[Closed] ParentTrackWorld - your child's mobile phone

Android lets you set main and guest accounts. I've no need for it by I guess that gives you a level of control (you could be the main user, he could be a secondary user with restricted abilities to install apps, change settings etc. IOS may well let you do the same thing.

Edit: I'd get a sim only contract with loads of data and then buy something like a moto g4. If he loses/breaks it you're not stuck paying £50 a month for a phone you don't have.

[i]Mrs Tyred and I have no idea where to start[/i]

My guess is that littleTyred or a mate will be able to circumvent any controls you put in place with ease.

We always took the approach of educating the kids about what was acceptable and what wasn't and most importantly to only chat to people online they knew in real life.

Contract wouldn't be a good idea. Your nipper could unintentionally/intentionally run up a massive bill and you'd not know about it until it's too late. Take a look at Three's PAYG 321. I have that and £10 of credit lasts several months.

My household is all Apple. It seems the right balance between keeping the device usable, but also making it enough Big Brother-y to keep my paranoia at bay. You can lock it down so that installing any apps or games needs your approval first. And you can prevent any in-game spending also. It sends a request to my iPhone which I can then review and approve. Although not sure how that would work if the parent doesn't own an iPhone...

My middle child has a Kindle Kids thing (a tablet, not a phone). Basically Android but with Amazon add-on features. It is basically pointless as a device, because the parental controls are way too onerous. I'm not sure whether to blame that on Android or Amazon. But it has been enough to scare me away from an Android phone for the kids.

With My contract phone on O2 it automatically blocks adult content when using the 4G connection. It comes up with a message saying I need to call customer services and quote the shown code and register a credit card to prove I am over 18.

But if he is savvy there are certain phrases you can use to get around it and see stuff on Google. But it will at least block all porn sites.

Now I was always staunch anti-Apple, till work gave me an iPhone.
I think if you like messing with them, installing loads of dodgy apps etc, then I can see why you'd go for Android.
But the Apple "child" accounts were easy to set-up. I get asked whenever my two are trying to install anything. I can manage their storage etc centrally.
But its the Find-your-iPhone app that is the killer for me, along with all the devices using the same operating system.
I'm still not an Apple fan, I HATE iTunes with a passion, but just knowing stuff is going to work works for me.

My kid has a Windows phone. It was the cheapest contract at the time and he was happy with it. It's only cos "everyone else" has certain apps (I think the big one was Pokemon) that he became discontented and wanted an iPhone!
Still does what he needs though and has a bit more contract to run, so he's back to being content with it.
Main thing was calling the provider and getting them to stop data from going over the limit. So the bill for the ol' man has no unwanted surprises.

I'm still not sure how you get a request from Apple when the child wants to install anything if the parent doesn't own an Apple device. Google isn't helping me.

But in terms of safe web browsing, you have a few layers of protection:

1) On your home wi-fi you presumably have filters in place already?
2) Whichever phone carrier you choose will also have filters in place, that need proof of ID to turn off - credit card details in the case of Three - so I'm told...
3) Apple and Android will have built in filters into the phone software that you can set up

So on that front, they're probably much of a muchness. So after that it just comes down to usability.

I'd like to have a big-Brotherish level of control, at least to begin with while he's still fairly young, but not entirely sure where to start.

we just attended a course at my daughter's secondary school about all sorts of 'young person's' issues - from body image and eating disorders to bullying to indeed this one, of online safety and access to stuff you don't want them to look at. The statistics quoted were horrendous - 10 year olds accessing porn, most 15 year old boys have seen bestiality videos, etc.

We discussed it after and said - there's a shed load of horrible stuff out there and while you can put controls on, they'll find a way round it / see it on a mate's phone, etc. So we're going the other way - no controls but education and open and frank discussion as needed, with the proviso that we can see what they've been looking at (which I'm sure we can if we really want to, and even if we can't they don't know that) and if they break the boundaries set then access will be removed except under supervision.

Contract wouldn't be a good idea. Your nipper could unintentionally/intentionally run up a massive bill and you'd not know about it until it's too late

Not so; Tesco Mobile do a "child" contract with proper fixed limits on usage that you can't overrun. Others might have caught on too by now; but they were the only ones last time I looked.

