How to set parental controls on a child's tablet

Why tablets need their own thought

A tablet is often the first screen a child owns outright. It lives on the sofa or in the bedroom, it is bigger, and it is used for longer sessions of video, games and reading. It usually has no SIM, so it depends on Wi-Fi, and that changes how some controls behave.

Many families assume a tablet is safer than a phone because it cannot make calls. The browser, the Play Store and YouTube are all there, so it needs the same care.

Set it up in order

• Reset the tablet once so it can be managed. Remove any Google account first
• Install the management app using the Skie Provision app or a computer and cable
• Choose allowed apps: learning apps, books, a drawing app, a few games
• Hide the Play Store so nothing new appears without you
• Block adult websites with a locked filter and force SafeSearch
• Block other browsers and VPN apps so the filter cannot be sidestepped
• Add schedules for study time and a bedtime lock

What changes on a Wi-Fi-only tablet

Skie works on a Wi-Fi-only tablet for most features. Web filtering is locked on the device and travels with it on any network. Location depends on what the device can sense: with no mobile connection, expect location to be less detailed than on a phone with a SIM. Check the actual behaviour on your device rather than relying on a general figure.

Rules are cached on the tablet, so they keep working when the Wi-Fi drops. When the connection returns, the tablet syncs.

Shared tablets and young children

In Skie, one device belongs to one child, which keeps things clear. If two children share a tablet, choose a rule set that suits the younger one, or give each child their own device. Android's built-in extra user profiles are blocked by Skie by default, so a child cannot make a second unmanaged profile.

For a small child, a short allowed list works best. Add apps as they ask and as you approve them. This is easier than starting broad and taking things away.

Compared with kids tablet products

Amazon Fire Kids tablets and Samsung Kids offer a ready-made children's environment, which suits families who want to buy a tablet and use it as it comes. Skie is software only and manages a tablet you already own, so you keep the tablet you have. See how to choose between a phone and a tablet if you are still deciding.

Not available yet

Daily screen time limits and usage reports are not available yet. Skie schedules cover part of this: you can lock the tablet at a set hour or limit it to certain apps in a window. The team is working on time limits and reports, with no dates.

Where tablets differ from phones in daily life

A tablet is often used lying on a bed or in a corner, away from a parent's eye. That makes the bedtime lock more valuable than on a phone that goes into a bag. A tablet also tends to be used for long video sessions, so decide in advance what video apps are allowed and whether YouTube stays on with restricted mode, which Skie forces on in Chrome.

Reading and drawing apps are good candidates for the allowed list. Browsers are the riskiest item, so many families set the browser to restricted or off for young children. Skie lets you choose off, restricted or allowed per group.

Tablets also get passed around. A grandparent or cousin may use it for a few minutes. Because the rules sit on the device itself, they apply whoever is holding it.

Lost, dropped or outgrown

Tablets get dropped and lost. Lost mode locks the device, shows a message, tracks it and prepares evidence for a police report. If the tablet breaks, replace the device in Skie to keep the child's rules and history. The school view of the same steps is in lost or stolen managed tablet.

When your child outgrows the tablet rules, change the allowed list instead of starting again. Use the impact preview to see what a change will affect before you apply it. Pricing for Skie is on request.

Frequently asked questions