First tablet or first phone: 7 settings to make before handing it to your child
System parental controls, purchases, location, notifications: a simple checklist to prepare a device before giving it to a child aged 6 to 12.
The day a child gets their first tablet or phone is exciting — and it is the best moment to lay the groundwork. A few minutes of settings save a lot of surprises. Here are seven steps that work on Android as well as on iPhone and iPad.
1. Turn on the system’s parental controls
Android offers Google Family Link, and Apple devices offer Screen Time with Family Sharing. These free tools let you approve installed apps, set schedules and see time spent. Set them up from your own phone, not from your child’s.
2. Block purchases
Require your approval for every purchase or download in the store. Even a free app can offer in-app purchases: it is better that no payment can happen without you.
3. Choose apps made for their age
Look at the age rating, whether there is advertising and how the app handles contacts. A good app for children explains clearly who can write to your child.
4. Switch off location wherever it is not needed
A game or a learning app does not need to know where your child is. In the settings, limit location access app by app.
5. Cut down notifications
Notifications are designed to bring people back. Keep only the ones that really matter and turn off the rest to help your child focus.
6. Agree on screen-free moments together
Meals, the hour before bed, homework: set these moments with your child rather than for them. A rule that is understood is better respected than one that is imposed.
7. Explain what each setting is for
Parental controls are not a punishment. Tell your child that these settings protect them, and that they will change as they grow up and earn your trust.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence (Claude, by Anthropic), then checked against our editorial charter. It does not replace advice from a health or education professional.
