- Preventing Unauthorized People from Using Your Mobile Device
- Taking Advantage of Parental Controls
- Adjusting the App-Specific Privacy Settings on Your Mobile Device
- Keeping Your Mobile Device's Operating System and Apps Up to Date
- Managing Your Mobile Device's Wireless Connections
- Blocking and Managing Unwanted Calls to Your Smartphone
Taking Advantage of Parental Controls
Built in to the operating systems of smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, video game systems, cable TV boxes, computers, and computer modems/routers are optional parental controls.
Depending on the device, you can use parental controls to control how much time is spent using a device or to block certain types of inappropriate content. Parental controls can be used to set a daily or weekly time limit for using that technology or to monitor a child’s activities.
Regardless of what equipment you’re setting up parental controls on, you typically do it by accessing the Settings or Setup menu when using the device. You’ll be prompted to set up a Parental Controls password or PIN that’ll allow you to set, lock down, or unlock the device.
When setting this parental controls password, do not use the same password you use elsewhere, which the young people in your life may already know. And make sure you don’t choose a password or PIN that your child will easily be able to figure out.
The parental controls offered by each device vary. It’s important to invest the time to review each related menu and submenu to develop an understanding of what’s offered. You can then adjust the options that you deem important.
Some games installed or played on the various gaming systems might also have their own game-specific parental controls built in to the game. These controls might allow the game to be played, but prevent a child from playing the multiplayer version of the game or from being matched up with strangers.