Keeping Kids Safer on Their Devices
Phones, tablets and consoles are a huge part of children's lives — for homework, games and keeping in touch with friends. That's not a bad thing, but it does mean the family tech needs setting up with a little care. The reassuring news is that you don't need to be a tech expert: every major platform has free, capable parental controls built in, and an evening of setup covers most of the day-to-day worries. Here's a practical, no-judgement walkthrough.
Use the built-in parental controls
Before paying for any third-party monitoring app, use what's already there — the built-in family tools are free and usually better integrated:
- Apple — Screen Time and Family Sharing on iPhone and iPad cover app limits, content filters and purchase approval.
- Android — Google Family Link on Android phones and tablets does the same, with location options for younger children.
- Consoles — PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch all have family settings for age ratings, play time and spending, managed from a parent's account or app.
- Your broadband router — most UK providers offer free network-level content filtering that covers every device in the house at once.
The sensible basics
- Approve downloads and spending. Require a parent's approval for app downloads and in-game purchases — surprise in-app charges catch out a lot of families, and this closes the door on them completely.
- Set screen-time limits and agree device-free periods, like mealtimes and bedrooms overnight. Charging devices outside the bedroom is one of the simplest, most effective rules there is.
- Turn on content filtering at both the device and router level for belt-and-braces coverage.
- Keep devices updated so security fixes are in place, and protect the parent account with a strong password and MFA — the controls are only as strong as the account that manages them.
- Check privacy settings in games and apps: turn off location sharing, and limit who can message or friend-request your child.
Age matters: adjust as they grow
The right setup for a seven-year-old is wrong for a fourteen-year-old. Younger children benefit from tight filters, approved-only apps and shared family spaces. As they get older, gradually loosening the controls — while keeping the conversation going — teaches judgement rather than just obedience. Expect to revisit the settings every year or so, and whenever a new device, game or app arrives in the house. A teenager who feels trusted is far more likely to come to you when something goes wrong online.
Watch out for scams aimed at young users
Children are heavily targeted with "free" in-game currency, fake giveaways, and messages from strangers in game chats. It's worth explaining, in simple terms, the same lessons adults need: don't click unknown links, never share personal details or passwords, and be suspicious of anything that seems too good to be true. Gaming accounts with paid content are genuinely valuable and get stolen — so put two-factor authentication on those too. Our guides to tech-support scams and spotting phishing make good family reading.
Hand-me-down devices need a fresh start
A lot of children's first devices are hand-me-downs — a parent's old phone or a sibling's tablet — and these deserve special attention. An old device arrives with the previous owner's accounts, saved passwords, browsing history and app purchases still attached, and often with none of the child-appropriate restrictions in place. Before handing one down, give it a proper factory reset, set it up fresh with a child's account (not a shared adult one — the family controls only work properly with the right account types), and check it still receives security updates. A device too old for updates is a poor choice for a child, however tempting the hand-me-down economics are.
Talk as well as filter
Controls are only half the picture — and determined, tech-savvy children eventually find their way around some of them. The other half is an open, blame-free conversation: what to do if something online feels wrong, and the reassurance that they can always come to you without their device being confiscated on the spot. That last part matters more than any setting; children who fear losing the phone often hide problems instead of reporting them. Revisit the conversation as they get older, and keep it casual rather than a one-off lecture.
We're happy to help set it up
If you'd rather have it all sorted properly in one go — phones, tablets, consoles and the router — we can configure family controls and security across the household's devices. See our cyber security service, or just get in touch and tell us what devices you've got.
Official guidance: For age-by-age advice, Internet Matters is the UK’s go-to resource, and the NCSC Cyber Aware campaign covers the account-security basics.