Here’s how you can child-proof your gadgets

With the ongoing pandemic, many children are spending more time on their mobile gadgets to both study and entertain themselves.

However, their usage of devices has sometimes proven to be alarming especially when it enables them to access mature content and make online purchases.

A Facebook post from a Davao City resident recently went viral for sharing that her 8-year-old son had unknowingly spent over Php 100,000 for mobile games!

READ: 8-year-old boy unknowingly spends Php100K on mobile games using parents’ debit card

To safeguard your child and your bank account, here are a few steps you can take. 

For Apple users

According to Apple, you can prevent your child from installing or deleting apps and making in-app purchases by following the steps below:

- Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Go to Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Click on iTunes & App Store Purchases. Choose a setting and set to Don’t Allow.

Meanwhile, you can also restrict the content your child sees on their gadget. Just go through the following steps:

- Go to Settings and click on Screen Time.
- Click Continue and choose “This is My [Device]” or “This is My Child’s Device.”
- When you get to Parent Passcode, enter a passcode. Re-enter the passcode to confirm.

In iOS 13.4, you’ll be asked for your Apple ID and password after you confirm your passcode. This can be used to reset your Screen Time passcode should you forget it.

- Go to Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn on Content & Privacy.

You can also choose to limit access to adult content on their Safari browser and the apps on their device. To do this, just follow the steps below:

- Go to Settings and press Screen Time.
- Click Content & Privacy Restrictions and enter your Screen Time passcode.
- Go to Content Restrictions and click Web Content.
- Choose among Unrestricted Access, Limit Adult Websites or Allowed Websites only.

For Android phones and tablets

For Android phone and tablet users, you can opt to put a password to prevent accidental purchases on your device. To do this, you can turn on your authentication so your phone will request for confirmation before a purchase can be made. To turn this feature on, simply follow these steps:

- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Go to Menu, then click Settings.
- Click Require authentication for purchases.
- Choose your specific setting and follow its instructions.

You can also restrict the content that gets downloaded in your child’s device by following these steps:

- Open the Play Store app.
- Click on the Menu. Go to Settings and click Parental Controls.
- Simply turn this on and create a PIN so your child can’t change the parental control settings.

Afterwards, click on the type of content you want to filter out. Here, you can choose how to restrict access to it.

If you have inquiries or want to know more ways to child-proof your devices, simply head on to Google Play or Apple’s support sites. – RC, GMA News