Parental control apps play a critical role in helping parents and guardians to better manage what children can do on their phones. And with the current internet age, parents struggle to find ways to set up parental controls on kids’ phones. 

In fact, having a smartphone is now a trend among children in the current internet age. It’s even a must-have commodity among children of a certain age. They all want to own a mobile phone that can search various materials on the internet like homework tasks, funny videos, movies, social chats, and play games with friends online. 

While smartphones can be a great source of entertainment and knowledge, they can also expose your kids to content you’d rather they didn’t see. But this doesn’t have to be always the case with all parental control options available. Parental controls help you manage the content your children can access. 

This article shows how to set up parental controls on kids’ Android phones and tablets. The methods I will list below should help you regain control and ensure that your children can only access authorized apps and content.

How to set up Parental Controls on Kid’s Android phones

These five methods show you how to set up parental controls on kids’ Android phones and tablets. Let us look at them in detail:

Method 1: Enabling Parental Controls in the Play Store

As a parent, you can create parental restrictions on your kids’ phones’ Play Store and control what they can download and install. These tricks can help prevent children from downloading apps that contain harmful content. This includes social media apps like dating apps and adult content apps. 

As such, I have crafted easy-to-follow steps below that you can use to get it done. Bear in mind that I used a phone with Android 11 to show you this procedure below:

• On your Child’s Android smartphone, open the Google Play Store app.

• Tap on the Google account profile. Wait for a window to pop up and open Settings.

• Tap Family, and on the drop-down menu, open Parental Controls. 

• Tap to toggle the option on since the option is always off by default. Next, you’ll see a new window that prompts you to create a 4-digit PIN. Enter a secret PIN and confirm it, then tap OK. 

• Go back a step, and tap on Apps & Games, still on the Parental controls window. 

• You’ll see a new window that requires you to select app age-rating categories for your kid. For instance, if you select the category 7+ app age ratings, Play Store will only list apps for kids between 7 and 11. Therefore, ensure you’ve selected age ratings that match your children’s ages. 

• Tap Save before you exit the app.

Method 2: Creating a restricted Android tablet profile

Every Android tablet lets you create a new user profile. As such, you can curate a restricted profile for your kids on their Android tablets and protect them from harmful online abuse. 

Here are simple steps that you can follow to curate a restricted profile on any Android tablet. However, I noticed that you might see different windows and phrases depending on the version of Android OS on your kid’s tablet. But the phrases in this guide are what you’re likely to see:

• Open the kid’s tablet Settings app.
• Tap Users & Accounts > Users > Add user or profile > Restricted profile.
• You’ll see a list of already existing profiles, if any. Tap on New profile, enter your kid’s name and press OK. You might also need to create a PIN/Password for the account.
• Tap on the new profile, and you’ll see a list of available apps with an ON/OFF toggle. Turn on the apps that your kid should access.
• Go back a step, and you’ll have the option to set up a Google Account.

You can also easily delete a restricted profile on your Child’s Android tablet by following these simple steps:

• Open the tablet’s Settings app.
• Tap to navigate Users & Accounts > Users, and select the restricted profile you wish to remove.
• Tap the Delete option next to the selected profile. Sometimes you might be required to enter the PIN/password you entered when creating the restricted profile.

Note that Android phones like Google Pixels and Samsung Galaxies also have these customizations on their settings app.

Method 3: Setting up Parental Controls via Google’s Family Link

You can also set up parental controls on your kid’s Android device via Google’s Family Link. This trick will allow you to install other parental control apps on the same device. 

Here, I have listed a step-to-step guide on how to go about it:

• Open Settings on the kid’s Android phone

• Tap on Digital wellbeing or Google or Services & preferences. This depends on the type of Android phone you have.

• A “Set up parental controls” window for Google’s Family Link will pop up. Tap Get Started.

• Select the child or teen option.

