This is how you set up a child filter on an Android tablet or iPad

by Joost Nusselder Updated on: March 16, 2023

Indispensable for the safe delivery of your tablets it is up to your child to set the child filter. To make sure you don't miss anything, we've listed everything you need to know about this.

This article will show you:

• What are important settings if you want to give your child a tablet
• How to set it up on an iOS device
• How to set it up on an Android device

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What should I pay attention to when setting up a child filter?

On both iOS and Android it is important that you first give your child their own profile. You cannot shield the content without your own profile. With both operating systems, a child profile hangs under the profile of the parent. The parent thus remains in control.

After creating your own profile for the child, you can adjust other settings.

Set filter for child on an Apple device

For children, you can set up a child filter at Apple by first creating an account for your child - a so-called Apple ID. After that you can set up “Family Sharing” and your child can go under his or her own account safe and use the devices of the family.

If your child is younger than 13 years old, he or she may not yet have his or her own account. In that case, the parent can create an additional account that then falls under the parent's account.

At Apple you can create an Apple ID in various ways and also change settings. You can do this on an iOS device (for example on an iPad), via iTunes of on a Mac.

For convenience, we focus here on creating and setting up an Apple ID and parent filter via an iOS device.

Create an Apple ID for a child via an iOS device

1. Go to Settings> [your name]> Family Sharing> Add Family Member> Create Child Account> Next. If you're using iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to Settings> iCloud> Family.
2. Enter the date of birth of the child and tap 'Next'.
3. Read the privacy policy for parents and tap 'Agree'.
4. Enter the requested information for your payment method and tap 'Next'. If you haven't set up a payment method, you'll need to add one.
5. Enter the child's name, tap Next, create the child's Apple ID (born[email protected]) and tap 'Next'. Tap Create.
6. Follow the onscreen instructions to set a password.
7. Turn on Ask to Buy to make sure your child can only make purchases from iTunes, Apple Books, and the App Store with your approval. You are liable for all costs incurred for your account. Tap 'Next'.
8. Read the terms and conditions and tap 'Agree'.

Set restrictions for your child

Now that your child has their own Apple ID account, you can set the following restrictions:

Restrict access to web content

Certainly an important part of making your tablet child proof!

1. Go to Settings> Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and enter the Screen Time passcode.
3. Tap Content Restrictions, then tap Web Content.
4. Choose 'Unlimited Access', 'Restrict Explicit Websites' or 'Allowed Websites Only'.

Read here everything about good agreements about screen time and how to set it

Prevent access to material with explicit content and certain age ratings

This allows you to limit material, such as movies, TV shows, books and apps, with an age rating. You can also hide certain music, podcasts, or news with explicit content and prevent others from seeing what you are listening to.

1. Go to 'Settings' and tap 'Screen Time'.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Content Restrictions.
3. Choose the settings you want for each feature or setting under 'Allowed Content from Store'.

Material and privacy settings

1. Go to 'Settings' and tap 'Screen Time'.
2. Tap "Continue" and choose "This is my [device]" or "This is my child's [device]."
3. If you're a parent or guardian and want to prevent another family member from changing settings, tap Use Screen Time Passcode to create a passcode. Then re-enter the passcode for confirmation.
4. If you set Screen Time on your child's device, follow the prompts until you reach Parental Passcode. Enter an access code here. Enter the passcode again to confirm.
5. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Enter the passcode if prompted and turn on Content and Privacy.

Prevent purchases from iTunes store and App store

1. Go to 'Settings' and tap 'Screen Time'.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Enter the passcode if prompted.
3. Tap iTunes Store & App Store.
4. Choose an option and set it to 'Do not allow'.

Allow built-in apps and functions (allows you to hide certain apps)

1. Go to Settings> Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
3. Enter the passcode for 'Screen Time'.
4. Tap on 'Allowed apps'.
5. Select the apps you want to allow.

Restrict web searches with Siri

1. Go to 'Settings' and tap 'Screen Time'.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Content Restrictions.
3. Scroll down to Siri and choose the settings you want.

Restrict Game Center Features

1. Go to 'Settings' and tap 'Screen Time'.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Content Restrictions.
3. Scroll down to Game Center and choose the settings you want.

Allow changes to privacy settings

1. Go to 'Settings' and tap 'Screen Time'.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Enter your passcode if prompted.
3. Tap on 'Privacy' and then choose the settings you want to restrict.

Allow changes to other functions and settings

1. Go to 'Settings' and tap 'Screen Time'.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Enter your passcode if prompted.
3. Under 'Allow changes', select the functions or settings that can or cannot be changed and choose 'Allow' or 'Do not allow'.

By default, “Ask to Buy” is enabled on accounts of children under 13. Here you can read more about setting up iOS devices.

Set filter for child on Android

With Google Play you can download and manage the apps for Android. Google Play is the place to be if you want the children's institutions wants to manage.

A child's Google account is managed with Family Link. To manage this, you must first create an account for your child.

