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Turn Your Tablet into a Child-Friendly Device

February 1, 2022 by Paul Schwegler

Tablets are convenient, light, and portable. Maybe you got a new one during the holiday, or your old one needs replacing. You can feel better about moving to the new device if you turn the old tablet into a child-friendly device. Here’s how.

Before giving your tablet up, clear your browsing history, emails, and banking details. In Android Settings you can use the Clear Data feature, whereas on iOS, you go to General in Settings to Reset and choose Erase All Content and Settings.

Purchasing a new, sturdier case can help protect the tablet from the wear and tear of being a kid’s go-to device. A waterproof case is a must for the juice-box-aged user. When selecting a protective case, keep in mind that you want sturdy but also lightweight. A screen protector is also a good idea. Little people have lots of sticky things in their hands after all.

You’ll also want to set up a child safety lock. This allows you to lock the screen by setting a PIN in the settings. On Apple and Android products, you can choose the app your child can use and lock the screen. If they want to switch apps or access anything else, they’ll need you to enter the PIN to do so.

There are many special apps for kids you can download these days. Before gifting the device, download some educational and entertainment apps for them. Common Sense Media can be a useful resource to help you find appropriate apps for the right age. You might also visit Zerotothree.org. Their E-AIMS model helps you choose Engaging, Actively Involved, Meaningful, and Social content.

When can kids turn on tablets?

There’s a lot of debate around what is an appropriate age for a child to use electronic devices. Typically, the recommendation is to wait until your child is at least preschool age. By age three, many children are “active media users” enjoying educational electronic content.

Between the ages of 4 and 11, the child will be able to engage more with the tablet, but they should be supervised. Adults need to monitor activity, co-view, and ask questions about the games or content to encourage digital literacy.

Regardless of the age of your tablet user, it’s always best to start out by talking through the rules for the device. You’ll want to help your little techie learn how to use this tool safely and responsibly.

Need help getting your tablet ready to gift to a young user? We can help. Our tech experts are also here for any tablet repairs you might need. We can offer remote support to get you (or your child) up and running again on that tablet. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

Filed Under: Residential, Security, Tips Tagged With: Apps, children, security, Tablets

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Keeping Tabs On Children’s App Purchases

February 11, 2020 by Paul Schwegler

Children today have grown up surrounded by technology their entire lives. Since before they are old enough to read they can pick up a tablet or smartphone and swipe at apps and games with ease. Modern kids have an intuitive understanding and ability with technology that older generations can barely imagine. The abundance of technology, however, comes with a price.

Easy access to any marketplace can be a double-edged sword. The convenience and ease of use is a boost to those of us needing a quick app, but accidental purchases can cause a lot of headaches. One-click online shopping was once one of the biggest dangers our bank account faced. Now, many of us carry multiple devices, each with their own marketplace and app stores.

With modern tech, mobile applications, whether on iOS or Android devices, are easier than ever to buy and download. So simple in fact, that a child could do it.

Designed to Appeal – Children love to download mobile applications that feature their favorite characters, cartoons and TV shows. Advertisements are aimed specifically for children in ways that will invite them to click a link and instantly download a game.

These games are typically free, meaning they don’t require authentication by default before downloading. A new game can be downloaded, installed, and ready to run seconds from clicking an ad.

Developers commonly use, what is known in the business as, a ‘freemium’ model. This means that the game is free to download and start, but inserts paid ‘upgrades’ designed to make the player part with cash.

Freemium Games – Upgrades to games may unlock more levels, purchase an in-game currency, or outfit a character with special attributes. Competitive online games commonly employ a strategy that gives paying players an unfair advantage over ones who don’t pay. This is often referred to as ‘pay-to-win’ and entices players to spend more to get on the same level.

Many mobile-based games are designed purely to encourage in-app purchasing. Some deliberately design a deceptive or tricky user-interface that makes it easy to miss-click or make purchases by accident.

There are regular stories in the news featuring kids spending thousands on in-app purchases for virtual characters. In some cases, children can use real-world money to buy items thinking they are spending in-game currency.

Apps to Help – Of course, it’s unfair to give all applications a lousy name. Many deserve it, but not all apps are guilty of behaving badly. There are fitness apps, productivity apps, and educational apps that can act as useful tools to help enhance your day. Children can get a lot from high-quality applications in the same way educational software for the computer can be a huge classroom boost.

Getting the most out of your phone or tablet is about keeping your device safe against applications designed merely to take your money.

Secure Your Device – The best step you can take to prevent running up enormous app bills is to disable in-app purchases on your devices. This prevents apps from being able to take funds for digital items. The process to do this is simple, takes less than 2 minutes, and can save you huge amounts.

  • On iOS: Enter the settings screen, tap on ‘General’. Then tap on ‘Restrictions’ and tap the ‘Enable restrictions’ option. Make sure to turn “In-App Purchases” off.
  • On Android: Inside the Google Play App: press the phone menu button and go to Settings. Scroll down to “User Controls”, tap on the “Set or Change Pin” option and set a pin that only you will know.
    In the “User Controls” menu check the option to “Use Pin for purchases”. Newer phones may label this pin as a password instead.

Safe Apps – With these options enabled, whether using an iOS or Android device, your phone or tablet is safe from app purchases in any hands.

Filed Under: Residential, Tips Tagged With: App store, children, Google Play, in-app purchases, mobile games

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