- The new phone (iPhone or Android)
- Your own Apple or Google account
- About 30 minutes, before you give it to your child
Make your child their own account
Don't sign the phone in with your account. iPhone: create a child account in Family Sharing on your own iPhone. Android: create a Google account for your child through Family Link. Their account sits in your family group so you can manage it.
Turn on parental controls first
📱 iPhone / iPad: On your iPhone, open Settings > Family, tap your child's name, then Screen Time. Set Downtime, App Limits and Content & Privacy Restrictions, and turn on Ask to Buy.
🤖 Android: Open the Family Link app on your phone, pick your child, then set screen time limits, app approvals and content filters for Google Play, Chrome and YouTube.
Decide who they can talk to
Add family and trusted friends to their contacts. On iPhone, Screen Time lets you limit who your child can call and message. Talk about what to do if a stranger messages them: don't reply, show you.
Turn on location sharing
Share locations with each other in Find My (iPhone) or through Family Link (Android), so you can find the phone, and your child, if it goes missing.
Set house rules together
Agree on simple rules before day one: where the phone charges at night, when it's put away, and what apps are OK. Write them down in a family tech agreement.
💡 Tip: Start strict and loosen the rules as your child shows they can handle more.
Next: Write a family tech agreement and approve kids' app purchases. Menu names change as apps update. These steps were checked against official help pages in October 2026.
Related game: Safe or Risky?. Related explainer: How to pick a phone: a plain-English buying guide .