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How To Lock Screen For Kids On IPhone & Android

A locked screen is one of the best deterrents for children not to use a mobile device. This restriction ensures they can maintain focus while studying and keep their eyes when walking, enhancing their safety. Locking the screen can also help prevent accidental in-app purchases.

Thus, "how to lock screen for kids" has become one of the most searched phrases. This article discusses different techniques for iPhone and Android and introduces KidsGuard Pro, a parental control app that helps manage screen time.

Why You Should Lock Your Kids' Screen

Parental concerns are at the forefront for most people looking for ways how to lock screens for kids. Top of that list is unintended usage. While it is possible to encourage healthy digital behavior in kids, especially tweens, going the extra step of locking their device's screen for a period is recommended.

Today's devices rely heavily on downloaded apps, which come with in-app purchase capabilities. Locking your child's screen is an effective way to avoid unplanned spending on digital items.

Most teens may also not be well-equipped to filter the content that they interact with on their devices. As such, they can be exposed to inappropriate content like anonymous sexting chat, self-harm, and drug abuse. By locking your child's screen, you help minimize the chances of them interacting with such content.

If your child happens to use your device to play games or access other features, locking the screen is necessary to protect your device's settings. Additionally, it can help prevent data consumption.

Locking your kids' screens helps them focus better and concentrate on studying. Additionally, the reduced screen time resulting from this action encourages them to engage in other non-digital activities like making friends and helping around the house.

How to Lock Screen on iPhone for Kids

On iPhone, you can lock your child's screen using the Guided Access or Screen Time features. Below is a deeper dive into how you can use both methods.

Use Guided Access

(Source: Switching To Mac)

Guided Access is a useful feature on iPhones that helps parents control app usage and prevent unintended actions by their kids while using a device. With it, you can restrict access to just a single app.

You can enable Guided Access with the following steps.

Tap on the Settings App to open it.

Navigate to Accessibility and click on it.

Toggle the switch to enable Guided Access.

You can set a passcode by tapping on Passcode Setting and then inputting a Guided Access PIN. You can also enable Face ID or Touch ID for quick access.

Your device now has guided access. Follow this procedure to activate it for a specific app.

Launch the app that you want your child to use.

Triple-press the side button (or home button on older iPhones) to start up the Guided Access setup screen.

Adjust restrictions, including areas of the screen your child cannot use. Alternatively, you can tap on options in the bottom left to prevent screen touches, set a time limit, or disable volume buttons and motion controls.

Tap on start at the top right corner to lock the screen with Guided Access enabled.

Guided Access cannot be enabled remotely. You'll need to have your child's iPhone in hand to set it up.

Set Screen Time Restrictions

(Source: Youtube/LoFi Alpaca)

Screen time restrictions limit app usage and schedule downtime. When the limits are reached, the screen is effectively locked.

To enable screen time, follow these steps.

Tap to open the Settings App.

Tap on Screen Time and select Turn On Screen Time.

Choose This is My Child's iPhone. Use Family Sharing to enable screen time under your child's profile if setting up limits remotely.

Set up a 4-digit passcode by tapping on Use Screen Time Passcode.

Once you've set up screen time, proceed to set app limits as follows;

Under Screen Time, tap App Limits, then Add Limits.

Select app categories and tap Next.

Set the time limit and enable "Block at the end of Limit" to lock the app when time elapses.

One limitation of screen time restrictions is that your child can figure out the passcode you use and easily adjust time limits or turn off the feature.

How to Screen Lock for Kids on Android

Android devices also feature built-in screen lock features to control how much screen time your kids have. Additionally, you can use a third-party parental control app to track and limit app usage.

Enable Screen Pinning

Screen pinning is an Android feature that ensures only one app is accessible to a user at a time. It locks the screen to that specific app and is therefore an excellent solution if you are looking for how to lock the screen on Android while watching videos.

To enable app pinning on Android, proceed as follows.

Open the settings app.

Scroll down to Security and Privacy.

Tap on Advanced and select App Pinning or Screen Pinning, depending on your Android version.

Toggle ON and set a PIN or password that the user must input to unpin an app.

To pin an app, follow this process.

Open the app that you want to pin.

Tap the Recents button.

On the app preview, tap the pin icon or select "pin this app" from the menu.

