Kid-Proof Your Cell Phone

Here's how to ensure that kids can talk and play safely on your device without disabling apps or calling your contacts.

Ages

3-13

Kid-Proof Your Cell Phone

  1. Kids Mode for Samsung, included on most new Samsung phones and tablets, comes preloaded with educational games and disables access to the Web, contacts, and e-mail.
  2. The Kyte-Phone app turns Android devices into password-protected, kid-friendly phones with customizable controls, so you can, for example, monitor which apps your child uses and for how long. You can manage the phone from other devices. Google Play, free
  3. Wego for Sprint is a starter phone that allows children to call and text preselected people for a flat $10/month; parents can locate the phone via a mobile app.
  4. The Mamabear app allows you to find your child through a smartphone, keep tabs on social media use, and see when she adds new contacts, uses restricted words, or uploads photos. iTunes and Google Play, free
  5. The Famigo app lets you set limits on game time and block kids from getting into your personal info. Google Play, free

Plus:
The Trouble with Too Much Technology
How to Prepare Your Child for Online Networking

Photo Credit: Prykhodov/iStockphoto

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