Mobile phones for kids

What age should I buy my child a phone?

Children are getting them at an ever younger age, but we should wait until children are old enough or mature enough to take on this new responsibility.

Experts say the ideal age for children to get their first mobile phone is 12. That is when they start secondary school, begin going out with their friends and take on more responsibilities.

What does a child need a phone for?

A mobile phone is much more than making calls or receiving them in an emergency. Smartphones are nowadays a social communication tool, a source of entertainment and an excellent way to look things up on the internet. Once children reach a certain age, it becomes essential.

Which is the right smartphone?

That is the big question. The right phone for a child should meet a number of conditions. It is advisable for it to run the Android operating system. Not only is it an endless source of entertainment, but it also allows parental controls, which we will talk about later. In addition, some devices include an 'easy mode' for the youngest users.

It is advisable for the phone to be cheap and sturdy, as it is more likely to suffer falls and knocks. And, above all, small. It should fit in their hand so they can use it comfortably, so a 5-inch screen should be the maximum.

It is better if it includes features such as a gyroscope, compatible with many games such as Pokémon Go. The gyroscope is a sensor that adapts the screen depending on whether it is held in portrait or landscape orientation. A front camera also allows video calls.

From an aesthetic point of view, it is worth looking for eye-catching colours or phones with interchangeable covers.

Tips and precautions

When deciding whether to buy a phone for your child, there are a number of factors you should weigh up. Smartphones are addictive for all kinds of people, and the risk is even greater in children. That is why it is advisable to set a daily usage time. At most, experts recommend 2 hours.

Even more important, you should set up parental controls. Android has some settings and apps for controlling how minors use their phones. Among the parental control settings you can apply to your phone, we highlight the following:

• Create a restricted user: on Android you can create an account for yourself and another for your children. On theirs you can restrict access to unwanted apps and games. To do this, follow these steps:

• • Open the main menu and go to Options.
  • Tap General and then Users.
  • In the top right corner, tap the person icon to add a new profile. Tick the Restricted Profile option and enter the PIN or password for the new user.
  • Next, tick each app you want to unlock. The apps you tick are the ones your children will be able to use.
  • From now on, each time you try to unlock the phone it will show you both users, the restricted one and the normal access one. Check that everything has worked.

• Restrict access to the Play Store: this stops your children from buying games and apps or downloading inappropriate content. To do this, follow these steps:

• • Open the Play Store
  • Open the menu, at the top left, and go to Options-Settings.
  • Under User Control, tick Require authorisation for purchases. You can assign a password.

This does not prevent apps being downloaded from external sites, so we also need to block those in the following way:

• In the main menu, go to Settings
• On the Security tab, tap More to see all the options.
• Turn off the Allow installation of apps from unknown sources setting, which is usually already turned off by default.

At MaxMovil we do not only sell phones for children. You can also buy tablets for children.

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