How to set up parental controls on smartphones and social media

Enabling digital parental controls are an important first step in keeping children safe while online. They can also help children develop positive digital habits. 

With increasing concerns around what children are exposed to online, it's more important than ever to ensure their phones and other devices around the home are safe. There are lots of tools available on devices and within third-party apps, but some controls are more comprehensive than others. Read on to see your options.

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Three key things parental controls can help with

Here are three of the main benefits of digital parental controls.

1. They restrict access to harmful content. Some websites and social media apps have content that is not appropriate for children. With parental controls, you can help limit the types of content your child will see when they are online. 
2. They can limit screen time. You can remotely stop your child using a device or specific apps after a length of time you are comfortable with. When a time limit has lapsed, a message will appear on screen and the child will no longer be able to access the content.
3. They allow you to control who can contact your child and who sees their online activity. On social media apps, enabling parental controls can help keep your child's profile private from any account that is not approved by you. They can also stop strangers from messaging your child's account. Plus, you can change website permissions so they cannot collect your child's data (eg their location).

Parental controls for iPhone (iOS)

There are a wide range of parental controls available on Apple devices like iPhones and iPads, allowing you to control screen time and restrict access to certain times. You can also restrict access to certain types of content, for example films above a ‘PG’ rating, and limit Siri's features to prevent it from searching the web or displaying explicit language. 

How to set up built-in parental controls on Apple iOS

Accessing parental controls on an iPhone should be fairly straightforward.

• Go to Settings, then Screen Time on your child's device.
• Choose This is My Child's [Device].
• Set up a passcode to prevent your child changing your settings, and a passcode for controlling screen time settings.
• Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
• Choose which types of content you want to impose restrictions on from the options listed.

Apple's full instructions are outlined on Apple's parental controls page. Apple also offers ways to prevent iTunes and app store purchases.

Parental controls for Android

There are built-in parental controls on Android devices and you can access more on the Google Family Link app. These controls allow you to limit your child's screen time for a device or individual apps, block apps, and restrict access to certain features in the Play Games app. They can also prevent third-party apps from seeing sensitive information in your child's Google account. 

How to set up built-in parental controls on Android

While parental control setup works similarly across most Android phones, they may differ depending on the brand, so take the below as a rough guide.

• Open the Play Store app.
• Go to Menu, then Settings, then Parental controls.
• Turn parental controls on.
• Create a PIN, to stop someone who doesn’t know the PIN from changing the parental control settings.
• Select the type of content you want to restrict access to.

Through the Google Play Store, you can manage your child's Google Play apps, including how to block downloads according to how mature the apps are.

Many other restrictions are controlled through the Family Link app from the Google Play Store. Go straight to Google's full instructions on Google's manage devices, apps and screen time page, or scroll down to learn more.

How to use Google Family Link to set up parental controls

Google Family Link is a digital tool that allows you to control some of your child's activity online. This is done through connecting you to your child's Google account on internet-connected devices (ie Android phones, iPhones, tablets or laptops). 

You can blanket ban your child's access to what Google thinks are inappropriate websites for their age, and you can ban access to specific ones you don't like. It lets you control what websites have access to on your child's device, such as its location or camera.

Screen time on the device and its specific apps can be limited using Family Link. You can also locate the device remotely to find your child and see its battery life.

Find out more on the Google Family Link website.

Parental controls on social media apps

Most social media apps have a minimum age requirement. If you decide to let your child have access to one, most allow you to change the settings within to filter the content that your child sees and control screen time.

However, it's important to know that enabling parental controls does not guarantee that your child won't be exposed to inappropriate content. Also, as a lot of these apps constantly refresh the videos users watch, you can't always go back to check the content your child might have seen.

• TikTok parental controls: The minimum age to create a TikTok account is 13 (though the function to send or receive direct messages is disabled until the user is 16, and live videos until 18). TikTok automatically sets it to be a 'private' account until the user is 15, which means that only a list of approved followers will be able to see the content your child posts. For more information, including how to control screen time on the app, TikTok has a Guardian's Guide.
• YouTube parental controls: There is a dedicated YouTube app for children called YouTube Kids, which filters content to be appropriate for children ('Preschool', 'Younger' or 'Older'). Of course, older children may want to access content outside of YouTube Kids, and for this you can restrict the main content to only show what YouTube thinks is generally appropriate for their age. Find out more on the YouTube website.
• Snapchat parental controls: The minimum age for Snapchat is 13. Snapchat parental controls allow you to see who your child is 'friends' with and who they are messaging. It also allows you to filter out what Snapchat determines is 'sensitive content'. The full list of tools is explained by Snapchat here.
• Instagram parental controls: The age limit to have an Instagram account is 13. All accounts where the user is under 18 has automatic built-in limitations. Extra parental controls allow you to decide on the accounts your child can follow, how long they can spend on the app, and if their account is public or private. Children can access private messages and can go Live, but you can disable this. More information is available on Instagram's Parents Guide.
• BeReal parental controls: No parental controls are currently available on BeReal. The age limit for the app is 13.
• Facebook parental controls: The minimum age to have a Facebook account is 13. Parental controls let you limit who sees your child's posts as well as their screen time. It's important to set limits on the Messenger app too. Facebook has a Parents Portal where you can find more information.

Other ways to control what your child sees online

In addition to the options outlined above, here are some extra precautions you can take to keep your child safe on their smartphone.

1. Specialised apps

There are dedicated apps that allow you to control and monitor your child's activity on websites, apps, and social media. You can track their phone's location, get alerts of what they're up to, and monitor their screen time. 

Some only let you monitor rather than block content, and some only offer certain features for free with others you have to pay for. Popular apps include Google Family Link, Norton Family, Kaspersky Safe Kids, Qustodio, Mobicip, FamilyTime and Net Nanny. 

2. Web browsing restrictions

Sometimes referred to as SafeSearch, the function allows you to set up filters for search engines to block or blur explicit search results. It's powers aren't as broad as Google Family Link. Here are the links to the settings for Bing and Google. 

3. Home broadband controls

You can set up parental controls on some home broadband systems to blanket ban certain searches. Your wi-fi provider will be able to set this up for you. The provider might have online advice or you will have to contact them directly to set up the restrictions. However, this will only control searches on your home wi-fi connection, and it won't control searches on mobile broadband (4G or 5G) or public wi-fi. You can set up restrictions on your child's searches on 4G and 5G connections through their mobile phone provider.

Find out more about which wi-fi routers have parental controls in Best wi-fi routers: upgrade your wi-fi with top rated models 

Why you shouldn’t totally rely on parental control settings

Parental controls can help keep young people safe online by setting time limits, stopping communication with strangers, and limiting inappropriate content. But they cannot catch everything harmful online, and you might not agree with what Google and social media companies think is appropriate. The NSPCC recommends that these controls must be used alongside open communication with your child about the online dangers they could potentially be exposed to. The NSPCC and Internet Matters have a lot of other helpful resources where you can find information on how to keep children safe online.

The Online Safety Act aims to make tech companies responsible for removing harmful content from their platforms. Find out more in Online Safety Act: Ofcom publishes its first set of rules for tech firms