Application for limiting the time of work on the tablet. Parental control for "Android"

(1 ratings)

Why do I need parental controls on Android? Here quick guide to set up parental controls and restrictions on your child so that you can protect your children and prevent unauthorized spending from your bank account, which can be used by a child.

Kids these days are becoming more and more technologically advanced and even a preschool kid can easily use an Android smartphone for personal purposes. In this case, you will not even know what he did on it.

note

There is a huge amount of prohibited, harmful and simply anti-social content on the network, the purpose of which is children and teenagers. In addition, there are many paid applications, which you should not spend money on without the knowledge of adults.

But you don't have to live in fear. Now we will show you how to create user profiles for children and set appropriate restrictions to for each user mobile device using the appropriate controls.

First of all, you should pay attention to the Family Link program from Google, 2018. This is a recently released app that the developers say will help you set some digital rules for both preschoolers and teens. You can use it to create account Google for your child, manage the apps they use, monitor screen time (hours of active device use). The child does not need to know about the existence of such a program and installed supervision, parental control on Android can be easily set when the child is sleeping.

The app can currently only be used on Android devices version 7.0 or below. The program only works for children under the age of 13, although there is no lower age limit, but older teenagers will quickly figure out what's what. But here you can compromise and for an older person, just create a separate account with less restrictions, for example, only for bank accounts and cards.

Will be useful

Family Link blocks all offensive and obscene materials for the younger generation. It's just another tool that you can use in your efforts to keep Android parental controls and keep your kids safe online.

Parental control on an Android phone, how to install it, is described below in a detailed guide.

• Download the Family Link app to your device using the Play Store.
• Launch the app and click "Start".
• Click Start on the Set up Family Link screen, then follow the prompts to navigate to Settings.
• Enter the settings menu.
• You will need to answer a few questions about whether your child has a compatible device and that you want to create an account for a child as part of a family group.
• Enter your child's first and last name and click Next.
• Enter your birthday and gender, then Continue.
• Select your Gmail.com username (account name) and click Verify.
• Enter your password and click Next.
• Accept the "User Agreement", then add the number bank card, from which Google will be able to withdraw $ 0.01 one-time (respectively, with your permission) as a donation to charity for children who are brought up in orphanages.

Now it's time to add the account to your child's device. and sign in with your account information. Then enter your own google password and click Next. The family link will now be installed on your child's device.

It's important to know

Your attention will be available to all applications that were originally preinstalled on the smartphone, and will be given the choice to configure the appropriate restrictions for each, i.e. whether a toddler or teenager is allowed to run them.

Don't be surprised when you see that YouTube has limited access - initially this application is considered "potentially dangerous", because Google cannot check all the video content that is uploaded to the system online, and at the same time there may be an obscene video that will have a bad effect on the child.

Remote constraint

By installing this application in the same way on another phone and logging into the same account with the password recorded earlier, you will see the corresponding settings, but for the child's gadget. You can easily implement the necessary restrictions using the appropriate filters, tracking the location of the smartphone and the active time of the device.

note

It is necessary to set up a child’s smartphone without his knowledge, in extreme cases, in his presence, but without going into the details of your manipulations. This program is not a "bank vault" and can be just as easily removed as it can be installed if you know what you're looking for.

After completing all the settings, return the device to the child, all the established restrictions are already fully functional and permanent online mode (respectively, if there is an active Internet connection).

Individual account

Parental control on an Android phone and how to set up an individual account, we will look further.

Will be useful

Creating a personal account for your child is necessary if the child will often use your phone or tablet, for example, during your absence, when waiting in line for shopping or under the doctor's office for a long time.

To carry out this operation, an example of the most common operating system Android Nougat will be considered. Don't be upset if you have a different OS version, the process of setting up and installing an individual account is very similar in almost all versions. Another nuance is that the "User" option may not be initially detected, in which case it should be looked for in the security submenu.

Step-by-step instruction:

This completes the creation of a new account with certain restrictions for your child.

How to restrict content in the Play Store?

If the child still has to periodically use an adult’s smartphone, but at the same time it is required to limit his ability to download applications from the Play Market, you can simply restrict access to the store. Sign in to your Google account. Then launch the Play Store app (while still logged in to your primary user account on your phone or tablet) and tap the hamburger button, the three-dimensional slide-out menu button. horizontal lines top left.