The app will be pinned.

App pinning on later Android versions allows you to customize permissions. If not set properly, your child could still access the Google Play Store and make in-app purchases.

Use Digital Wellbeing

(Source: Android Central)

Android's Digital Wellbeing allows you to set app limits or enable focus mode to limit app usage and improve your child's productivity.

First, you will need to enable Digital Wellbeing through the following steps.

Open the settings app on Android.

Scroll down to Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls.

Set up your dashboard and allow app permissions where necessary.

Proceed to set app timers to limit usage using the following process.

Choose an app to limit.

Set a daily timer by tapping on App Timer and configuring the daily usage limit.

Confirm your settings and click on save.

To enable Focus Mode, proceed with this procedure.

Tap on Focus Mode in the Digital Wellbeing menu.

Select the apps you want to block.

Choose specific times to activate Focus Mode or manually activate it when needed.

Although Digital Wellbeing works for the most part, its functionality is limited to the set time you configure. You cannot lock the screen or limit apps indefinitely.

KidsGuard Pro: A Professional Parental Control App

The best approach to managing your child's screen time on their Android device is to use KidsGuard Pro. This parental control app is designed to simplify phone monitoring with features that let you lock specific apps, track app usage, and conveniently manage screen time.

KidsGuard Pro works in the background without raising any suspicions and gives you full insight into your kid's app activity. By analyzing usage statistics to determine the most used apps, you can control app usage more objectively.

Unlike the other screen-locking methods discussed in this article, KidsGuard Pro gives you full autonomy and does not require repeated setup on your child's device. Once you bind the device to your KidsGuard Pro account, you can perform all actions remotely.

To get started with KidsGuard Pro, follow these easy steps.

Sign up for an account with a valid email address on the KidsGuard Pro website.

Download and install the KidsGuard Pro app on your computer.

Bind your child's phone onto your account by installing the app on their Android device or connecting their iCloud if using an iPhone.

Log in to your account to start monitoring app activity, and limit usage on apps you deem fit.

Conclusion

Locking the screen of your child's iPhone or Android is crucial to helping them focus, preventing unauthorized in-app purchases, and protecting them from harmful content. Although in-built iPhone and Android settings help with screen time control, you need a more reliable and comprehensive parental control app.

KidsGuard Pro is a professional parental control and monitoring app that is easy to use and helps track app activity, lock apps, and manage screen time. Sign up for an account today to give the app a try.

The One UI 7 Stable Update Might Add An App Lock Feature

With the stable version of One UI 7, Samsung is reportedly planning to introduce a native App Lock feature. For now, the company is evaluating the possibility of the feature for the next major update for Galaxy devices. This can provide an easy option to lock individual apps, without relying on Samsung's Secure Folder.

Galaxy devices might get the App Lock feature

According to a moderator on the One UI Beta Program community, the final version of One UI 7 may include a native App Lock feature for Galaxy devices. In a response to the Samsung user's post on the forum, the moderator said, "If your suggestion aligns with our direction, we will consider applying it to the official release." Notably, the first two One UI 7 beta builds do not include an App Lock feature.

The native App Lock feature will provide users with an easy way to lock apps like Gallery, Messages, or social media without relying on third-party apps. The feature will most likely allow users to lock specific apps with a PIN, password, or even biometric authentication like a fingerprint or facial recognition.

Unlike Secure Folder, which essentially creates a separate version of an app, the App Lock feature would allow users to secure their existing apps directly. The user would no longer need to maintain duplicate apps or worry about transferring data between the regular and secured versions of an app.

China's One UI version already offers this feature

Interestingly, this feature has been part of the Chinese variant of One UI for some time. Galaxy users outside of China have frequently requested the global release of App Lock. As a result, Samsung is now considering the feature. If approved, it may be part of the final release or could be introduced later, possibly in an update like One UI 7.1. The One UI 7 stable update will likely arrive in January 2025 alongside the Galaxy S25 series.

Now, Android 15-based One UI 7 Beta 2 is out for the Galaxy S24 series in some regions including the US. If you haven't signed up yet, there might still be slots open. App Lock is not included in this release but you can try it out. Remember this is a beta so it might have some bugs. If One UI 7 Beta is available in your region, you should see a banner on the Samsung Members app's home screen to join.

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