Android phone to distract toddler

Forums › Android › Android phone to distract toddler - how to lock down

timmmay

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#224304 12-Nov-2017 07:56

Sometimes we use an Android phone playing kid friendly youtube videos to distract our little boy if he gets upset during changing or such. We try not to, but hey, sometimes you have to be practical.

I have an old S4 running android 5.x. Is there a way to lock it down so it can only play youtube, maybe a couple of kid friendly games I choose, that kind of thing? I don't want him to be able to get into settings, inappropriate youtube content, etc.

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#1899492 12-Nov-2017 08:39

use youtube kids?

My kid is pretty good... only uses youtube, if you dont show them other apps they dont care.

davidcole

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#1899504 12-Nov-2017 08:52

Yeah YouTube kids. They are trying to lock it down more? But it’s better than the Wild West.

I had an app that you could white list apps and videos and require a pin to get to the rest of the phone. Could also implement time limits.

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timmmay

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#1899510 12-Nov-2017 09:45

Youtube kids looks good. Can it prevent them changing apps? There's a way in Android to do that so it's not essential.

Curious though if there's a launcher or similar designed to give kids a limited phone that they can't mess with.

Goosey

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#1899511 12-Nov-2017 10:06

timmmay:

Youtube kids looks good. Can it prevent them changing apps? There's a way in Android to do that so it's not essential.

Curious though if there's a launcher or similar designed to give kids a limited phone that they can't mess with.

big rubber band and celotape over the home / menu buttons hahah

davidcole

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#1899522 12-Nov-2017 10:41

Yeah I had a launcher. Kids place it could have been. Not something iOS can do but andingled guided access (lock to kne app)z

MrBob

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#1899555 12-Nov-2017 11:47

Guest mode?

Pin the app (screen pinning) ?

timmmay

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#1899561 12-Nov-2017 12:00

I'll Google guest mode thanks. Screen pinning we use.

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eluSiveNZ

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#1899562 12-Nov-2017 12:02

You could give Google Family link a try. I looked at this the other day but haven’t had a chance to set it up.
https://families.google.com/familylink/

You need to set up a specific child account however and only Android 7+

timmmay

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#1899571 12-Nov-2017 12:31

I might get an Android 7 phone in a few years. Android phones basically don't get updates. The family thing looks pretty handy though.

timmmay

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#1899572 12-Nov-2017 12:34

Luna Launcher - looks like it could be quite handy.

Batman

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#1899610 12-Nov-2017 14:25

How did people change their kids before there were smartphones and tablets?

allan

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#1899658 12-Nov-2017 16:09

Batman:

How did people change their kids before there were smartphones and tablets?

Sat on them... (joke)

rhy7s

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#1899704 12-Nov-2017 18:34

timmmay:

I might get an Android 7 phone in a few years. Android phones basically don't get updates. The family thing looks pretty handy though.

A Galaxy S4 can run Android 7 with LineageOS (or is it a Mini)

On the topic at hand, I'd really recommend limiting screen time, bit of a Pandora's box.

timmmay

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#1899755 12-Nov-2017 19:57

Batman:

How did people change their kids before there were smartphones and tablets?

The hard way.

Sometimes it's just easier to distract them than fight them. He's better with some people changing him than others.

muppet

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#1899776 12-Nov-2017 21:26

This is kinda offtopic, but if the child is still so young as to be having their nappy changed, are they really going to figure out how to do much else? I mean our 2yo is nearly out of nappies - he'll go on the toilet if we get him at the right time and put him on it, but he can't figure out how to use a smartphone. I mean he still falls down stairs and walks into walls etc. He can watch Thomas The Tank Engine on the phone but otherwise has no idea how to use it. Some finger stabbing at the screen has been observed but not much else.

I would suggest if your nappy wearing child is able to navigate around an Android device so well you need to lock it down, that locking the device down is probably a bad idea and MENSA might be a better call.

Even our 4yo (who asked me the other day "Daddy, why don't people eat people?" - struggled to come up with a good reason for that one and made up the a fact that we don't taste good) can't get out of a pinned Netflix screen.

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