The menu slide-out will open. this application. Scroll down and click "Settings", then work your way down the list until you see "Parental Controls". Click on this item. You will need to create a PIN. Enter it twice.

Now that this setting enabled, simply touch one of the app settings categories to specify how severe the feature restrictions should be for each. If the restrictions apply to applications and games, opposite you will see numbers related to age. For example, press PEGI 7 - this is a child from four to seven years old.

Now the child will have to ask permission to purchase, because without a secret code it will be simply impossible to complete the purchase,

The Play Market is far from the main platform where you can download interactive applications and games. The Internet is full of sites that offer analogues of applications, but they themselves look an exact copy original trading platform. Such resources are called , which can also be blocked.

After repeating the previous steps, exit to the main screen and move to the "Settings" again. Locate the "Security" section (called "Security and Fingerprint" on our phone), tap it, and then make sure the "Unknown Sources" toggle is turned off.

Devices with the best parental controls

Android devices are the undisputed king of parental controls. It's not that Android's built-in parental controls are actually that great, but the operating system allows developers to really deep-seat the system and set appropriate restrictions.

Not all android devices equal in terms of the level of protection of the younger generation from access to unwanted information. Each smartphone manufacturer strives to create something unique and inimitable. However, if you want to buy a phone that already emphasizes parental controls from the very beginning, then the Nexus and Motorola devices are closest to the ideal. But this short list of models for Android and parental control is not limited to them.

per century digital technologies it becomes increasingly difficult to protect children from inappropriate content Because today every phone has access to the Internet. Therefore, developers create applications that make it possible to control the use of the gadget by children. Let's see how to set parental controls on android phone and set it up correctly.

Important! You can disable the control program only using the login and password of the parents. To do this, simply log out of your account and delete the application itself (the child himself will not be able to do this).

Play Store Parental Control

Google has built into brand store applications a special feature that allows you to filter applications.

1. Open Play Store → Settings.
2. Go to Parental Control.
3. Move the slider to the active position.
4. In the Games & Apps section, set the age limit for store apps.
5. In the "Music" section, block access to songs with obscene language → Save settings.
   

   Important! The filter will only work if the performer has indicated the presence of obscene language.

As practice shows, the filter works quite accurately. The only downside is that you can't customize this mode for the device as a whole.

Third Party Applications

Developers create programs that allow you to fully track the activities of the child. Consider the most functional.

Kaspersky Safe Kids

It seems to me that this is the best Russian-language application in this segment. The free version allows you to block programs, websites, track the activity of your phone or tablet, and limit the time of their use. Paid subscription additionally allows you to determine the location, track activity in social networks, monitor calls and SMS.

1. Create a My Kaspersky account on the official website.
   
2. Download Kaspersky Safe Kids from Play Store on the child's phone.
3. Launch the utility, select "Child's Phone" and set it up with gender, age and name.
   

   Note! A parent app with similar functionality can be installed on an Android device from the Play Store.

4. Go to the utility website by logging into your account → go to the "Children" tab.
   
5. On this page you can:
   

Screen Time

An excellent application in Russian, the functionality of which is enough to fully monitor the child.

Important! The application is paid, but you can use the demo version. It is provided free of charge for 14 days.

The program is installed on the child's device, as well as the parent's. Through it you can:

• keep track of which programs are launched by the child;
• What websites is it on?
• How much time do you spend doing one activity or another?

The setting is done in the following way:

1. Install the app from the Play Store on the parent's device.
2. Set up the program by indicating "I (the parent) use this device."
   
3. Go to "Account" → "Pairing codes" (this code is needed to set up the program on a child's device).
   
4. Install the app from the Play Store on your child's device.
5. Once it launches, select "This is a child's device".
6. During installation, enter the above code → Create a password to access the settings.
   
7. After setting up from your device, you will be able to:

Safe Lagoon

Simple and versatile application. The interface is intuitive, which allows you to quickly find the desired setting.

The Internet is useful and dangerous at the same time, especially if children use it. After all, on the net you can find not only useful information, but a lot of negative, harmful and “not childish”. In order to protect your child from all this, use special programs.

How to set parental controls on Android

The presence of tablets and smartphones in children in our time is not uncommon. Basically, these are devices based on the Android OS. These gadgets occupy the child, but still parents should think about the purposes for which he uses it.

