You recently gifted a smartphone to your child and can’t help but think that it might be a good idea to monitor a minor’s phone. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to ensure that your child isn’t spending too much time on the device or accessing inappropriate content. In this article, I will explain how to limit cell phone use in a simple and effective way, whether you’ve given your child an Android smartphone or an iPhone.
Setting limits on the cell phone is easier than you think, and whether you’re a parent or a guardian who wants to ensure the device is used properly by a minor, you’ll have the right tools to do it. So, in this guide, I will show you the steps to configure restrictions on Android and iPhone to ensure your child uses the phone safely and responsibly.
So, if you’re wondering how to limit cell phone use for children, you’re in the right place, and I wish you happy reading and good luck.
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How to Limit Phone Use
You are probably wondering how to limit your child’s phone use, and you are right: technology has become an increasingly present and invasive part of our daily lives, especially for the younger ones. With continuous access to smartphones, tablets, and other digital devices, it’s easy for children to spend too much time in front of the screen. It’s natural, therefore, that you want to set restrictions on smartphone use to prevent the device from becoming an excessive source of distraction or being used inappropriately.
The good news is that modern smartphones offer effective tools that allow you to easily monitor and limit device usage: they allow you to set time limits for usage, as well as block access to unsuitable content. If you’re wondering how to limit cell phone use simply and without complications, know that both Android and iPhone offer solutions that you can configure quickly, and that’s exactly what I’ll explain below.
How to Limit Cell Phone Use for Children: Android
If you’re wondering how to limit cell phone use for children using an Android smartphone, know that Google provides a dedicated free tool called Family Link.
It’s an application designed to allow parents to monitor and manage their children’s digital activity. With Family Link, you can set usage limits, check how much time is spent on devices, approve or block apps, and even locate the phone. All of this can be done easily and customized directly from your smartphone.
To start using Family Link, I must first tell you that you need to be a legal guardian, you must reside in the same country as your child, and you need to have a Google account. If you don’t have one yet, you can quickly create one.
The next step is to download Family Link for Android devices, but know that you can download the parent app and use it on iOS/iPadOS as well (monitoring and content blocking can only be done on Android). Then log in with your Google account. If your child already has a Google account, tap Yes.
Next, take your child’s smartphone, open Settings, tap on Google, and then on Parental Control, then enable it and configure it by setting the ratings you prefer for different content according to your child’s age, and then go back to Family Link and press the Done button.
If your child does not already have a Google account, tap No. Next, tap the Next button and proceed to create a Google account for him or her, tapping Next at each step to continue. Then type their Name, enter their date of birth and gender, set an email address, and create a password. Then check the boxes to accept the Google Privacy Policy and the Terms of Service and tap the Accept button, the Continue button, and verify your identity as you generally do on the smartphone.
Now you can go Next and select the different settings to control your child’s cell phone usage. You can do this quickly by checking the option Choose with fewer steps or select a specific option for each setting by checking the Choose with more steps option.
For completeness, I’ll show you what happens in the longer process. First, you can choose whether to keep a history of their activity on the Web and apps, then you can make the same choices for YouTube history, decide which Google services you want to share data from, decide if your child can manage these settings or not, and finally, confirm the settings you just established and accept the Privacy Policy. Lastly, choose whether to allow Family Link to send you notifications.
At this point, you can limit your child’s phone use in various ways. Start by tapping on Controls in the bottom menu, then tap on Add Device and follow the instructions I previously explained on your child’s phone to activate parental control and have the ability to block their smartphone remotely.
Then you can set the limit for certain content. To do this, press on the Content Limitation box, select the app you want to act on, and for each one choose the settings you prefer. For example, to set limits when they search on Google, press on Google Search and then decide how to limit explicit results by choosing between Filter to block them, Blur to blur them, or OFF to display them. Each Google app gives you specific and different settings to limit its use for your child. Tap each one to view them and set them as you see fit.
Next, in the Controls section, you can set time limits for using the device. In the Daily Limit section, simply select the hours and minutes so that your child cannot exceed their daily phone use, and conclude by tapping Done. This limit can also be modified on exceptional occasions: for example, if you want to allow them more phone time on Sundays, press Edit for today and then proceed as I just explained to set hours and minutes.