Create a Google account for your child on an Android device

Before creating an account, you must choose one of the following four options:

1. On a new device with Android 5.1+ and your child is under 13 years old

Then follow these steps:

1. Turn on the new device and follow the onscreen instructions to set up the device.
2. When prompted to sign in with your Google account, tap Create new account. If you don't see 'Create new account', tap More options first.
3. Enter your child's name, date of birth, gender, email address and password.
4. Follow the instructions to sign in with your own Google account, give parental consent, and choose the settings for your child.

2. On a device that is already set up with Android 5.1+ and your child is under 13 years old

Then follow these steps:

1. Delete all existing accounts on the device.
2. Delete any apps, photos or other data from the device that you don't want your child to have access to.
3. Follow the steps to add a new account to the device.
4. When prompted to sign in with your Google account, tap Create new account. If you don't see 'Create new account', tap More options first.
5. Enter your child's name, date of birth, gender, email address and password.
6. Follow the instructions to sign in with your own Google account, give parental consent, and choose the settings for your child.

3. Via the Family Link app

Then follow these steps:

1. Open the Family Link app Family Link. If you don't have the Family Link app yet, go to the Family Link Setup page to download the app.
2. At the top right, tap Create +.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to create the account.
4. When you're done, a confirmation will be displayed on the screen.

4. On another device or computer

Then follow these steps:

1. Go to the page where you can create a Google account.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to create the account for your child. You provide information such as the name of your child, the desired e-mail address and the date of birth of your child.
3. Sign in with your own Google account and choose a way to give parental consent to your child's account.
4. When you have successfully created the account, a confirmation will be displayed on the screen.

Now that your child has their own Google account, you can set the following restrictions

1. Open the Family Link app Family Link.
2. Select your child's name.
3. Go to the Settings card and tap Manage settings and then Monitoring options on Google Play.
4. Tap the type of content you want to filter.
5. Choose how you want to filter or restrict access. You now supervise:
   1. Apps and games
   2. Films
   3. TV
   4. Booking
   5. Music

For searching for apps, games, movies, books and music with the right content

Open the Play Store app and select for:

• games> select Family
• movies> select Family
• books> select Children's books
• Music> Genres> Children's music

With the technology getting streamlined, there is a lot of debate about the right age for your kids to use their tablets and smartphones.

A tablet can keep children occupied and entertained for hours.

However, as a parent, you want to manage their activities so that they don't make accidental online purchases or access inappropriate content.

If you visit most homes with children, you will be surprised to see that these children do not eat their food until they are allowed to use their smartphone or tablet.

This is a tricky situation for most parents as they don't want to ruin their children's innocence with offensive, adult or violent content.

Restricting access to this content can be done in several ways:

1. filter the internet with your internet provider
2. filtering of access with a separate child account on the family tablet
3. disable apps and internet access on their own tablet
4. install a specifically designed app for more control

Technology is both a blessing and a curse for children. If given proper access, your kids can learn a lot from a very young age.

However, if they misuse it or if you allow them to abuse it, they can also take a lot of wrong things from it.

That said, it is important that you activate parental controls or kids internet filters on your tablet and smartphone for the sake of your kids.

For example, here's one of my favorite Family time apps that explains what can be done to give kids their space, while at the same time limiting and tracking their activity:

In this post, we'll talk about how to set up parental controls on Android tablets, some of the best kids' filtering apps for kids out there, why it's needed, and more. So keep reading.

Children spend a lot of time on tablets and smartphones

A 2014 study shows that 40% of children started using a tablet even before they could barely speak.

On average, a child can consume 4-7 hours a day using a tablet.

While this may not seem like a problem to many, the long-lasting effects are becoming apparent.

In the age where they need to explore more, make friends, play outside, they become obsessed with watching YouTube videos, playing video games and binge-watching Netflix.

This greatly emphasizes the fact that they are increasingly disconnected from the real world and reality.

What's worse is that the knock-on effects of using smartphones or tablets are more dangerous than the tablets themselves.

Sometimes you just want to do traditional Dutch activities again. Many parents have talked about it again recently the good old jigsaw puzzle I wrote about here again.

A perfect stimulation of the brain in young children.

For example, a lack of exercise has resulted in childhood obesity, which is a record high. In addition, children become victims of cyberbullying on social media.

This develops symptoms of anxiety and depression in them at a very young age. And unfortunately, the suicide rate associated with this is certainly high.

Since children are in a developmental phase, they need healthy cognitive functions. The human brain, in its nascent stage, craves exercise, fresh air and connection with nature to stay healthy.

Overuse of tablet makes the brain worse. This can affect children's ability to interact well with others, get a good night's sleep, or perform well in school.

Bill Gates once said that the ideal age for kids to have smartphones or tablets is after 14, and that's only in high school. While this may seem a bit impossible, it can be extremely beneficial.

Well, we know this isn't going to happen. You cannot limit your kids from using the gadgets. But you can certainly let them use the gadgets moderately. It's all about finding the right balance.

