- Back up your data.
If you have anything on the old phone that you'd like to keep, like photos or messages, you may want to back these up before they're lost. - Reset to the factory settings.
This helps to stop your child accessing any accounts that may be logged in on the phone. Also, it makes it feel fresh and new for them. - Update to the latest software.
Phones that run on old software can be slower and more vulnerable to cyber attacks. We suggest switching on automatic updates. - Follow the rest of our guide.
Look at the steps we've included in this article to get the phone as secure as it can be for your child.
Create a child profile
Some devices have the option for a child or teen profile. This makes it easier to monitor what they're up to and to use the most age-appropriate settings. Depending on which operating system they're using, there are different options and features.
iOS
Apple Family Sharing allows up to 5 family members to share things like photos and calendars. They have child accounts for children under 13. Internet Matters has a full guide on its features.
Android
Google Family Link is a way to set up parental controls across different devices. Internet Matters has a full guide on its features.
Set up parental controls
Need to know
You'll need to set up parental controls in more than one place, including their mobile plan and home WiFi. Find out about the different kinds of parental controls.
If your child has a Safer SIM, they’ll already have a moderate or strict lock on their content when connected to the EE network. You can check your current parental controls in the settings for each of your plans in the EE app.
There are 3 levels of security if you have an EE mobile plan.
| Moderate | This is the default setting for new and existing customers, apart from some of our Safer SIMs which are locked to Strict. You get access to social networking sites but not to 18-rated content or to pornography sites. This is in line with BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) guidelines. |
| Strict | This is the safe setting for children under 13. It filters all 18-rated content and anything the BBFC rates higher than 'PG'. Also, it filters content not suitable for younger children including chat, dating and unmoderated social networking sites. Google SafeSearch is now built into our Strict settings. This means any Google search will not show websites that relate to unsecure or adult content. You can’t turn this feature off with this setting – you’ll need to switch your parental controls to Moderate or Off. |
| Off | This gives full access to the internet with no filter, including to 18-rated content. |
Find out how to turn on or change parental controls on an EE mobile.
Set screen time limits
You can control how much time your child spends on their phone, or on certain apps. This helps them to develop healthy digital habits whilst using technology.
iOS
Use Screen Time in settings to:
- set daily time limits for certain apps or categories like social media and gaming
- get weekly reports on how much time your child is spending on their device
- create bedtime or study hours using the downtime feature
You can protect these settings with a passcode so your child can’t change them.
Find out how in our device guides.
Android
Digital Wellbeing can help you to:
- set daily time limits for certain apps or categories like social media and gaming
- see a breakdown of how much they’ve used their phone and individual apps
- create bedtime, focus and wind down periods
Find out how from the Internet Matters guide for Digital Wellbeing.
Internet Matters has an in-depth breakdown into the different screen time tools available, including how to talk about these with your kids.
How to hand down a phone
You may not want to buy a brand new phone for your child, since smart phones can be expensive to replace if lost. If you’ve got an old phone that you want to hand down, there are a few things you can do to make sure it’s set up safely.
You may need to unlock the phone
Any phone sold after 2021 will already be unlocked.
But if the phone’s older than this, and the SIM doesn’t work when you put it in, it may be locked to a different network. You’ll need to contact the network it’s locked to, to find out how to do unlock it. There could be a charge.
Visit an EE store
You can book an appointment with an EE Guide in your local store. They’ll show you how to set up the different kind of parental controls.
If you’re handing down a phone, they can:
- reset to factory settings
- update to the latest software
They’ll help you learn how to keep your child safer online, and give you tips to try to stop harmful situations from happening.
If you have WiFi from EE, they can support with how to set restrictions on your hub when your child’s connected at home.
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