Tech Tips

July 10, 2019

How to Protect Your Child When They Use Mobile Devices

It’s summer and most kids have a lot of time on their hands - and access to devices. Here are some steps you can take to make those devices less alluring, keep your kids safe from online predators, and protect your personal data ... all at the same time.

How many times has your child picked up your phone (or theirs) & started gaming or surfing the internet? How many of those times did you flinch, worried they might see or do something they shouldn't online?

It's a valid concern. Children face more dangers online than ever before. Their innocence can also lead to inadvertent data theft or cyberattack. Thus, it's important to protect them while online.

Fortunately, plenty of ways exist to do that. We gathered the 3 best ways to protect your kids online. (Bonus: These also protect your devices, just in case you have important data on them!)

Block Games. Games can conceal malware that can sneak onto your device. Not to mention criminals stalking children through multi-player games.(You have the option to block multi-player games specifically, so your child can still play educational games.)
Restrict Online Content. Blocking risky/unsafe sites protect your kids from undesirable content. It also helps keep malware off your device.
Prevent In-App Purchases. Many apps & games offer in-app purchases. Since your phone likely has your credit card information stored, your kids can buy these extras with a few taps…and without telling you. Blocking these purchases is also good for your wallet!

How do you put these restrictions in place?

On iOS (iPhone) Devices: Use Content & Privacy Restrictions.
These are settings directly on the phone. You reach them through Settings > Screen Time.

You will see options to identify the phone as yours or your child's, as well as setting a passcode. The passcode prevents anyone else from changing the restrictions.

Under "Content & Privacy Restrictions," tap the slider to activate. Now you have a host of options to enable/disable.
- Blocking games: Tap "Content Restrictions" and scroll down to "Game Center."
- Restricting online content: Tap "Content Restrictions" and scroll down to "Web Content."
- Preventing in-app purchases: Tap "iTunes & App Store Purchases."
On Android Devices: Institute Parental Controls.
On Windows 10 Computers: Make an account for your child (with App Restrictions, Content Restrictions, and Monitoring built-in).