Setting a young child’s device up for safety

Like all Apple products, you can set up Apple Family Sharing to customise safety. Once you have Family Sharing set up, prioritise these top 3 settings:

• Set limits through Screen Time. Available on all Apple devices, Screen Time can be customised to your child’s needs through Family Sharing. Set daily limits on individual apps as well as whole-device schedules so your child can’t access the iPad without your knowledge.
• Restrict App Store and app content. Features like Ask to Buy and App Limits keep your child from accidentally accessing content that isn’t right for their age or stage. It also prevents accidental purchases without your permission.
• Use Guided Access for shared iPads. If you have an iPad that your child sometimes uses for specific apps, consider turning on Guided Access. This restricts your child so they can only use the app you’ve opened for them in the moment. You can find this in your iPad’s Accessibility settings.

See step-by-step guidance for setting your child’s iPad up.

For very young children, you can use Samsung Kids to customise your child’s experience on their Galaxy Tab. Download the app, set up a PIN and then review the following settings.

• Customise your child’s profile. Get them to choose their avatar then add their name and age to their profile. This is especially useful if you have multiple children accessing the same tablet. When you hand over the device, you can choose their profile for a custom experience.
• Set screen time limits and bedtime schedules. This can help you track their screen usage while preventing them from getting lost in games or videos. It also means that they are unable to access their profile ‘out of hours’.
• Add allowed apps. Samsung Kids comes with suggested pre-approved apps that are friendly for kids, and you can add more if you like. In some cases, you might need to first download the app outside of Samsung Kids and then add it in. Be sure to review any new apps first.

With Samsung Kids, your child cannot leave the app unless you enter your PIN. Remember to add a tablet PIN as well to prevent them from using it without Samsung Kids.

See step-by-step guidance for setting Samsung Kids up.

Some Android tablets will have parental controls built-in to their devices. However, for the best experience, consider setting up Google Family Link and prioritising the following features.

• Customise screen time limits. Create daily schedules and downtimes for bed to help manage the amount of time your child spends on their Android tablet. This can help them learn positive habits around balancing screen time
• Set up content restrictions. These might already be in place based on your child’s age, but it’s good to check and customise further if needed. Doing this can make sure your child doesn’t accidentally stumble across content that isn’t right for their age in the Play Store, on Google Chrome or with Google search.
• Set up purchase restrictions. Requiring approval for all purchases just means that if your child does manage to figure out how to make a purchase (such as an app or film), you will be notified first so that you can approve or deny it.

See step-by-step guidance for setting your child’s Android tablet up.

Amazon Fire tablets come with built-in parental controls that you can use to keep your child safer. If your child has a Fire Kids tablet, this can be set up through Amazon Kids via your Parent Dashboard. The below tips are for general Amazon tablets.

• Block access to Amazon Stores. Doing this keeps your child from accessing an endless marketplace, which can increase the likelihood of unexpected purchases. You can also password-protect purchases for an added layer of security.
• Set Restricted Access. This PIN-protects your child’s profile, meaning they can only use the device if you enter the PIN. As such, you can better lead your child’s screen time allowance. You can also do this on a schedule to make it easier on yourself.
• Turn on profile monitoring. This makes it easier for you to review your child’s activity, which can help you have important conversations early around their digital use.

See step-by-step guidance for setting your child’s Amazon Fire HD tablet up.

Netflix has wide-ranging content for very young children to adults-only. The platform uses BBFC age ratings to help you make consistent decisions for your child. When reviewing your child’s Netflix profile, consider using the following features.

• Create a Kids profile. You can do this for any child aged 12 and under. This means they will have automatic restrictions on the types of content they can watch.
• Customise Viewing restrictions. With a Kids profile, your child will only be able to see content suitable for kids. However, you can customise what this means as your child grows to suit their development as well as their age.
• Protect all profiles with PINs. Make sure your child cannot access others’ profiles or change settings on their own profile by setting a PIN. This can also help you stay in control of their screen time.

See step-by-step guidance for setting Netflix up for your child.

While ‘Disney’ is associated with child-friendly content, Disney+ includes a range of content – not all of it is suitable for very young children. The platform uses its own age ratings instead of BBFC age ratings.

When letting your child watch content on Disney+, consider prioritising these features.

• Turn on Junior mode. This enables a simpler, add-free experience for young kids. It also curates content that is only appropriate for young viewers. Your child cannot exit Junior mode without completing a difficult challenge.
• Customise content ratings. If you’re not using Junior mode, make sure you set content ratings. For children aged 5 and under, you’d want to select the 0+ option.
• Protect profiles with PINs. Keep your child from accessing other profiles by protecting all of them with PINs.

See step-by-step guidance for setting Disney+ up for your child.

At this age, your best option for YouTube is to set up YouTube Kids. You can then make use of the following features to curate content for your child.