My son has an Android phone on a Tesco contract, there's a limit on the bill and we spoke to him about the data limit so he keeps an eye on that himself. He doesn't take it to school but otherwise it's welded to his hand. He mostly plays games on it and uses Instagram and Snapchat or whatever's popular at the moment. We've had all the talks and he's a sensible kid so I trust him to do the right thing.

Just been speaking to a colleague who's 10 and 12 year old sons were watching football on youtube, on 12 yr olds phone, and had an ad pop up for sex toys...an eye opener and a worry. (Shall I tell them about contextual ads on google? 😆 )

Our household:

mini_oab's have mid level phone on Vodafone PAYG. If they want better, they buy. One of the oab classmates is on third iPhone, as he keeps dropping/drowning them and the parents are mug enough and rich enough to just keep buying. It seems he always manages to drop it when a new model is launched..

We top up each month - over that, they pay.

Vodafone, while not perfect, has good web content restrictions which is why we chose them. Home wifi is similar.

All digital devices and TV's in our house are in public places, and to only be used in public places. I am starting to relent on laptops on room desks when doing homework, but doors are open.

They MUST not lie about age to open an account - again, too many issues with hearing about 10 year olds on Facebook adding random adult 'friends' from the village etc

Mrs_OAB are friends with them on social media - as are half the aunts and uncles in our family.

All digital devices are gathered in at bed time.

I *have* to know password to all accounts they have on phone - and the phone is removed if this is not the case.

I reserve right to check the phones/account history. Only done this once, and no issues so child involved does not know I checked.

You cannot rely on digital controls, or indeed physical ones, it comes down to relationship. It does sound like you are aware enough to manage it well.

We have had a good few chats about inappropriate friends, how conversations and pictures are 'forever' online, even if deleted, how digital footprints just spread etc etc.

So far, no real issues.

I do have a few horror stories to tell though, if you want a scare. 😯

Contract wouldn't be a good idea. Your nipper could unintentionally/intentionally run up a massive bill and you'd not know about it until it's too late

Nope. Any provider will stop the calls/data etc from going over.

I'd like to have a big-Brotherish level of control

That won't work. They'll run rings around you. You're fighting a losing battle straight from the off.

We always took the approach of educating the kids about what was acceptable and what wasn't and most importantly to only chat to people online they knew in real life.

This. Credit them with some intelligence, and make them aware of the dangers. Then let them get on with it.

My 2p.

Both Apple and Android offer a fair amount of parental over-watch for child users, but it works best if you have the same device, so if you have an android get them an android etc.

My lad has an iPhone because I have, if he wants to download anything he must request it and I must accept it via my phone using a code.

Internet traffic is managed via the telecom provider and home router.

Billing I chose ID, it's a Carphone Warehouse sub-brand, because firstly it gave the most amount of data for £10 a month (4GB) and because you cannot over-spend on it. The contract is in my name and there's no tie-in period. I wouldn't personally go with PAYG as it can eat through data and I never want to hear "Daaaaaad can I have another £10 on my phone please" every other day nor have to argue about it all the time. If yours are like mine, I wouldn't even worry about texts and calls, it simply doesn't happen.

The biggest risks are social media based, kids will invariably tell you they want Snapchat, Instagram etc (never FB or Twitter, they're old people SM) because all their friends have it etc - I gave in with Insta pretty much straight away as I can login to his account whenever and view what he's been up to, after a few months of having to read 11 year old nonsense I was pretty sure he was okay to have snapchat. Although he thinks I have total oversight about everything he does.

This is brilliant, thanks all.

[i]Contract wouldn't be a good idea. Your nipper could unintentionally/intentionally run up a massive bill and you'd not know about it until it's too late. Take a look at Three's PAYG 321. I have that and £10 of credit lasts several months.[/I]

Been with 3 for ever, along with the wife and 3 kids (now all grown up). When they were younger we had the contracts set with £0 credit, so they could use their allowances and nothing more - I still have it on mine.