School-issued or family-owned?
A device issued by the school is usually managed by the school. It may already have filters, approved apps and restrictions, and you may not be able to change them. Read the school's agreement and ask what is monitored, at what times and by whom.
A family-owned device is yours to configure. The steps below mostly apply to that case, though the workspace and routine advice suits both.
Accounts
- Your adult account first. Set up the device with a parent account that has administrator rights and a strong passphrase only you know.
- A separate child account. Most operating systems offer a child or family account linked to yours. It lets you manage settings without sharing your password.
- School sign-in. Use the account the school provides for school apps rather than creating new personal accounts. Ask the school if you are unsure which to use.
- Check ages. Many apps and services set minimum ages in their terms. Do not change a birth date to get around them.
Parental controls
Built-in family controls on phones, tablets, computers and game consoles typically let you:
- Approve app downloads and purchases.
- Filter web content and allow or block particular sites.
- Set downtime, for example overnight and during meals.
- See a summary of how the device is used.
Controls work best when they are explained, not secret. Tell your child what is switched on and why, and plan to relax settings as they show they can manage. No filter is perfect, so keep talking about what they see online.
Updates, security and privacy
- Turn on automatic updates for the operating system and apps.
- Use a screen lock with a PIN or passphrase.
- Switch off location sharing and microphone or camera access for apps that do not need them.
- Review privacy settings in any app your child uses for school. Background in student privacy basics.
- Back up schoolwork, or make sure it saves to the school's cloud storage.
A good place to work
- A table in a shared room, rather than a bedroom, for younger children.
- Screen at about eye level, with the device raised or an external keyboard if used for long periods.
- A charging spot outside bedrooms for overnight.
- Headphones for audio tasks, at a sensible volume.
Agree the rules together
Write a short family agreement covering when the device is used for homework, when it is free time, where it lives at night and what to do if something online feels wrong. Revisit it each term. Our guide to screen time and homework has ideas for the routine.
If a school-issued device has a problem, report it to the school rather than resetting or repairing it yourself. It may hold settings and work the school needs.