To prevent your child from visiting unwanted sites, install parental controls on the device. How to do this, you will learn from our article.

Built-in Android Parental Controls

The Android system and built-in applications from Google are not rich in popular parental control features. But still, something can be configured without resorting to third-party programs.

Worth knowing: the location of the options is indicated for pure Android. On some tablets with their own launchers, the settings may be located in a different place and section, for example, in the “Advanced” section.

For the little ones - blocking in the application

The "Lock in the application" function makes it possible to run one program in full screen and prohibit switching to any other software or Android "desktop".

To enable these features, follow these steps:

• open Settings, go to Security, and then App Lock;
• run the option (having previously read about its use);
• run the desired program and press the "Browse" button (square), lightly drag the application up and click on the "Pins" image.

As a result, the use of Android will be limited to this application until you remove the lock. To do this, click and hold the "Back" and "Browse" buttons.

Parental controls in the Play Store

The Play Market allows you to set parental controls to restrict the installation and purchase of programs.

• click on the "Menu" button in the Play Market and go to the settings;
• open the "Parental Control" tab, turn the punch to the "On" position, and enter your pin code;

• set restrictions on filtering games and applications, movies and music by age;
• so that paid purchases of programs are not made without entering the Google account password in the Play Store settings, use the "Authentication upon purchase" section.

YouTube Parental Control

Thanks to certain settings, you can restrict the viewing of YouTube videos for children. In the program itself, click on the menu button, go to "Settings", go to the "General" section and activate the "Safe Mode" item.

There are programs from Google "YouTube for kids" in Google Play, the restriction parameters are already set here and you cannot turn it off.

Users

Android allows you to create a pair of user accounts. To do this, go to "Settings", and then to "Users".

In general (apart from restricted profiles, which are rare), it is not possible to set restrictions for the second user, but the function can still come in handy:

• Program settings are saved separately for each user. For yourself, you can not set parental control settings, but simply set a password. The child in this case will have access to the device only through the second user.
• All passwords, codes and payment data are stored separately for different users.

It's important to know! When using multiple accounts, the installation and uninstallation of programs is reflected in all Android accounts.

Restricted user profiles on Android

The feature to create a restricted profile has been around for a long time, but for some reason it has not become popular and is only available on some tablets. Smartphones do not have this feature.

You can find this option by going to "Settings", then select "Users", go to "Add User\Profile" and "Restricted Profile". If profile creation starts immediately during setup, then your device does not have the profile restriction feature.

Third Party Parental Control Apps on Android

Recently, the parental control feature has become in demand, but own funds Android is still not enough. To do this, there are many programs for parental control in the Play Market.

Parental Control Screen Time

The application has a Russian interface and is popular among users.

Program functions are available free of charge only for two weeks. After this period, only basic options remain available, which are limited to the history of browsing sites on the Internet.

Parental control from antivirus vendors

You can control the use of Android devices using special antivirus programs that may already be installed by default, such as F-Secure SAFE and Quick Heal Total Security.

For additional protection there are separate applications from the creators of antivirus programs. Install an anti-virus vendor and restrict downloads malware, thus you protect yourself from troubles.

Kaspersky Safe Kids

Free version of the application for Russian-speaking users. The software supports many useful functions: blocking programs, sites, tracking the use of a smartphone and tablet, limiting the operating time.

Per additional fee you can use other functions: determining the location, tracking VK activity, monitoring calls and messages.

To control the use of the device by a child, it is enough free version software.

Installing this application on a device used by a child will allow you to do the following: enter an age limit, specify the name of the child, create a parent account, set special Android permissions that will allow you to control devices and prohibit uninstallation of programs.

Installing the program on a parent's smartphone will help track the activity of children on the Internet and establish rules for the operation of programs, the Internet and other devices.

While connected to the Internet on the child's phone, you can control his activities from the parent's device. By making some changes, parents can protect their children from visiting inappropriate sites.

Norton Family parental control (Symantec)

The software will help protect your child from visiting unwanted sites on the Internet, as well as detect threats in time, before they become a problem.

It will also allow you to do the following things:

• Monitor network usage. Parents will always be aware of what sites their child has visited, block dangerous sites.
• Control the use of programs. You will learn about which games children have downloaded from the Internet, and you can make available for use only those that you deem necessary. You will also find out all the information about the sites that children visit most often.
• View keys. Having revised key phrases, which are entered to search for information, the parent will be able to find out what his child is interested in.