• Tap ‘Next’ and select Add or create an account for your child in the next window. You will also be prompted to enter the parent’s Google account.

• Read the details in the following window and tap ‘More’ to access the ‘Agree’ option. 

• You’ll see a pop-up window prompting you to link the parent’s account to your child’s. Tap ‘Allow’.

Following these steps correctly, you should see a Family Link profile. From here, you can customize various parental controls on your Child’s Android cell phone. Some of the controls you can make include setting daily screen time, allowing or blocking apps, viewing the location of your kid’s phone on Google maps, and more. 

Method 4: Manage Data Usage on kid’s Android phones

Managing data usage on your Child’s Android device is a useful trick to limit the time and apps they use online. There are multiple ways you can manage data usage depending on the child’s age and daily screen time allowed. 

Let us look at them:

Limit kid’s data usage to only WiFi

You can limit the Android device of your child to only accessing the internet when there’s WiFi in the house by disabling mobile data. Here’s how:

• On your kid’s Android phone, go to Settings.
• Tap to navigate Network & internet > Mobile Network.
• Disable Mobile data by toggling OFF.

Place a cap on the child’s data usage

You can place a cap on your child’s data usage if you feel they can handle more responsibility. This is a useful option if you don’t want to completely disable their mobile data usage. Here’s how to do it:

• On your Child’s Android phone, open Settings.
• Tap to navigate Network & internet > Mobile Network > Data warning & limit.
• Enable the Set data limit by toggling ON.
• Tap OK if you’re prompted to confirm.
• Tap Data limit.
• Choose your desired data limit and tap Set.

Create Data Usage Limit alerts

Create data limit alerts that warn your children when they’ve gone over the allowed usage. This is a useful way of helping them stay disciplined when utilizing their daily screen time. Here’s how you can set it up:

• On your Child’s Android device, open Settings.
• Tap to navigate Network & internet > Mobile Network> Data warning & limit.
• Enter the data usage level you want and tap Set.

Method 5: Use a Parental Control app like TurboSpy

The most effective solution that parents can use to protect their children on their Android phones is parental control apps. At the same time, the industry is flooded with hundreds of them, and choosing the best parental control app couldn’t be harder. 

Thankfully, I have extensively researched and tested multiple top parental control apps, and TurboSpy is a clear favorite. This is currently my best parental control software for protecting your children from cyberbullying and other harmful content. And the main advantage they offer is something different from its competitors, as you’ll see below. 

The best part is that the installation process of TurboSpy takes less than a minute. When integrating the monitoring app, you only need to interact with your child’s cell phone once. 

I have prepared a three-step guide to show you how to download and install TurboSpy on your kid’s Android device below. But before you start, ensure you have an active paid subscription from TurboSpy. And if you didn’t know yet, TurboSpy premium plans only require you to pay once and use the service forever. How cool is that?

Here’s how to make a one-time purchase of the TurboSpy premium plan:

• On your PC’s browser, open TurboSpy’s official website and click BUY NOW.
• Next, select the device you want to monitor (I selected Android).
• Choose your preferred plan and proceed. Ensure the plan you opt for offers all the features you want.
• On the checkout window, select your preferred payment method. You will then be required to fill in your shipping details. 
• Click the checkbox to confirm that you understand TurboSpy’s T&Cs and refund, and click SUBMIT. You will receive an OTA (over-the-air) link, which you’ll use in the next stage. Details below.

I liked how TurboSpy uses strong authentication and encryption firms, including COMODO Authentic Secure and McAfee Secure, at checkout. These two firms are the best for secure payments in the industry.

Now let us look at the three steps of downloading and installing TurboSpy on your kid’s Android device below: 

• Use the OTA (over-the-air) link that you’ll receive to download TurboSpy on your kid’s Android device
• Enter the activation key and phone number of your child’s phone. Please wait for the information to display on your parent dashboard and ensure that it matches.
• Start monitoring what your kid is doing on their phone.

