Gifting your child their first phone this holiday? It’s a big decision! You want your child to have some freedom, but you also need peace of mind and to know that they’re staying safe. Here are some quick tips to prepare.
Parental Controls
Some phones have built-in parental controls. On iPhones and iPads, you can set screen time limits for apps or completely block them altogether. There are features to limit App Store purchases, which websites your child can access on Safari, and restricting Siri searches. Learn more about iOS parental controls here.
If your Android device allows you to create multiple profiles, this is a great way to limit the features for your child. Create a new restricted profile to turn on or off access to every app on the device, including text, calls, and email. If the app has a gear icon next to it, you can customize their access even further.
There are third-party apps available for download that create more parental controls. Norton has an app called Norton Family Parental Control that allows you to monitor their smartphone use. Track their internet search activity, keep track of the websites they visit, set rules to block specific content, set app time limits, get notified when rules are broken, and instant lock when you need to shut it all down.
Location Sharing
You can track your child’s location with built-in features or Google Maps. iPhones allow you to constantly share a location from a contact. You can also do this with the Google Maps app if you don’t have an iOS device.
If they’re of driving age, check out Hum, the connected car device. It has speed and boundary alerts on the car, detects issues, crash detection with automatic emergency service notification, and 24/7 roadside assistance. Get Hum at a TCC Verizon near you.
Protect your device and identity with Verizon Protect. Besides giving you speedy device repairs and replacement, it will help keep them safe online with real-time spam alerts and uncovering who’s calling from unidentified numbers. With advanced VPN technology, Wi-Fi connection will be secure and private. Plus, it has always-on ID monitoring, dark web surveillance, theft alerts, and recovery tools.
Just Kids
Trying to figure out what plan their phone should be on? Check out the Verizon Just Kids plan that simplifies the smartphone experience. Manage screen time, filter content, track location and get peace of mind. They get 5 GB of data and unlimited talk and text to up to 20 contacts so you know exactly who they’re talking to. Get this plan now at a TCC Verizon store near you.