Parental control apps for phone

Jamesdeer001

Hi

Eldest is about to get their first phone soon (hand me down) and was just wondering if anyone can recommend parental control apps for the phone please (old iphone)

Thanks in advance

Jenni_D

How old is your eldest, and how tech-savvy is he/she?

(Many kids can circumvent parental controls quicker than the parent can apply them, so talking with the child is a better way to achieve the goal).

Jamesdeer001

Thanks he will be 11, not that techie currently as most has been restricted up to now. Similarly we're having those types of conversations but want to at least avoid accidentally finding stuff at this stage

matelodave

Even though he may not b be technically savvy, some of his mates might be so as Jenni suggests it's mainly education thats required, especially to not let others borrow or use his phone.

It's pretty difficult but we've been through all this with our grandchildren (and so have their parents) and my daughter is a secondary school teacher with two children, one of 12 and one of 15 and she's pretty strict. No phones in the bedrooms and she still checks them once a week.

Her 15 year old daughter is getting a bit annoyed about the checking but as my daughter says, when she earns enough to pay for her own phone then she'll have a bit more privacy

[Deleted User]

Fairly easy with Apple products:

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201304

Ergates

Jamesdeer001 said:

Hi

Eldest is about to get their first phone soon (hand me down) and was just wondering if anyone can recommend parental control apps for the phone please (old iphone)

Thanks in advance

Google Family Link on android devices is fine.   Gives you control over what they install.  You can set screen time limits per app, and can set a scheduled "bed time" and can remotely lock the phone.  Also lets you locate the phone and you can make it play a sound - which is very useful if, like my son's, the phone doesn't have a sim card (he only uses it for audio books).

ahmjt

I tried suggesting a 'dumb' phone for my DD when she was about to start secondary. There was mass protest, unrest, sit-downs (I think conspired by the opposition DW). I ended up using Google Family (until she was 13).