New phone, tablet or console for the holidays? Set up parental controls first

Steps

1. Decide the house rules first: where the device charges at night, screen time on school nights, and who approves new apps.
2. iPhone or iPad: set up Family Sharing, create a Child Account for your child (Apple says each child should have their own Apple Account), then turn on Screen Time controls from your own device.
3. Apple's Ask to Buy lets you approve app downloads and purchases. Apple says it's on by default for children under 13 in many regions.
4. Android phone or Chromebook: use the Google Family Link app to create or supervise your child's Google Account, approve apps, and set daily limits and a bedtime.
5. Note: Google says Family Link can't supervise iPhones, iPads or non-Chromebook computers, and it can't manage Google Workspace for Education (school) accounts.
6. Game console: set it up with the console maker's family tools (Nintendo Switch Parental Controls, Xbox Family Settings, PlayStation Family Management) before the first login.
7. Turn the device on and test it with your child's account before the big day, so updates and setup aren't happening during the celebration.

Good to know

• Apple says its newest Screen Time parental controls need every device in the Family Sharing group updated to the latest software. If not, you can keep using the previous controls or set them on the child's device.
• Google says Family Link purchase approvals apply only to purchases made through Google Play billing.
• Controls help, but they don't replace talking with your child about who they chat with and what to do if something feels wrong.

For PTAs

A short pre-break newsletter note ("Giving a device? Set up parental controls before you wrap it") with links to Apple's and Google's official pages helps families without endorsing any product.

Sources

Apple Support: Set up parental controls to manage your child's iPhone or iPad — https://support.apple.com/en-us/105121

Apple Support: Use Screen Time to manage your child's iPhone or iPad — https://support.apple.com/en-us/108806

Google For Families Help: Get started with Family Link — https://support.google.com/families/answer/7101025

Google For Families Help: Manage your child's screen time — https://support.google.com/families/answer/7103340

Nintendo: Nintendo Switch Parental Controls — https://www.nintendo.com/us/switch/parental-controls/

Xbox: Family Hub — https://www.xbox.com/en-US/family-hub

PlayStation: Parental controls — https://www.playstation.com/en-us/parental-controls/

Related

• December school-parent checklist
• Holiday gift check: toy safety rules from CPSC

FAQ