Top 5 Safety features for kids' phones

In today’s online world, maintaining childrens’ safety while allowing them to stay connected with friends is a priority for all parents. With increased screen time and exposure to online risks, choosing the right phone for kids is important. At Teracube, we understand the importance of both internet safety and physical safety for youth which is why we’ve compiled a list of the top five safety features your child’s phone must have.

1. Thorough Parental Controls

Any child-friendly phone must have parental controls that allow guardians to monitor and manage how the device is used. These should include:

• App/content restrictions: The ability to block or approve the installation of apps is a must-have for parents. This can prevent children from accessing a variety of content including inappropriate games and other harmful content.

• Time limits: Screen time limits can be vital in promoting a healthy lifestyle. Parental controls should allow guardians to set daily or hourly limits on phone usage. These limits can be customized for different times of the day, such as restricting phone access during school hours or bedtime. 

• Remote management: Parents should be able to adjust settings and restrictions from their own device. Remote management tools allow guardians to lock the phone, change permissions, or monitor usage without needing to physically access the child’s device.

2. Safe Communication Tools

Your child’s phone should allow communication with trusted contacts and limit it with strangers. Essential features to do so include: 

• Pre-approved contact lists: When your child is at a young age, you should have control over who they can call or chat with. By setting up a list of pre-approved trusted contacts, parents can minimize interaction with strangers or online predators. Moreover, no unknown callers or spam calls should be allowed, ensuring that a child does not have exposure to dangerous situations that put their privacy at risk.

• Limited access to anonymous messaging apps: Many anonymous chatting apps expose children to cyberbullying, scams, or inappropriate material. A child-friendly phone should either block these apps or allow parents to selectively disable them.
  

3. Location Tracking

Knowing where your child is in real time can be important for their safety. Here is a capability that enables that:

• Live location updates: Parents should have access to a live location-sharing feature that updates in real time, helping them track their child. This can be especially helpful if your child travels to school alone or spends time outside home.
  
  

4. Appropriate Browsing Restrictions

While the internet is a great tool for educational content, it can also be a channel of exposure to inappropriate or harmful content. A safe phone should have the following:

• Built-in filtering: This should automatically block websites that contain adult content, violent material, or unsafe downloads. Such features can be essential in ensuring your child is not exposed to harmful content while online.
  
  

5. Emergency Features

In a crisis, emergency features can ensure your child’s safety and be critical for protecting their well-being. Such features include:

• Emergency Communications: In an emergency, if a child dials 911, parents should be notified and all call restrictions should be removed from the device, enabling the child to communicate with anyone necessary for help.

By integrating the above features, parents can give their children the benefits of modern technology without sacrificing wellbeing. We believe that the ideal kids’ phone should promote a balance between connection, safety, and easy usage. That’s why at Teracube, we are committed to developing solutions that uplift internet safety and good digital citizenship. As our devices continue to evolve and improve, we work to ensure that children’s first phones provide them with good memories rather than bad ones.