Parental control is a tool that prevents children from accessing sites with content unsuitable for their age and blocks purchases.
Technology is now an integral part of our lives, a constant presence that offers various benefits, but also exposes some risks, especially the most vulnerable people like children. To limit the dangers due to uncontrolled browsing, you can use a special Android feature, with which you can block adult sites, online purchases and monitor the resources that can be consulted. Let's see how to set parental control on Android.
Parental Control: what it is and how it works
The spread of electronic devices connected to the Internet, especially among children and young people, involves an extremely serious problem, namely the possibility for a child to access content not suitable for the age, or to perform dangerous operations. To address the growing concerns of many users, several companies have developed parental control systems, parental control filters that allow you to set the resources your child can access.
This feature is available on all the latest Android smartphones and tablets, equipped with at least the Lollipop operating system, where it allows you to block access to adult or violent sites, limit the applications you can use and prohibit online shopping. This is a simple and effective way to increase the safety of children, preventing them from being exposed to material unsuitable for them, or performing actions that are not allowed.
How to enable Parental Control on Android (smartphone/tablet)
To set up parental control on Android, both for smartphones and tablets, there are several procedures available. First of all, it is advisable to create an account for your child, so that it will be easier to control what he does even when you can't be near him; moreover, the restricted access does not imply a limitation to your surfing. This option is not present in all Android terminals, but only on some, including the most advanced smartphones such as Google Pixel and Nexus.
To activate a new account you need to enter the phone's settings, tap on the profile image, select the Add Guest item and choose the Restart option. Repeating this will allow you to cancel the guest mode, also deleting all the data related to the profile. Once the feature is configured, you need to set parental control on compatible apps, such as Google Play Store and Google Chrome browser.
On Google Play Store, to put parental control just open the app, go to the settings menu, select the Parental Control item and enable it by creating a security PIN. After that, you can choose the content to be filtered in apps, games, movies, music and even TV shows. To set parental controls on Google Chrome, on the other hand, you have to enable the SafeSearch feature by going into the app and tapping the Enable SafeSearch option.
How to block adult sites on Android: best apps for parents
In addition to Android's native features and those of Google's apps, you can put parental controls on smartphones and tablets using third-party apps. There are a number of pretty effective parenting apps on the Google Play Store that can address all sorts of concerns, from downloading files from the internet to web browsing to fully monitoring the resources used on your device.
Among the best parental control apps for Android is Spazio Bimbi, which offers a free version with which you can select which apps your child can view, disable wireless network signals and insert a time lock to limit device usage, while with the paid version you can set custom profiles, timers for each app and hide parental control features.
Another parental control app for Android is Kid's Shell, which features Child Lock to block ads and in-app purchases, freeing only the apps you select during setup. Equally reliable is Screen Time Parental Control, an app with free and premium versions, with which you can basically monitor usage time, check transactions and view searches, while for a fee you can make certain apps inaccessible during specific times of the day and night.
Alternatively, you can use apps to block websites on Android, with which you can limit the parental control function to web browsing, one of the most risky activities for your child, especially when he or she is alone. To do this, you need root permissions, and then download apps like Hosts Editor and Norton Family Parental Control, both of which are paid apps that allow you to set IP addresses that your child can't access.