I would also like to mention that after adding their device, you can use Family Link as an app to locate your child by tapping the Location option in the bottom menu.
I don’t want to forget to tell you that you can limit cell phone use with Family Link for multiple children as well. Just press the three lines icon at the top left, tap on Add Child, and repeat the operations described earlier.
Another interesting thing to know is that you can access Family Link from a computer too. To do this, just go to the official service page, press the Start button, and log in with the same Google account you used earlier to manage Family Link on your smartphone. Then press the name of the child you want to supervise and click on Go to Family Link. The functionality from the computer is virtually identical to that described for the mobile application. For more information, you can also consult my guide dedicated to how Family Link works.
How to Limit Cell Phone Use: iPhone
If you’re wondering how to limit cell phone use for your child and you both have an iPhone, you should turn to the integrated parental controls present on Apple devices: here’s how to do it.
With Screentime, you can control apps, settings, and content on your child’s device. However, I need to make a few preliminary points. Ensure that both your iPhone and your child’s are updated to the latest version of the operating system: for more information, I invite you to read the related tutorial.
Additionally, both of you need to have an Apple ID, and if this is not the case, you can proceed as I show in the tutorial.
Then, you need to set up Family Sharing on your iPhone. To do this, go to the Settings of your device and tap on your Name. Next, tap on Family and Set Up Your Family and follow the instructions as I explained in the tutorial.
Now take your child’s iPhone, go to Settings, then tap on Screentime, type their name, and press on Content & Privacy Restrictions. Next, enter the code you set up earlier in the Family Sharing configuration and enable the Content & Privacy Restrictions option.
At this point, you can configure various parental controls. For example, to prevent unauthorized purchases on the App Store, tap on App Installations and Purchases and choose which options to disallow. You can also prevent the viewing of explicit content in general by pressing on App Store, media, Web, and games and selecting specific settings for every content type such as Movies, Apps, TV Shows, Books, etc. You can even create limitations for inappropriate Web content by tapping on Web Content and selecting one of the available options, such as limiting adult websites or allowing only specific sites you specify.
Once you’ve configured the limitations, you can always monitor and modify the settings from your iPhone. To do this, go to the Settings of your device, press on Family, then select the child you want to control by choosing their Name and then tap on Screentime and tap on one of the categories to monitor their usage or manage related settings. To view the usage report, press on View Activity on apps and websites, then press on the Device you’re interested in and tap on Week or Day depending on the time frame you want to monitor.
Other Ways to Limit Cell Phone Use
If you are looking to increase restrictions on your child’s smartphone use, in addition to the tools I’ve just described, there are also other ways to limit cell phone use, particularly when it comes to social networks, using specific apps or the built-in settings on the platforms themselves.
The most effective solutions are apps to limit social network use. Apps like One Sec and iChooseTo help take an immediate pause before entering an application, allowing your child to reflect once more whether they really want to waste time that way. These applications are useful to prevent cell phone use from becoming an automatic reaction or ongoing distraction, and you can learn more by reading the accompanying guide.
In addition, platforms like Instagram and TikTok offer built-in functionalities to limit their use. On Instagram, for example, you can set daily time limits directly in the settings, choosing how much time to dedicate each day to activities on the social network. For more information, I recommend reading the tutorial on Instagram limitations and other suitable apps. TikTok also allows you to configure a timer to limit access, and parents have options to enable parental control, ensuring that younger audiences can use the app more safely and in a controlled manner. If that sounds interesting, read the guide on how to enable parental control on TikTok.
How to Limit Tablet Use
If your need is to understand how to limit tablet use for a son or daughter, you should know that you can do it just as I explained earlier for limiting smartphone use.
So, if your child has an Android tablet, you can use Family Link as I demonstrated earlier, whether you have an Android device or an iPhone. If, on the other hand, you want to limit the use of an iPad and you have an iPhone, you can use the parental controls available on Apple devices, just as I just illustrated.