Set Up Safe: manage a child's Pay Monthly phone

Use the Set Up Safe service to:

• block adult websites ('content lock')
• set a spend cap (not available if your phone plan started before 1 October 2018)
• disable data (roaming) outside the EU 
• stop premium rate or international calls 
• block third party charges to the bill such as in-app purchases, gaming, quizzes, competitions, voting on television shows 
• stop the child buying more data 

You have complete control of the settings and must contact us by phone to remove them. 

We've put together a package of settings that we recommend for children based their age.

Voice short codes are typically 5 or 7 digits long and begin with a 6 or 8. They are used for things like TV voting as the number to call when calling from a mobile. Any calls to short code numbers cannot currently be blocked from mobiles and may incur charges.

Manage a child's device settings and turn off:

• bluetooth - other phones can scan and detect a phone if Bluetooth is on and potentially send photos
• location services - if activated, your child's location can be posted to their social network

Talk to any children you care for about about the consequences of posting personal information, especially photos, online.

Children should be aware that they lose control of a photo after they share it - who sees it and how it's going to be used. It's also important to talk to them about consent and sharing photos of other people.

Our safety settings will help minimise risks children face online.

It's still really important to talk to children about leading a healthy online life and to guide and monitor their internet use. 

Guides for parents (the Internet Matters website)

Our partner Internet Matters has expert guides for parents. You can get advice on how to teach children resilience and how to identify risks online. Read their guidance on:

• recomended apps for children 
• setting social media settings 
• staying safe with online gaming

Guides for children (The BBC Own It app)

We recommend trying the BBC's free app Own It.

The app is designed for children to use when they get their first phone. The app has a special keyboard that gives children helpful tips and friendly advice as they type.

Download Own It app for iPhone or Own It app for Android. 

Apps to check what a child is doing online (Apple Family Sharing and Family Link from Google) 

Apple Family Sharing is a shared platform for your family. You can control what a child purchases, gain awareness of how a child uses their device and limit content children have access to on their devices.

Family Link from Google helps parents set digital ground rules for their children and teens as they learn, play and explore on their devices. Parents can manage apps and content, set screen time limit, see where thye are and get teacher-recommended apps.