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Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 4:55 pm
by Ferg
Whats the SE collective wisdom on managing phones for children?

I want to:
- control data usage and stop if breaching limits
- monitor contacts
- Control app usage.
- ensure they can phone in an emergency if needed

How much is this done through the Carrier and how much through the OS. Apps obviously OS related.

Your musings are welcome and appreciated...

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 6:47 pm
by rossybee
Tesco allow capped data usage - I use it for my 20 & 17yr olds :damnfunny

As for limiting access to sites/apps etc I have recently seen a kiddie friendly smart phone but cannot recall its name, sorry

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 6:51 pm
by rossybee
Here it is - seems to be the closest to my understanding of what you're maybe after? :thumbsup

https://www.tescomobile.com/shop/imo/s2 ... Q4QAvD_BwE

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:20 am
by Ferg
Thanks Ross.

From what I can see and other feedback you can go either PAYG or Contract and achieve similar control on data. Going to speak to a few operators further but this seems achievable and pretty standard.

The hard bit is the OS. Android provide very little support for managing phones like this. Microsoft did, but that OS is dead. IOS is streets ahead for family sharing and access management. But the phones are bloody expensive. I don't really want a child running about with £300 of tech on them, and the refurbed market seems to be a bit of a minefield. Looking at much cheaper android devices at the minute.

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:33 am
by Ferg
Having read further on it the Monqi solution is interesting as a restricted Android environment. 👍

Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 2:52 am
by campbell
Hand me down, refurbed or carefully selected 2nd hand iPhone would be my suggestion. Just put a fresh battery in.

Or if you are quick, iPhone SE can still be had brand new for £200-£250.

We started both of ours on a Samsung J1 though. Worked well. And not enough horsepower to get them into much trouble

Teach Greg the value of the item, insure it (don’t tell him tho!), set some ground rules, and off you go

Welcome to the tween years...

Happy to chat through any time.

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 3:11 am
by rossybee
I suppose I've had it relatively easy, as my kids first phones weren't smart, and then when they did get smartphones it was early HTC stuff etc.

So Campbell (and others with younger young uns) will be better qualified to furnish with current info :blackeye

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 8:12 pm
by pete
125 quid for an iphone SE (secondhand). 50ish for new battery if it needs it, or 20 for a USB power brick.

Lassie in work has taken 4 phones to Apple for new batteries and twice they've buggered it up and given her a new phone.

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 2:09 am
by campbell
Brand new SE back in stock at John Lewis. 128gb. £249. 2 yr warranty. Awesome deal. Tempted to buy one as an investment. Image

https://www.johnlewis.com/apple-iphone- ... b/p3915150

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 3:29 pm
by Scottish Scrutineer
Thanks Campbell, my SE is getting a bit old now and the charger port is temperamental. Might just go for one of those as a replacement (or spare). Must say I find the SE just the right physical size.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 10:47 am
by Stevoraith
R.e. The temperamental charger port, have you tried sticking a pin in it and fishing out all the pocket fluff!?

Every so often I find that the charger doesn’t ‘click’ into place like it should and a ton of fluff in the charger port is always the cause.

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:56 am
by IanD
I’ll ask my kids, well the 20 and 23 yr old kids and add to post with the detail

Will be iOS based but there is definitely ways to reduce and limit app access which is a slightly different angle but can’t remember what it does and control you have.

Impressed when off her own back, my daughter Katie decided to use the above at study/exam times #prouddad

You haven’t mentioned the biggest problem......

Managing the fallout as the children use whatever forms of social media and all the slagging, bitching, fall out, bully etc etc with each other - girls are a nightmare.
Even 6 years+ ago was a big problem at school, remember us having big issues with chat content Katie was in via blackberry messenger :shock:

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 1:17 pm
by rossybee
IanD wrote:
Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:56 am
and all the slagging, bitching, fall out, bully etc etc with each other - girls are a nightmare.
This 100% Ian.

Thankfully my Sophie is now 20 and at Uni away from home so has passed most of dealing with this behaviour, but at high school it can be truly horrendous.

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 5:09 pm
by Ferg
That's the scary thing I reckon. But nothing is going to stop that. It happened in our day too, but maybe not as readily.

Well in the end I went for a contract that's attached to my existing account. It can be set not to exceed data limits etc and I can manage through my account. I got an Android smart phone for £65. Cheap enough that if it gets destroyed some how it's less of a blow. It's fast enough although can tell it's down on processing power.

It turned out that google has updated their kid controls. When I looked only 18 months ago they didn't do anything. Now you can add a child account and connect it to your own. It means you can control what apps are downloaded and set permissions for features remotely. So far it seems good enough. Time will tell.

👍

Re: Mobile Phones for kids?

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 5:38 pm
by campbell
Great progress, Ferg. Well done!