2 easy ways to child-proof your Android or iOS device

Once you master these kid-conscious Android
and iPhone features, you'll be able to hand your
precious phone to your little one with
confidence.

You know toddlers: The more expensive and
precious an object is, the more likely they’ll
grab it. My 15-month-old daughter loves
nothing better than to get her drooly little
hands on my iPad—and when she does, she
(naturally) skips the PBS Kids and Barney
apps and makes a beeline for Safari and my
Mail inbox. Great.



Now, you could always get a baby-friendly
case for your Android or iOS device, but be
warned: They’re big, they’re bulky, and while
they (typically) lock down the “home” and
sleep keys, most 15-month-olds I know can
pick the lock of a baby smartphone case in
10 seconds flat.
Android and iOS devices both have parental
controls, but you can’t just turn them on with
the flick of a switch. It’ll take a few minutes
to block web access, messaging, app
purchases, and other grownup features—plus
a few minutes more to turn them all back on
again. That’s fine when it comes to
permanently kid-proofing a hand-me-down
phone or tablet, but not super-convenient if
you’re dealing with your own device.
If
that’ll quickly and temporarily lock down
your handset, perfect for giving your tots
some quick screen time without having to
take a deep dive into the Settings menu.

*Android: Pin the screen*

The latest Android phones (specifically,
handsets running on Android 5.0 "Lollipop" or
better) make it easy to lock—or as Google
puts it, "pin"—an app onto the screen,
disabling the Home, Back and multitasking
controls until you tap the right combination
of buttons.
Tap the green "pin" button to get started
with pinning the screen on your Android
phone.

First, launch the app, then tap the
multitasking button (a.k.a. the "Overview"
button) in the bottom-right corner of the
screen. (If you don't see the button, swipe
down from the top of the screen to reveal
it.) When the multitasking screen appears,
scroll down to the app's floating card, then
tap the green button with the pin.
Now, go ahead and hand your phone or
tablet to your kid, secure in the knowledge
that she can't switch to another app.
To unpin the screen on Android, tap and
hold the Back and Overview buttons at the
same time.
When you're ready to "unpin" the app, tap
and hold the Back and Overview buttons at
the same time. (Hopefully, it'll be a few
years before your little one figures out that
trick.)

If you like, you can set your Android device
to require an unlock code to unpin an app.
That way, if your child does manage to tap
the Back and Overview buttons at once, she
won't have the run of your phone. Tap
Settings > Security > Screen pinning , then
enable the Ask for unlock pattern before
unpinning setting.

*iOS: Guided Access*

iPhones and iPads have their own version of
Android's screen-pinning feature. With iOS's
Guided Access feature switched on, you can
disable the Home key, the volume buttons,
the sleep button, and even specific zones of
the touchscreen that you trace with your
fingertip.
iOS's Guided Access mode lets you trace an
area of the screen that won't respond to
taps, perfect for keeping little ones from
tapping a specific on-screen button.
Once you have Guided Access configured for
a particular app (and yes, iOS will remember
the Guided Access settings for multiple
apps), you can turn it on by triple-clicking
the Home button.
To get started, tap Settings > General
> Accessibility . Scroll down to the Learning
section, tap Guided Access, then flip the “on”
switch.
Next, you should lock Guided Access with a
passcode, using either a short numeric PIN
or Touch ID (assuming your newer iPhone or
iPad has a touch-sensitive Home button). If
you don’t set a passcode lock, your kid will
be able to turn off Guided Access herself by
triple-tapping the Home key—and believe me,
she’ll figure it out. Tap Passcode Settings ,
then either tap Set Guided Access Passcode
or flip on the Touch ID switch.
Tap the Options button on the Guided
Access setup screen to pick which buttons
(like the volume buttons) or inputs (like the
keyboard) to enable or disable, or you can
even set a timer.
Head back to your home screen and open an
app that you want to baby-proof, like the
oldie-but-goodie Pocket Pond. (My little girl
loves feeding the fish.)
Triple-tap the Home key, then circle any
areas of the touchscreen that you want to
disable. For example, Pocket Pond has a tiny
settings button in the bottom corner of the
screen that always seems to get tapped.
Just circle it with your fingertip to kid-proof
that section of the screen.
Now, tap the Options button in the bottom-
left corner of the setup screen. When you
do, a series of options will slide up. Flip a
switch on to keep a particular setting or
button—anything from the sleep/wake button
to motion sensitivity—active during Guided
Access mode. You can also set a timer,
perfect for putting a lid on iPad or iPhone
time.
Done? Tap the Start button, then hand your
iDevice to your child with confidence (drooly
fingers aside). To reclaim your handset,
triple-click the Home button, enter your
passcode and tap End , or simply press the
Home button once and use Touch ID.

NOTE
If your child tried to unlock Guided Access
mode too many times with the wrong
passcode, you could be locked out of your
iPhone for up to three minutes—so, careful.


One thing to keep in mind, though: If your
little one triple-clicks the Home key and taps
in the wrong passcode (and yes, she will),
you’ll have to wait 10 seconds before trying
to unlock Guided Access mode again. If she
tries and fails again, you’ll have to wait 60
seconds—and if she tries again , you’ll have
to wait three minutes. In other words, you
should probably repossess your iPhone or
iPad if you spot your child messing with the
passcode too often.