. 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 purchasing applications 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 movie on this service without entering the login and password for the account.

Create an account for a child

In order to create a new account for your child, in which only some applications will be available for use, you should go to the “Settings”, “Users” section and click “Add user”.

After that, select “User with limited access”. Once the account is created, you need to specify which programs the new owner will be able to use.

Using Kaspersky Safe Kids for parental control

The Kaspersky Safe Kids application was the first that allowed a parent to monitor their child online and beyond. By installing such an application on your smartphone and your child’s smartphone, a parent can specify which programs, sites and resources will be blocked for their child. You can also use this software to track your child’s location.

Initially, the parent is required to create their own account on their device.

Registration must also be carried out on the child’s device. Only after creating linked accounts can the parent choose the level of protection.

It is important to note that most modern antiviruses for Android have parental controls. 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, watch the video:

01.10.2017 09:00:00

The Screen Time app will help parents manage the time their child spends on their smartphone. The program consists of two parts: the main application and the Screen Time Companion add-on, which is installed on the child’s mobile device.

After this, adults can monitor all activity on their son or daughter’s phone: what games the child is playing, how much time he devotes to entertainment applications, what he is watching or listening to.

Among the main functions of the Screen Time application are:

• Setting application runtimes
• Block specific apps
• Ban on access to social networks during school hours
• Adding additional program minutes

Thus, if a child, as they say, is stuck on the phone instead of studying or having lunch, parents just need to press the necessary buttons in the application on their gadget several times, without taking away the teenager’s favorite mobile phone.

Kid's Shell

Kids's Shell is a launcher for launching only authorized applications and games on the phone. With its help, a kind of safe zone is created in the child’s mobile phone. The launcher can also be installed on the parent’s phone, to which the child has access. In this case, calls and SMS are blocked , as well as access to Google Play.

Basic functions of Kid's Shell

• Children's mode, which launches only applications selected by parents
• Blocking transitions to Google Play, as well as advertising links and banners
• Prohibition on purchases within installed programs
• Setting a mathematical password to exit the shell

In the PRO version for 200 rubles, the functionality of the application expands to prohibit Internet access, configure desktops, set the operating time of the smartphone, as well as a built-in player with content useful for children.

YouTube Kids is a special application that contains entertaining and educational videos. Moreover, if parents do not like any video, they just need to click on the “Complain” button, and the specified video will be removed from the program.

All videos in the application are divided into four categories:

• Music
• Education
• Kaleidoscope

Thanks to the large buttons, even the smallest users can operate the interface. You can also connect a smartphone with the installed program to a TV and watch videos on the big screen.

Special settings for adults will allow you to disable the search function so that the child watches only the video on the main screen, and will also limit the operating time of the program.

Safe Lagoon is a universal parental control application. To use it, just follow these simple steps:

1. Download Safe Lagoon to your child's device
2. Create a parent profile
3. Set up security
4. Install Lagoon for parents or go to your profile on the website

In the profile, parents can monitor the child’s activity on the Web and applications, set a limit on working with programs, and even set a geo-perimeter, within which dad and mom will always be able to see where their child is and will receive a notification if he has gone beyond a certain limit. territories.

With this article we are finishing a series of lessons in the second step of our training course. The next step will focus on working with applications. You will learn about the best mobile programs for learning foreign languages, cleaning your gadget from junk, editing photos and videos, and much more. Do not miss!

And now - the promised test.

Parental controls on Android is an effective method to protect your child from unnecessary content, downloading dangerous and unwanted files, as well as viewing sites with adult content. After all, it is extremely difficult to constantly monitor what a child is watching or playing. Such personal control fetters the child, and programs help do the same, only unobtrusively.

Several key tasks of child tracking programs:

• setting a time limit for games;
• ban on downloading paid applications;
• protecting children from harmful content (pornography and violence);
• protection against potentially harmful code that can enter through downloaded files from unidentified sources.

It is possible to set restrictions on some Android functions for children through personalization of Android, interaction with Google Play and installation of special applications.

Restrict access using Settings

Parental control on an Android phone can be done through the access restriction settings for the user. How to do it:

1. Go to “Settings”;
2. Select the “Users” section;
3. Select "Add user";

1. Set a limit on your child's account.

Now you can give the choice to your child or decide for yourself which programs will appear in the window and which are hidden. An alternative option is to assign a password, for example, for the Google Play store.

Restrictions in PlayMarket

To control the use of the store, just activate tracking in the Google Play program:

1. Go to the store.
2. Click on "Settings".
3. Select Parental Controls.
4. Set a password.

At the end, you need to decide on the age limit for selecting games, movies, applications, and in the audio they set a ban on downloading with profanity; in addition, it is possible to set a password for paid content.

For those who are faced with the question of how to install parental controls on Android, there are special programs. Here are the best and most popular options for utilities for mobile OS:

• YouTube Kids;
• Kid's Shell;
• Screen Time;
• PlayPad;
• Safe Lagoon.

YouTube Kids

A specially developed service contains videos of an entertaining and intellectual nature. It is possible to remove videos from the selection; to do this, click “Complain”.

All videos are divided into 4 sectors:

1. Education.
2. Music.
3. Kaleidoscope.

The program has wide buttons that are easy to operate even for the smallest users. There is a function for synchronizing to TV, for watching videos on the big screen.

Settings for parents will allow you to set a limit on the use of the program and prohibit the search function; viewing will only be on the main screen.

Kid's Shell

Key features of the application:

• prohibition on making purchases in any applications;
• mode for children, it opens only programs specified by parents;
• a password is required when exiting the shell;
• searches on Google Play and advertising links are blocked;

For 200 rubles you can open functions to prohibit Internet use, personalize desktops, set a limit on the phone's operating time, and also a built-in player with useful information for the child.

Screen Time

Thanks to this program, parents will be able to monitor and regulate their child’s time. The application has two parts: the main one and the auxiliary one - Screen Time Companion, which is installed on the child’s gadget. The program allows you to monitor the activity on your children’s smartphone: find out the amount of time allocated to applications, what games are opened, what they listen to and what they prefer in videos.

Several main functions:

• blocking individual applications;
• identifying the duration and time of day of program operation;
• during classes, a ban on using the Internet;
• the ability to add additional work time for tasks.

To close access or limit time completely, there is no need to take the phone away from the child, you just need to press the appropriate control buttons on your smartphone.

PlayPad

The application was created for children for the purposes of entertainment and development.

The utility has a colorful menu with 4 sections:

1. Games.
2. Development.
3. Education.
4. Other.

Parents themselves choose the programs for these sections. It is possible to create a ban on calls and messages. The child will have access to changing the style of the desktop and a bonus from the creators of the program - a drawing board.

Safe Lagoon

To use the parental control program, follow these steps:

1. Download the utility onto your child’s gadget.
2. Install a management profile.
3. Specify security settings.
4. Load a program client with control functions. It is possible to retrieve data from a web account.

Parents in the profile will be able to see activity on the Internet and games, highlight restrictions on the use of applications and set a geo-perimeter, within its boundaries parents will be able to see the whereabouts of the child and will receive a notification when he leaves the specified territory.

Parental controls on Android tablets and smartphones are a very useful thing, thanks to which you can protect children from harmful content. What suits you best, the choice is yours.

If you still have questions on the topic “How to install parental controls on Android?”, you can ask them in the comments