It’s time for your kid’s first phone, and questions are swirling in your head. “How do I make sure they are safe while giving them independence? How are other parents monitoring their kid’s phone life?”
You’re not alone. Feeling overwhelmed is normal. What’s important is that you’re seeking out answers. Let’s consider your options keeping your kid safe:
Parental controls
The first thing to understand is that your kid’s device does not have parental controls turned on by default, so they’ll only be active if you choose to set them up. You can make adjustments that provide a locked-down device experience - limiting screen time and access to the internet, social media, and adult content. Here’s what you need to know about parental controls on different devices:
iPhone and Apple Watch
For Apple, the best route is to enable Family Sharing and Screen Time on your kid’s iPhone and Apple Watch. These features allow you to restrict content, turn off downloads, block apps, limit screen time, track locations, and more. Check out our guide for quickly setting up parental controls on your kid’s iPhone and Apple Watch.
Android devices
Androids are best monitored with the parental control app Bark. It lets you limit screen time, block websites and apps, and get location alerts. Check out our step-by-step guide for setting up the Bark Jr. app that C Spire provides for free to our customers.
C Spire Connect & Protect Plan
The C Spire Connect & Protect plan gives parents tools to easily track their kid’s location, restrict content, limit screen time, set boundaries for social media, and help protect them online at any age. Explore more helpful articles in our Parents’ Resource Center.
