Cash advice

With 53 per cent of children owning a smartphone by the time they are seven, according to research by Childwise, it’s not surprising shiny new handsets were on festive wish lists. Here are ways to ensure your grandkids don’t accidentally view inappropriate content or rack up huge bills…

3 STOP IN-APP PURCHASES

Kids can end up running up huge bills because they’ve unintentionally been purchasing extra lives or add-ons in games. You can stop purchases completely or require a PIN to be entered before the purchase can take place. Go to Settings and follow the instructions. If the phone is on contract, ask the network to put a spending cap on the account. This will mean they can’t rack up a huge bill, purchasing extra allowances. The smallest spending cap is usually £5.

1 TURN ON FILTERS

Contact the mobile provider for the phone and ask for adult content filters to be turned on. This will stop children accessing websites that contain material aimed at over 18s. When out and about, encourage your children to only connect to Friendly Wi-Fi hotspots (friendlywifi.com). This government-supported scheme encourages Wi-Fi owners to block access to pornographic sites – users can only use the logo if they do so. For young children, consider getting the handset SIM-free or giving them a hand-me-down phone. They can use it when connected to your home Wi-Fi network, but they can’t make calls, send texts or browse the web when out and about.

4 SET SCREEN-TIME LIMITS

Apple’s screen-time feature allows you to set time limits for different categories of apps and instigate a period of ‘downtime’ when only the apps you specify can be used. To set this up, head to the Settings menu, choose Screen Time and follow the on-screen instructions. Google offers similar features on Android smartphones running version seven of the operating system through it’s free Family Library (see families.google.com). Install this on to your phone (rather than the child’s handset) to set up the various controls. Head to Settings and then add user or profile.

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SET A PIN OR PASSWORD Setting a PIN on the smartphone will help stop anyone other than your child or grandchild using the handset, or accessing photos/information. Explain to them the importance of not disclosing this password or PIN – and make sure it’s something they can remember!

5 GET A CASE AND A SCREEN PROTECTOR

A case and a screen protector will help protect the phone if the child does accidentally drop it. It’ll also help ensure protection against scratches. Both are easily accessible to buy online.