As any parent knows, children can navigate a smartphone with surprising skill! To keep their explorations safe, you can establish a lock screen for kids that ensures your peace of mind.
This tutorial by Insiderbits is dedicated to your kids safety. We’ll show you straightforward methods to secure your phone, keeping the little ones engaged with only what you approve.
Ready to dive in? We’ll explore iOS’s Guided Access, Android’s Screen Pinning, and other parental controls to make your phone a secure playground for your children. Let’s begin!
Related: Safe Browsing 101: Why You Should Use a VPN
What is Screen Pinning for Android?
Screen Pinning on Android allows you to pin an app to the screen, restricting access to other applications and device features. This ensures users can focus on one task at a time.
For parents, Screen Pinning is a perfect feature to lock the screen for kids. It keeps them within a single app or game without the risk of navigating elsewhere unsupervised.
Enhancing your kids online safety is easy with this feature. Once activated, your children can’t switch apps, protecting them from unsuitable content and accidental purchases.
To disable Screen Pinning, hold both the Back and App Overview buttons. If set, you’ll need to enter your PIN or password, making sure only you can control app access.
How to set up Screen Pinning for kids
- Open Settings App: Navigate to your phone’s “Settings” app. Tap on “Security and Privacy”, then select “More Security Settings”.
- Locate Screen Pinning: Once inside the menu, scroll down your screen until you find the “Pin App” feature, then tap on it.
- Enable App Pinning: Once in the “Pin App” menu, toggle the switch to turn on App pinning. Ensure you’re ready to set up a lock screen for kids.
- Set Security Method: For added security, set up a PIN, pattern, or password. This step ensures that only authorized users can unpin the app when needed.
- Pin an App: Open the app you want to pin and swipe up to the middle of your screen to access the Overview. Tap the app’s icon and select Pin.
- Unpinning the App: To unpin, use gesture navigation by swiping up and holding, or for 2-button navigation, hold “Back” and “Home”.
- Enter Credential: When prompted, input your PIN, pattern, or password to complete the unpinning process, ensuring your settings effectively safeguard the device.
Related: 3 Security Apps for Your Mobile Safety
Guided Access for iOS
The Guided Access feature on iOS allows you to confine your device’s operation to just one app, preventing distractions and ensuring a focused user experience.
With Guided Access, setting up a lock screen for kids becomes straightforward, offering parents a smart way to supervise their child’s app activity securely.
Emphasizing kids’ safety, this feature lets you disable touch on a few areas of the screen, safeguarding against unwanted interactions or exits from the designated app.
To exit Guided Access, simply triple-click the “Side” or “Home” button, verify with Face ID, Touch ID, or a password, and maintain exclusive control over app accessibility.
How to set up Guided Access for kids
- Navigate to Accessibility: Open your iPhone’s Settings, scroll to “Accessibility”, and select “Guided Access” under the General settings to start configuring this feature.
- Enable Guided Access: Switch on the Guided Access toggle. This setting prepares your device to focus on a single application, perfect for uninterrupted usage sessions.
- Configure Passcode Settings: Go to “Passcode Settings” within Guided Access, then tap “Set Guided Access Passcode” to secure the mode with a custom passcode.
- Optional Biometric Setup: Opt to enable Face ID or Touch ID in the same menu. This allows for a quicker, more secure way to end Guided Access sessions.
- Start Guided Access Session: Open the desired app, then quickly press the side or home button three times to activate Guided Access and lock the screen for kids.
- Adjust Active Areas: Before starting, use your finger to circle any areas on the screen you want to disable. Adjust or remove these sections as needed.
- End the Session: To exit, triple-click the side or Home button, authenticate with your passcode or biometric ID, and tap “End” to restore normal device functionality.
Related: Organize Your Family Life With FamilyWall
Which third-party apps can lock your screen for kids?
If your device doesn’t support Screen Pinning or Guided Access, don’t worry. There are third-party apps available that provide similar functionalities with enhanced parental controls.
These apps not only lock your phone screen but also offer advanced settings to tailor the digital environment according to your child’s age and maturity for kids’ safety.
Investing in these applications ensures your child accesses only appropriate content, giving you peace of mind and a higher level of control over their device usage.
Parental Control – Kidslox
Kidslox is a comprehensive parental control app available on Android and iOS that helps you manage how your children use their devices, from setting time limits to filtering web content.
By using Kidslox, you can easily activate the lock screen for kids, ensuring they access only approved apps and websites while restricting their online interactions.
The app also features a location tracker and the ability to set several control levels remotely, making it a versatile tool for ensuring both online and offline kids safety.
How to download the app and lock your phone screen
- Find the App: On your preferred app store, search for “Parental Control – Kidslox”.
- Download the App: Find the app developed by “Kidslox” then tap “Get” or “Install”.
- Set Up Kidslox: Open the app, create an account, and follow setup instructions.
- Lock Screen: Go to “Controls” in Kidslox, select “Lock Screen”, and set the limits.
- Set Schedules: Use “Schedules” to define device-free times for your child.
- Review and Adjust: Review activity, adjust restrictions, and track as needed.
Kids360
Kids360 is an incredibly popular parental control app that tracks your child’s screen time, letting you monitor how much time they spend on games and social media.
This must-have tool enables you to lock your phone screen for kids safety, restricting access to only one app at a time, and ensuring focused and balanced usage throughout the day.
With Kids360, you can set usage schedules, monitor app statistics, and keep essential communication apps accessible, promoting healthy screen habits and time management.
How to download the app and lock your phone screen
- Locate the App: Open the App Store or Play Store and search for “Kids360”.
- Download the App: Find the app by “ANKO” and tap “Get” or “Install” to download.
- Set Up: Create your account, and follow the instructions to link your child’s device.
- Install Alli360: On your child’s Android or iOS phone, download the Alli360 app.
- Link Your Child’s Phone: On the Alli360 app, enter the code displayed on Kids360.
- Lock Screen: In Kids360, select “Lock Screen,” and set the limits for app usage.
Related: App Lock – Protect Your Private Data With This App
Concluding our final steps for kid-friendly phone use
Screen Pinning, Guided Access, and apps like Kidslox and Kids360 offer excellent ways to control screen time and keep your child’s device usage safe and productive.
These features help parents lock their phone screen for kids, ensuring focused and secure interactions with their devices, providing peace of mind and promoting healthy screen habits.
Hopefully, this tutorial by Insiderbits was able to guide you through effective methods to manage and enhance your child’s digital experience using built-in and third-party tools.
Continue exploring Insiderbits for more informative articles, tips, and tutorials on digital safety and smart parenting solutions. Stay informed and keep your family secure online!