With the help of the application, you can teach children to use their phone wisely and filter out unnecessary information. This is possible due to the setting of time limits in the use of the Internet.

Parents can set time limits or set a schedule for using the device for their own purposes. You can also receive newsletters on email or to the parent portal about the activities of their children.

With Norton Family, you can develop healthy online habits in your child. Teach your child to use the net safely. Explain to him that not all sites are useful and carry good information. If you find out that the child tried to access a prohibited site, explain why it should not be visited.

Thanks to media tracking, you can find out exactly which videos the children watched, and if you don’t like something, first discuss what you watched, and then block access to the site.

Norton Family will allow you to teach your child how to communicate safely by SMS and protect him from unnecessary shocks. Also, you can always find out where your children are thanks to the tracking program.

Bitdefender Parental Control

It will help protect children from the harmful effects of the World Wide Web by limiting visits to websites and the time spent on them.

Positive sides:

• Multifunctionality (not only blocking sites is carried out, but also a log of visits to social networks is kept);
• The program runs on a PC, mobile phones and tablets such as Android;
• The mobile version of the program allows you to track the location of the child.

Negative sides:

• Shareware operation, after ninety days you have to pay money for further use.
• No Russian localization.

Offline Parental Control Apps

With offline parental control software, you'll always know where your child is, what they're doing, what their hobbies are, and why they need internet access at all.

SafeKiddo Parental Control

Easy to use application. Installation takes place in automatic mode. The interface is clear and you can manage it intuitively.

The software is suitable for Android and Iphone devices. The application works in standard mode, allows parents to control their children's Internet use.

Main functions:

• safe search when using all browsers;
• setting up website blocking;
• site access control;
• settings management;
• setting a limit on the use of the gadget;
• fixing the child's activity on the Internet;
• control of devices in real time;
• limiting the use of prohibited sites.

With the help of the software, you can easily control the devices of several children at once at will, using individual settings for each of them.

Kids Zone Parental Controls

The software is in demand among users and has a high rating among the applications presented on Google Play. Kids Zone is already used by 500,000 parents.

Download and run the application, it can be done in just a few seconds.

• create a profile and choose safe sites for your child;
• set a limit, and you can limit the use of the gadget by your child;
• set the wallpaper on the screen, which the child will choose himself;
• install on device secret code and you can block it from unwanted use.

After installing Kids Zone, the software begins to constantly monitor the device that the child uses. If he uses prohibited sites, the software will block them.

Main functions:

• restricting access to unwanted websites;
• setting a limit on the use of the device;
• blocking purchases;
• preventing viewing of non-children's video;
• blocking access to social networks;
• re-blocking the device after a reboot;
• deletion prevention installed programs on the device;
• protection of contacts and settings from reset and deletion;
• protection of personal data from prying eyes;

Additional functions:

• the ability to create multiple profiles, for example, for each child separately or for each application;
• countdown, the child will be able to see how much time is left for the game;
• for each individual profile, you can set your wallpaper;
• Instant Unlock will enable parents to receive incoming calls during the lock.

Flaws:

• There is no translation into Russian.
• The program has been specially designed to meet all the wishes of parents. Kids Zone has no extra features, all efforts are aimed at setting blocks for unnecessary entertainment.
• The software works well on all devices, the main thing is that they work on the basis of Android.
• There is nothing complicated in managing the application, it is specially designed to be easy to handle. You will be able to control the devices of not only small children, but also teenagers.

When choosing a program for parental control, be sure to familiarize yourself with its capabilities. Also consider the age of the child.

To understand what exactly you want to block access to, review the history of visiting sites, and you will immediately understand what needs to be blocked.

With the advent of new technologies, new problems have also arisen. Today, every student has some kind of gadget: phone, tablet, smartphone, PSP, computer. Every caring parent tries in every possible way to protect their baby from the negative effects of electromagnetic waves, as well as adult games, films and web pages.

Blocking inappropriate content for children

Limit the amount of time your child spends at the computer or in front of the TV. Set the parental control mode on the PC to check the launch of programs, applications and browsers. Block TV channels that you think are negatively impacting your child's mental health. To limit what you can do with phones and tablets, enable parental controls on Android devices. Let's take a closer look at how to do this.

