Phone Safety for Kids: How to Use Built‑In Parental Controls on Android and iOS

With the government stepping in to push for age verification at the Operating System (OS) level, it is important to know and understand that parents have tools readily available to help them keep their kids safe. The first step will be to set up system-based parental controls on Android using Google Family Link, and on iPhone or iPad using parental controls.

Why Parental Controls Are Important

If Congressman Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and the new law, called the Parents Decide Act, signed into law on April 2, 2026, showed us anything, it is that parents need to take a more active role in their children’s access to technology as a whole. The new law requires the verification of the user’s age when setting up a new device. 

Based on statistics from the National Institutes of Health, 95% of American teens who are minors use social media, while many who are not yet 13 are also on apps such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. While they state that users must be 13 to be on the platform, there’s a nuanced caveat to that. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) lays down legal liability regarding collecting data from those under 13.

YouTube itself has a YouTube Kids section, but parents can create a supervised account for their child. TikTok has a view-only mode for kids to see content, but keeps them from posting videos, commenting or using the direct messaging feature. Instagram has the strictest rules of them all. They do not allow someone under 13 to have an account. Accounts run by someone under the approved age will be deleted if found out.

Google Family Link: Step‑by‑Step Setup for Caregivers

Our first parental control is Google Family Link. You can start by downloading the app from the Google Play store, or you can begin on PC by clicking your profile icon in the top right on the Google Home page and selecting Manage Your Google Account.

• Start The Process (Choose one):
  • Download the Google Family Link app from the Google Play Store (recommended for mobile)
  • On PC: Go to the Google Home page.
    • Click your profile icon (top right).
    • Manage your Google Account.

• Create your Family Group:
  • In the Google Account
    • People & Sharing (left menu)
  • Center Screen
    • Check your Family on Google
      • Get Started
  • Click Create a Family Group.
  • Confirm you want to be the Family Manager.

• Add family members:
  • Invite up to 5 members (Family Manager + 5 members).
  • Members must be 13 years or older (age can vary by local laws).
  • For children under 13 (or supervised accounts):
    • Family Manager must create the child’s supervised Google Account via Google Family Link.
    • Child accounts are added through the app (not by inviting existing accounts).

• Important Financial Note:
  • Family Manager is responsible for the Family Payment Method.
  • You are financially liable for any purchases made by family members.
  • Purchase approval settings can be adjusted later in parental controls.

• Warning: Child may already have an account and/or lied about their age
  • If the child already has their own Google Account on their device:
    • They must initiate supervision from their device (Family Manager cannot add them as a regular family member)
  • On the child’s device:
    • Open the Settings app.
    • Scroll to Google Services
    • All Services
    • Scroll to the bottom
    • Tap Parental Controls
  • Android 16 or newer (This process was streamlined)
    • Go to Google Services → Kids & Family menu → Parental Controls

Once the family group is created with the child accounts linked, you can manage all parental controls, such as screen time, app limits, app approvals, approved websites, location, downtime schedules for sleep or school, etc., directly from the Family Link app or your Google Account.

Apple iOS 19/20 Parental Controls: Step‑by‑Step Setup for Caregivers

Parental controls in iOS are handled a little differently, using two separate menus. As the parent, you will be the designated Family Organizer. Similar to Family Link, they can have 5 additional members outside of the Family Organizer. These two systems are integrated: 

• Family Sharing: This is required first, and organizes the group. Also creates/manages child accounts.
• Screen Time: This handles the actual restrictions, limits, and monitoring once the child or children are in the family group.

• Setting Up Family Sharing (On iPhone/iPad – recommended)
  • Open settings → Tap your name at the top
  • Tap Family → Tap Continue (or Set Up if prompted)
  • Follow the onscreen instructions to create your Family Sharing group
    • Choose what to share (purchases, iCloud+, Apple Music/TV+, location, etc.)
    • Set Up Purchase Sharing and Ask to Buy (you are financially liable for family purchases; kids must request approval)

• Add your child to the Family Group:
  • In Settings → Family → Tap the + (Add Member)
  • Choose one:
    • Create an Account for a Child (best for under 13, or any age for full supervision)
      • Enter the child’s name and birthdate → Create their Apple Account
      • Age-appropriate defaults turn on automatically
    • Invite people (for kids 13+ who already have an Apple Account)
      • Send an invitation via Messages or email → they accept on their device
  • On the child’s device: sign in with the new/child Apple ID (or open Settings → tap Connect to Family, then follow the prompts)

Now you are ready to set up the Screen Time for your child and manage everything from your device.

• Open Settings → Screen Time
• Scroll down under Family → tap your child’s name
• Turn on Screen Time and follow the setup wizard
• Tap Lock Screen Time Settings → create a 4-digit Screen Time passcode (only you know it, which prevents the child from using their own phone passcode to bypass restrictions)
  • You will want to turn off Allow Changes To → prevents changes to accounts, passcode, cellular data, etc.

In this area, you can customize the Parental Controls for iTunes and App Store purchases, change allowed apps & features, or hide any built-in apps you don’t want. Here you can set content restrictions by setting an age rating for TV, Movies, Apps and Music to name a few. You’ll be able to change Game Center to block multiplayer or adjust adding friends and screen recordings, as well as privacy settings such as location services, contacts, and microphone. 

Building Safe Digital Habits Beyond Parental Controls

While parental controls can make parents feel like they have room to breathe, they are only one part of a much bigger, sometimes more difficult, equation. Just like no water filter is perfect, filling the gaps in with open, honest discussion with your child(ren) about being safe is of the utmost importance. Opening a dialog can be difficult, especially in a world filled with children running rampant in the online sphere, trying to influence your kids. Express concerns, discuss online safety, like not giving out personally identifiable information, and help them realize that while you may trust your child to be good, we all know there are dangers out in the world.