Overview

This guide provides a practical checklist, organized by difficulty levels and age groups, to help parents and guardians configure privacy settings on tablets, smartphones and consoles. The goal is to reduce common risks (unintentional sharing, accidental purchases, tracking, exposure to inappropriate content) while promoting healthy digital independence.

How to use this checklist

  • See the section for your child’s age and choose the appropriate difficulty level: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced.
  • After applying settings, review device behavior with the child and explain the rules for use.
  • Revisit settings every 3–6 months or after major device updates.

Recommended age groups

  • 0–5 years: full supervision; use only pre-approved content.
  • 6–11 years: active control, clear rules on time and content.
  • 12–15 years: guided autonomy; stricter privacy on social platforms.
  • 16–17+ years: growing responsibility; discuss privacy and online behavior.

Difficulty levels

  • Basic: quick, recommended settings for everyone.
  • Intermediate: additional configurations requiring a bit more time or use of a parent account.
  • Advanced: technical or administrative controls (e.g., cloud account management, multi-factor authentication) for stronger protection.

General checklist (applies to all devices)

Basic

  • Enable a screen lock: passcode, PIN, or pattern. Avoid insecure gestures.
  • Create or use a family/parent account separate from the child’s profile.
  • Disable automatic face recognition in photos and cloud backups if possible.
  • Turn off automatic sharing of photos/videos to cloud services without parental review.
  • Enable purchase controls (require approval for downloads or in-app purchases).
  • Enable safe search settings in browsers and search engines used by the child.

Intermediate

  • Set screen time limits and scheduled downtime using family controls.
  • Restrict which apps can be installed: block categories or specific apps.
  • Review app permissions: location, camera, microphone; set to “only while in use” or “never” when possible.
  • Turn off background location sharing for unnecessary apps.
  • Disable ad personalization for the device and accounts.

Advanced

  • Enable two-factor authentication on the parent account and, when appropriate, on the child’s account.
  • Limit or disable automatic syncing of contacts and call logs with cloud services.
  • Use a separate Wi‑Fi network for children’s devices (guest network) if possible.
  • Configure encrypted backups and enable remote wipe capability.

Device-specific controls

Tablets and smartphones

Basic

  • Use a child profile or parental controls offered by the platform.
  • Disable in-app purchases and the storage of payment methods.
  • Prevent installing apps from unofficial sources (allow only official app stores).

Intermediate

  • Review privacy settings of social apps: make accounts private and restrict who can message or view content.
  • Disable auto-saving of media received in messaging apps.
  • Limit voice assistant access to prevent uncontrolled searches or activations.

Advanced

  • Consider family management or mobile device management (MDM) solutions for more granular control.
  • Periodically review and clean up unknown contacts and social connections.

Game consoles

Basic

  • Create child profiles with age-appropriate restrictions and time limits.
  • Disable voice/text chat if you prefer no communication with strangers.
  • Enable purchase controls for games, add-ons, and microtransactions.

Intermediate

  • Limit the ability to share screenshots or clips publicly.
  • Review account visibility settings (who can see activity and achievements).

Advanced

  • Manually approve friends lists.
  • Use a separate network or firewall rules to limit unnecessary services.

Education and family rules

  • Talk openly: explain why settings are in place and what risks exist.
  • Set clear rules on screen time, allowed apps, and online conduct.
  • Teach children not to share personal details (address, school, photos showing home) with strangers.
  • Encourage reporting of messages or content that makes them uncomfortable.

Maintenance and regular audits

  • Check settings every 3–6 months or after major updates.
  • Review installed apps and their permissions with your child.
  • Update passwords and review stored payment methods.

Quick printable checklist (at a glance)

  • Screen lock enabled
  • Family account set up
  • Purchase controls active
  • Screen time limits configured
  • Location and app permissions reviewed
  • Console chat/visibility checked
  • Two-factor authentication on parent account

Conclusion

This checklist is meant to be practical and adaptable: each family can tune settings to the child’s age, maturity and educational approach. Technology helps, but supervision and ongoing conversations are the most effective tools for children’s digital safety.