What is TurboSpy?

TurboSpy is a parental control software that parents can use to limit apps children can access on their daily screen time. 

TurboSpy links the Child’s Android phone to the control panel dashboard of the parent. The established link is secure, and the integration process takes less than a minute.

Parents can use TurboSpy to create rules on their child’s phone, like allowing and blocking apps, setting up search alerts, and Geo-fencing rules. TurboSpy also displays information like calls, texts, social media interactions, and contact lists. 

Why is TurboSpy the best Parental Control app?

TurboSpy is a feature-packed parental control app. I have listed some of the best features that parents can use to keep their children safe on their cell phones:

• Block apps: choose apps to allow and those that you can easily block on your kid’s cell phones from a remote TurboSpy dashboard.
• Call logs: monitor all incoming and outgoing calls on the kid’s Android phone
• Texts: keep track of all sent and received texts on your child’s phone
• Contacts: easily access the contact list of all numbers saved on your kid’s Android cell phone. 
• Social Media: monitor what your child is up to on multiple social media platforms. You can see sent and received messages on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Kik, and more. 
• Photos and videos: you can receive notifications of all media sent and received on your kid’s device without alerting them.
• GPS tracking: the feature allows you to locate the live location of your child’s phone at any time of day. 
• Geo-fencing: use a feature to set all safe surroundings that your kid should not leave. You will get an instant alert when the child leaves the set confines. 
• Remote phone lock: you can remotely lock your kid’s phone whenever you think the device is lost or stolen. 
• Search alerts: the feature lets flag several topics that your child shouldn’t search on their phones. You will also get instant alerts whenever the child tries to search these prohibited topics.
• Remote uninstall: remotely uninstall applications that you think contain harmful content for your child’s consumption. 

Bear in mind that TurboSpy works with both Android and iPhone devices. However, it offers more features on Android smartphones. 

Bottom Line

Protecting your kids online and on their phones isn’t easy without using proper parental control tools. TurboSpy is the best parental control app for spying and monitoring apps that children can use on their daily screen time. However, you can also make other adjustments on the kid’s Android phone to restrict the apps they can access.

But even if you block certain apps on their devices, kids can still find another way or turn on the TV and watch unauthorized content on Netflix. Some parents might find it an impossible task. 

As such, you should also consider sitting with your kids and educating them on the dangers of accessing unauthorized apps and content. In addition, this approach will receive some backlash and complaints, but the child will become weary of the warnings. Equally, assert parenthood by using a tool like TurboSpy and monitor what they do without alerting them. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I monitor my Child’s Android phone?

Use TurboSpy to spy and monitor what your kids are doing on their phones. TurboSpy lets you block and monitor apps, monitor calls, texts, contacts, and social media interactions. You can also set GEO fencing and check the GPS location of your kids remotely.

Can you set up parental controls on Android?

Yes, you can set up parental controls on Android phones through TurboSpy. TurboSpy also works with iPhone devices, but it offers more features on Android phones. You can create restricted profiles for your kids via Google Play Store and Family Link.

What parental controls can TurboSpy do on Child’s phone?

TurboSpy can monitor all incoming and outgoing calls, texts, and social media interactions and view contact details on a child’s phone. You can also use TurboSpy to view the live locations of your kid’s device via GPS and instantly receive alerts when the child leaves GEO-fenced locations.

What is the best free parental control app for Android?

The best free parental control app for Android phones is Google Family Link. However, the app offers limited monitoring solutions that you’ll otherwise get on premium solutions like TurboSpy. The best is that TurboSpy only requires a one-time payment, and you’ll have access to premium features for a lifetime. 

Can I monitor my child’s phone without them knowing?

Yes, TurboSpy makes it possible to spy and monitor what your child is doing on their phone without alerting them. The parental control app only requires you to physically handle your child’s phone once when setting it up. Parents can monitor remotely from their dashboard.