Caretakers need a way to control their kids’ phones. Clearly evident to most guardians dealing with pre-teens and teens for some time, Google now seems to have caught on as well with the release of Android’s new “Restricted Profiles” function for smartphones.
Restricted Profiles, which is more commonly referred to as “Kid Mode,” primarily focuses on application control. It gives parents the option to either choose a few apps that their children can access – essentially creating a whitelist – or block certain apps they deem to be dangerous or unsavory by creating a blacklist. Parents may also dive deeper: going into each app and choosing which features to allow their child to use and which features to block.
Android’s new answer is a moderate step forward for Google – and indeed for the entire smartphone industry, which has seen key players like Apple stand pat on parental control and not offer users a built-in option on their smartphones.
Although it is nice to see Android take a step forward, Kid Mode still pales in comparison to the choices already available on Google Play itself. MMGuardian, the solution I helped develop, has given parents app controls, including whitelist and blacklist, for months now as part of our core feature set. MMGuardian bundles that application control into a more diverse, comprehensive feature set for guardians: one that includes the ability to instantly locate or lock the phone, set time limits, a text and drive blocker, and anti-bullying text monitoring.
What will be interesting to see is if Android takes Kid Mode and turns it into a larger-scale offering; something resembling true parental control. If that happens, it will really be a tool for caretakers to consider for their children’s safety.
By Paul Grossinger