Did you just buy a smartphone for your child at Christmas? It is strongly recommended to activate and configure a parental control device on it to filter out content unsuitable for his age, protect him from contact with malicious adults and control his time of use of the device.

Currently, manufacturers are not required to offer the installation of a parental control system with the purchase of a smartphone. Only Internet access providers are obliged to inform their subscribers of the existence of Internet access filtering means. But a bill plans to make the installation of such a tool mandatory next year.

How to set parental controls on iPhone

In the meantime, Apple and Google already offer tools preinstalled on smartphones to meet these needs. The feature is called "Screen Time" on iPhone. It allows you to define a list of authorized applications, people to contact and control the time spent on the phone.

This tool is accessible in the general settings of the iPhone. It is necessary to set a parent code to prevent the child or anyone else from changing the settings. It is possible to receive an activity report in real time to take stock of the use of your child's smartphone.

Concretely, the "Downtime" function makes it possible to set the period during which the mobile cannot be used. Useful to block its use during the night for example. The "Apps limit" function allows you to limit the use of certain specific applications or even groups of thematic applications (social networks, games, entertainment, shopping, etc.). It's up to you to decide which ones you want to restrict.

It is also possible to set up "Communication limits" to authorize or prohibit calls from certain contacts during the limits of use of the telephone. For example, you can decide that your child can only be reached by certain authorized contacts and block all others.

Finally, it is also possible to block certain specific content in the "Content and privacy" tab to decide whether or not your child can access the App Store, contacts, calendar, photos, Bluetooth sharing, microphone but also to the applications of your choice. You can revoke these restrictions at any time.

How to Install Parental Controls on Android

On the same model, Google also offers tools for Android smartphone users to set limits on the Google Play Store application store. From the device concerned, you must open the Google Play application and then click on the profile icon at the top right of the screen to access the "Settings" of "Family" and the "Parental control" section. After creating a code, you will be able to set blocks for the different content offered in the store, namely movies, games and applications. Different blocking options are offered to adapt the content displayed to the age of the child in question. It is possible to choose to restrict content that is not suitable for children under ten years old, for example. You can also prevent in-app or content purchases by adding a password. Google also offers the Family Link app. Available for free download, it must be installed on both the parent's smartphone and that of the child to supervise its use. It lets you lock your child's screen at bedtime, block apps you don't want your child to use, set device usage schedules, or approve purchases and news. applications that your child wants to download.