Google is a company that develops software for operating system Android offers more and more parental control options for devices. If your tablet or phone is equipped with a system no older than the release of Android 5.0 Lollipop, then you can set a ban on exiting a specific application. In order to set a restriction, go to "Settings", find the item "Security" and select "Pin to screen". In the "Advanced" tab, enter the password. Go to the application, hold down the "Browse" button to display active programs and move the game you opened to the top. Click on the paperclip in the lower right corner. Now you can confidently give the gadget to your child, because it will not go beyond the program you attached. To exit it, hold down "Browse" and enter the specified password.

Restrict access for the user through "Settings"

Android tablets have the feature of restricted profiles that protect all personal information from intrusion by unwanted callers. This is a great way to protect your child from dangerous content. Open "Settings", select "Add User" and select "Restricted Profile". Now you can choose which software will be available for the baby, and which is hidden. To remove a restricted account, enter the password.

Setting up Internet access

The parental control function also applies to the router. If your child only uses a home access point, then you can configure the router to limit work with some resources global network. Is your modem not equipped with parental controls? Go to the OpenDNS server and you will be able to configure control for the network.

In addition, there is additional software for prohibiting and restricting work in the phone and tablet browser. You can find them in Google Play.

Limited Google Play

Google Play itself also supports parental controls. In order to prevent your kid from downloading games or applications that can harm him on his phone, go to the “Settings” of the store itself and select the “Parental Control” item. Enter your password and set the content age limit. You can also block the ability to buy expensive goods through the Google store.

Dedicated parental control apps

Except personalization phone or gadget, exists a large number of various programs for the implementation of parental control.

For example, Xooloo App Kids is a launcher that creates a special desktop with shortcuts to games available for children. Protection personal information provides a four-digit password.

"Parental Control - PlayPad" will develop and entertain the child without endangering him. After the initial setup of the program, your kid will see a colorful menu with four icons: "Games", "Education", "Development", "Other applications". The parent himself fills these folders the right programs. You can also remove the ability to make calls and send messages - the application will make the call buttons and SMS chat windows inaccessible. It is worth noting that the little naughty will have access to the function of changing the style of the desktop and the drawing board provided by the creators of the application.

Application similar in functionality KidRead also has a division into categories for software. Its distinctive advantage is the game interface: the child earns points for the time spent in developing applications and spends them in games. "KidRead" is equipped with a timer for counting time and accruing points.

per program "Time Away" also need to pay attention. It is designed for school-age children and has more advanced functionality. Install "TimeAway" on children's phones and your device (up to six users), set a password and remotely control all your children's applications. Adjust game play time, set device sleep time, necessary breaks, and block certain software or phones with the click of a button. The specified program also provides statistics on the utilization of programs on a tablet or smartphone, as well as the ability to track the location of the child using Google maps.

We've covered everything possible ways protect children from the harmful effects of Android device software. The above device setting for children to access adult content is more suitable for parents' phones and tablets. Special programs parental control - for children's gadgets. Which one suits you personally, decide for yourself. Extend your child's childhood by protecting him from harmful information and cruel games.

Many children between the ages of 7 and 14 already have their own smartphone. Responsible parents should take care of installing a specialized application for parental control. Recently, the German laboratory AV-TEST tested such solutions, checking the effectiveness of the proposed control in everyday use.

Smartphones with Internet: about 30 percent of 8-year-olds already own their own smartphone

A window to the world in the hands of a seven-year-old child. This is perhaps the most concise description for a smartphone with Internet access. As you know, network gateways serve not only to access the external space, but also to intrude on the device. Android parental control apps are just trying to solve this problem- they provide secure paths to the Internet and at the same time close the gate to external threats.

Most of the smartphones sold in the world run on the Android OS. Naturally, the market was forced to respond to this with the release of a large number of specialized applications for parental control. Many antivirus solutions for the mobile platform already have a built-in parental control feature. However, there are separate standalone apps that are purely for parental control. AV-Test checked the performance and functionality 12 various applications. 4 apps are antivirus apps with built-in controls, while the remaining 8 apps are standalone parental control solutions. The following vendors participated in the testing program: Bitdefender, eScan, F-Secure, Kiddoware, McAfee, Mobicip, Net Nanny, Quick Heal, Salfeld, Screen Time Labs, Symantec and Trend Micro.