Also read: these are the kids tablets with the best parental settings reviewed

How can children's internet filters help you?

Every digital device, be it a smartphone or tablet, comes with some form of parental controls.

Parental controls are nothing more than features and settings that can help you personalize the operations and functions of the mobile device so that your kids can find the right balance.

It includes monitoring your kids' screen usage time, blocking access to certain apps, setting internet filters to prevent your child from accessing inappropriate online content such as pornographic sites and violent content, as well as preventing they give away sensitive information on social media platforms and other websites.

Using the parental controls ensures that your children can enjoy a healthy, safe and balanced life, using technology as educational and entertainment media.

What can child protections do?

A range of parental controls are available for smart devices.

They are usually offered by the operating systems, internet service providers, game consoles, search engines, social networks and third party app providers, among others.

Parental control offers different functionalities and functions depending on the provider. These can include:

• Manage content that children can search for online
• Prevent children from using specific programs
• Block / control games that your child can access
• Set specific time limits for your children's use

Set children's internet filter on your tablet from your internet provider

One of the easiest ways to manage and control what your kids can access from the tablet is to set up internet filters through your internet service provider.

Most internet providers offer this service for free. You can check the website of your ISP for more information. It is important that you make this change in your Wi-Fi settings as well.

Use parental controls on Android devices

In this section, we will discuss how to create user profiles for children and set up parental controls on your tablet.

Set a pin

You must activate the screen lock on your tablet whether or not you are using parental controls.

To set a pin:

• Find the Settings icon from the home screen (you can also find it in the notification bar)
• Choose Security and screen lock from the Settings menu

Once you open this section, you will find a plethora of security options. Depending on what your tablet supports, you can set a PIN, pattern, password, Touch Lock or even Face ID.

Add user account in Android

You can create multiple users on your tablet based on user activity. However, you want to set yourself up as the primary user and set up restricted accounts for your kids.

Please note that we are using a tablet with Android version 9. However, the process should be largely the same, it doesn't matter which Android version you are using.

• Find the Settings icon from the home screen (you can also find it in the notification bar)
• Choose System from the Settings menu
• In the System menu you have to select the option Multiple users
• From there you can choose the Add User tab. You can create multiple users and each user has their own space, which they can customize with wallpapers, apps, etc.

Users can also adjust settings such as Wi-Fi. However, services and accessibility settings cannot be transferred to the user

After creating a new user, you will see a list of functions and apps available on the tablet, such as Games, Browser, Location settings, etc.

You must manually select On and Off for these settings. Your kids won't be able to access those features with the settings you turn Off.

Filter the content on Google play

You can use the Google interface to filter out the content on your Android device.

• Navigate to the Google Play icon on the home screen
• Once you're in Google Play, tap the drop-down menu in the top left corner of your screen
• Select Settings from the menu
• Under the Settings menu you will find a submenu called User Control. In User Settings you have to select the parental control options
• Once you tap the parental controls, you will be prompted to create a PIN for the control settings
• After you create your parental control settings PIN, you will see five different app categories: Books & Music, TV, Movies, Apps & Games
  Under each app category you can set the maturity level of each app type. Once you do, tap Save at the bottom right to activate your parent settings in each app category

What if my child has his / her own tablet?

If your child now has their own tablet, you can disable apps directly on the device.

• From your Home screen, go to Settings and then open Apps & notifications
• You will see a list of apps installed on the device
• You can tap the app you want to remove
• That is it! You have successfully set up internet filters for children on the tablet.

However, you shouldn't limit yourself with just these approaches.

Also read: Samsung's family-friendly kids mode

Best apps for tablet internet filters

There are apps for it parental supervision available for android devices, which you can use. Some of the best are shortlisted below:

Family time - free

With FamilyTime you can personalize exactly what content your children can access. You can track the location, set time limits and also set bed times and homework. You also get notifications when the tablet enters or leaves a specific area.

Qustodio - Free

With Qustodio, parents can keep track of all their kids' recent mobile activity, including time spent on specific apps, the browser, etc. You can filter inappropriate sites, track text and block any app or game.

Ourpact - Free

OurPact is an advanced version of the parental control apps. With this app you can block internet access, apps, messages and even schedule screen time. You can set geofences and track your child.

Conclusion

Limiting your kids' Internet use is the necessity of the hour, and if nothing is done in that regard, you will be damaging their future.

It is good that children are exposed to the latest technology from a very young age; it can also have a bad effect on them.

That is why it is important that every parent takes the necessary measures to give your children a balanced life.

Also read: these are the best kid-friendly tablets with wifi you can buy right now

Here you can read more about setting up Android devices.

also look at these android games without wifi so they have something to do on vacation

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Speelkeuze.nl is a content marketer, father and loves trying out new toys. As a child he came into contact with everything related to games when his mother started the Tinnen Soldaat in Ede. Now he and his team create helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with fun play ideas.