• Use the platform timer. Before giving your child their device and access to YouTube Kids, set the time limit you’d like to give them. This helps you stay on top of how much time they’ve had without needing to set external timers.
• Set up Approve content. Take 30 minutes or so to handpick the videos, channels and collections that you choose. This is the best way to ensure they are only watching content that you’re aware of.
• Turn off Search. For added peace of mind, turn off search in YouTube Kids. This keeps your child from searching from something else (even by accident). They will also be limited to videos and channels verified by YouTube Kids.

Learn more about setting up YouTube Kids with this step-by-step guide.

You can access parental controls for the Switch directly on the console and through the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app. Key features include:

• Set the Restriction Level. Choose ‘Young child’ to ensure that your child can only access games appropriate for this age group. It also prevents them from accessing features which might not be suitable for very young children.
• Enable Play Time Limits. Create daily limits for short bursts of gameplay and turn on the ‘Suspend Software’ option to prevent your child playing past the timer. There is also a Bedtime Alarm option you can use if you think it will be helpful.
• Turn on spending restrictions. Your child might explore different parts of their Switch, which could lead to accidental spending. However, turning on these restrictions can prevent these accidents.

See step-by-step guidance for setting your child’s Nintendo Switch up.

You can access PlayStation parental controls using the PlayStation Family app. Setting controls up are particularly important if the console is a shared device. Consider the following features:

• Create a child account. This helps ensure they don’t accidentally access something that is not appropriate for them. You’ll also more easily be able to set restrictions specific to them.
• Turn off all Social and Activity settings. Review all settings under ‘Social’ and ‘Activity’ to make sure they are turned off. This prevents other PlayStation users from contacting them or seeing their activity.
• Set Playtime limits. Set when they can play and for how long, along with what happens when the time runs out (e.g. logging them out of their account).

See step-by-step guidance for setting your child’s PlayStation up.

You can manage Xbox parental controls with the Xbox Family Settings app. Some restrictions are also available through the Microsoft Family app. Key features include:

• Create a child account. Set up their age as you set up their account to help implement automatic safety features. This also lets you set individual restrictions per account rather than across the whole console.
• Customise content restrictions. This will be based on your child’s age, but you can better align the restrictions to their development instead. These restrictions mean your child can only access games, apps and other content on Xbox if it’s appropriate for that age group.
• Set up screen time limits. You can use this feature to pause screen time in real time, but you can also set daily schedules or temporary schedules to support your family.

See step-by-step guidance for setting your child’s Xbox up.

If your child is using an app on your iPhone:

• Turn on Guided Access in the Accessibility settings. This keeps them from wandering into other apps without your knowledge.
• Use the device together. Watch a video on YouTube Kids, draw or look through photos together rather than allowing free access.
• Set an external timer. A visual timer can help your child keep track of how much time they have left without needing to read time. This can help with transitions away from screens. Additionally, an external timer will help remind you when they’ve reached the maximum you’ve set.

If your child has their own iPhone as their device:

• Remove any apps that allow access to the internet like Safari. You can also set the device to airplane mode and ‘forget’ the WiFi connection if the apps they use don’t require internet access.
• Remove any apps that you don’t want them accessing by accident.
• Lockdown the App Store and any communication or sharing apps by using Apple Family Sharing.

For more guidance on iPhone controls, see our step-by-step guide.

If your child is sharing your Android smartphone:

• Create a separate profile on the device via the settings. This helps you customise their experience specifically to them. You can add/remove/block any apps you want to help their screen time stay focused where you like.
• Set up Google Family Link to add restrictions such as screen time limits. This app is also good to use if your child accesses YouTube Kids, YouTube or other Google services.
• Use the device together. This is a great time to bond while also helping to model appropriate and balanced screen use.

If your chid has their own Android smartphone as their device:

• Remove any apps that allow access to the internet like Google Chrome. You can also set the device to airplane mode and ‘forget’ the WiFi connection if the apps they use don’t require internet access.
• Remove any apps that you don’t want them accessing by accident.
• Lockdown the Google Play and any other online stores to keep them from stumbling across inappropriate content or installing new apps. Use Google Family Link for this.
• Remove or lockdown any communication or sharing apps with Family Link.

For more guidance on Android controls, see our step-by-step guide.

Some controls which are available on Android will also be available on Samsung smartphones. However, a key feature of Samsung smartphones that other Android phones don’t have is access to Samsung Kids.

Use Samsung Kids to lockdown the device and limit your child’s access to what you allow in Samsung Kids. See how to set up Samsung Kids and then prioritise the below features.

• Add a profile for each child. Get them to choose their avatar then add their name and age to their profile. You can then set custom screen time limits and more. When you hand over the device, you can choose their profile for a custom experience.
• Set screen time limits and bedtime schedules. This can help you track their screen usage while preventing them from getting lost in games or videos. It also means that they are unable to access their profile ‘out of hours’.
• Add allowed apps. Samsung Kids comes with suggested pre-approved apps that are friendly for kids, and you can add more if you like. In some cases, you might need to first download the app outside of Samsung Kids and then add it in. Be sure to review any new apps first.