Popular Applications

Lab researchers tested functionality and coverage in addition to measuring filtration efficiency and detection of unwanted sources. The bottom line is that almost all of the apps we tested did a great job. The main difference between them is the equipment with additional functions.

while the app is great at filtering unwanted sites, that's where its functionality ends.

The main purpose of a parental control app is to sort and block websites and content. In order to allow your child to view certain websites, you must enter his age immediately after installing the application. In the lab, the researchers pointed to a fictitious 7-year-old Timmy and set up the app accordingly, such as selecting the appropriate preset profile. There are several ways to filter web content. For example, sites can be precisely defined according to white list, then the child will be able to visit only permitted sources. The second method is the logical analysis of websites by title and content. To implement a similar algorithm of work, many applications offer to configure allowed content categories. Depending on the selected profile, the appropriate categories are activated, and web resources are classified by applications, after which it blocks or allows access.

The application uses its own browser to protect children from inappropriate websites.

More than 10,000 sites verified

The test tested the technology robot and evaluated the application logic. To do this, each app had to weed out more than 6,000 sites that were not suitable for children to view. As an additional argument, another 4,500 sites with child-friendly content were used to check for false positives. The difficulty of the task lies in the following: a site with a harmless fairy tale is definitely appropriate for children. The car dealership site is not intended for children, but it does not contain any inappropriate content, so it should not be blocked. Researchers have paid special attention to the logic of analysis of the sources of applications to make sure that websites are not mistakenly blocked. If such false positives occur quite often, it is likely that the child will want to get rid of the parental control system completely. In testing, many apps that were very effective at blocking certain categories, such as Symantec, Quick Heal, or F-Secure, also blocked a large number of resources suitable for children. However, the top apps in the second test (for false positives), such as Mobicip, Kiddoware, or Salfeld, were less effective at filtering categories.

The app from Screen Time Labs did no filtering at all. The product only allows you to block or allow the launch of the browser. If the smartphone is connected to the network, the application allows you to remotely lock the smartphone using parental controls by using the parent's device, for example.

parental control apps on Android use similar logic and mechanisms to separate sources into relevant and inappropriate

Some applications are almost devoid of additional features

The features built into individual parental control apps vary widely. Very often, search engine protection (safe search) is enabled, which is automatically activated by applications. This protection may be distributed to Google, Bing or Yahoo. Initially search system filters search results containing films, photos and text content for adults. This function offered by F-Secure, Mobicip, Net Nanny and Symantec.

Many parents want to be able to limit the amount of time they can access the device, go online, and use apps. These additional features do not occur together. 7 out of 12 apps tested offer one of these blocking features, and only Salfeld offers two.

Kiddoware, Screen Time Labs, and Symantec let you block your device for certain time. During a lockdown, only Symantec allows you to dial emergency numbers.

Besides, additional tools include app blocking, monitoring Facebook account and time control of incoming and outgoing calls. But even these features are only partially available in individual applications, as this table illustrates.

in terms of extra features, most apps are limited

Remote access and control

Nearly half of child protection applications offer an online control panel that allows adults to remotely administer devices and also contains a log of logged activities in an easy-to-read format. Some solutions allow you to track the location of your smartphone using the site. This feature will definitely be useful for finding a lost device.

Web portal application developers also typically offer reporting or logging functionality for simple monitoring children's actions. Given components usually display a list of visited and blocked sites, search history, a list of attempts to launch blocked applications and an overview of all violation attempts established rules. Only Screen Time Labs shows how long the device has been used. In general, reporting and logging functions are only part of several applications.

very few applications register a child's online activity on a smartphone

Which app is the best?

As such, there is no winner. The features of the applications, as well as their filtering, detection, and reporting philosophies, are too varied. Here is a tip from testers: the younger the child, the more automated the system for blocking sites and services should be. A child between the ages of 7 and 10 is not very upset because of the blocking of the site and continues to surf. Teenagers, on the other hand, are too irritated with the blocking and try to find ways to bypass the protection. That is why, for this age group, researchers recommend creating fewer obstacles, but compensate for this with more powerful system accounting and information. Parents should also engage in personal conversations with children about certain content found on the Internet.