- The new device, charged (and the box, for codes)
- Your own phone with the parent app for that device
- Your Wi-Fi password
- About 40 minutes, the night before
Unbox it quietly and run the updates
New devices often need a big update before they work fully. Turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi and let it update the night before, then re-wrap it. Game consoles in particular can take a while.
Create a child account, not your account
iPad or iPhone: on your own iPhone go to Settings > Family and add a child; Apple can then set the child's device up with age-based limits. (Apple: child account, set up a child device)
Android or Samsung tablet: use Google's free Family Link to create the child's account and manage it from your phone.
Turn on the parental controls
Set content ratings, screen-time limits and who they can talk to. Step-by-step: phones and tablets, YouTube, Roblox.
Game consoles: use the free parent app
Each console maker has a free app for your phone: Xbox Family Settings, Nintendo Switch Parental Controls and PlayStation Family. Our game console guide walks through each.
Require approval for purchases
Turn on Ask to Buy (Apple) or purchase approvals (Google, consoles) so a tap can't spend real money. See approve kids' app purchases. Gift cards for their account are a safer way to give them a budget.
⚠️ Careful: Don't save your credit card on a child's account or console without purchase approvals turned on.Agree on the house rules together
On Christmas afternoon, sit down and agree on a few rules: where devices charge at night, screen-free meals, and "tell us if anything online feels weird". Our family tech agreement makes it easy. First phone? See a kid's first phone.
Checked against the official help pages as of October 2026. Menu names can change with updates; if a label looks different, look for a similar one.
Related game: Safe or Risky?. Related explainer: What is phishing, and how do I spot it? .