Giving your child a phone? This app offers free parental controls for compatible Android devices

Handing a child a phone can feel like a practical milestone. It helps them keep in touch, lets them say when they have arrived safely and gives parents a way to check in when plans change.

But for many families, the harder question is not whether a child should have a phone. It is what they can do with it once they have one.

Social media is often the first concern. The Government has announced an under-16 ban, with restrictions expected to take effect in spring 2027, alongside wider plans to protect children online. Yet those changes do not answer the immediate, everyday question of how to manage the phone a child is using now.

That is where the gap appears. A parent may be comfortable keeping a child off social media but still want to know about messages, videos, games and websites.

Blocking one app does not tell you what else may be reaching them through the apps they are allowed to keep.

One option being promoted as a starting point is SafetyMode, developed in partnership with Mumsnet parents. The free parental control app works on compatible Android phones, allowing families to use its core functions without buying a new handset or paying for a subscription.

SafetyMode says its parental controls can filter content within apps, block websites and apps, and set screen time schedules.

For families with an Android device already in use, that may make it easier to review the phone as it is rather than starting from scratch. Parents can look at the apps installed, decide which ones are appropriate and talk through the level of access that suits their child’s age.

A paid version is also available, though it is not needed for the basic app. SafetyMode Plus costs £5.99 a month and allows parents to change settings from their own phone and receive alerts when content is flagged or blocked.

Before downloading either version, families should check that the child’s Android device is compatible with SafetyMode. But technical controls only go so far. A setting cannot help a child explain an upsetting message from a friend, or make it easier for them to admit they have clicked on something they regret.

That is why communication matters as much as restrictions, and why children need to know they can come to a parent without fear that the conversation will end with their phone being taken away.

SafetyMode has also published a free guide for parents covering seven areas of concern: bullying, scams, privacy, grooming, misinformation, attention and wellbeing.

It includes practical steps and conversation starters for families whose child is about to get a first phone, as well as those who already have one.

The parent guide is intended for families with Android phones or iPhones, even though the SafetyMode app itself currently needs a compatible Android device.

A more useful question than a lecture may be a simple one: “If something on your phone made you uncomfortable, would you show me?”

The answer may not be the one a parent hopes for. But it can open the door to a more honest conversation about boundaries, help and what a child should do if something online makes them uneasy.

While the Government develops new restrictions, parents can still review the phone controls available now and agree on rules that make asking for help feel possible.