How to make an iPod Touch safe for kids at Cool Mom Tech

Tuesday 22 January

How to make an iPod Touch safe for kids

I'm pretty sure almost every one of my oldest daughter's friends got an iPod Touch for Christmas this year. We're talking third-graders. And while even we here at Cool Mom Tech have recommended it as an option for a handheld gaming device for kids the iPod Touch has a lot of features that are decidedly not kid-friendly. So, unless you're watching your child like a hawk every second she's got it in her hands, you might be surprised what sorts of trouble they can get into, with just a couple of innocent clicks.

What you might also not know is that the iPod Touch has a slew of settings and restrictions that really can make it a safer device for kids. To help, we've provided step-by-step instructions for you to follow to kidify that iPod Touch.

Restrictions and Privacy

First of all, it's up to you to keep in mind the age of your child and their maturity and sense of responsibility, in terms of what you allow and what you keep on lockdown. Hopefully this info will help you make the decisions that are best for you.

The iPod Touch comes complete with Safari and YouTube, as well as access to iTunes, the App Store, Facetime, and a camera. Now these are all awesome for us adults, but not so great for unfettered access by kids. Thankfully, you can set restrictions on pretty much everything on the device by doing the following:

1. Go to Settings

2. Click on General

3. Click on Restrictions

4. Enable restrictions (you will be asked for a passcode and will need to enter this to change any restrictions)

5. Turn "off" what you don't want your kids to have access to, which may include Safari, Camera, Facetime, iTunes, Installing/Deleting Apps.

If you are keeping the iTunes and Installing Apps tabs "on," you'll want to scroll down to "Allowed Content" and set iTunes and App Store limits.

I moved Music & Podcasts to "clean" and set Movies and TV-Shows to "G" and "TV-G" for my 8-year old. I also set Apps Rated to 4+, though you can turn that off completely if you don't want your child to be able to search for apps. Imagine my surprise when my daughter searched for "girls apps" and ended up with...yeah. Not stuff for little girls.

Additionally, I turned off "in-app purchases" and required a password to be entered for any app purchase attempt. But of course, you should consider your children's age, as well as how they'll be using the device, to help in your decision as to what to turn off and how to limit the content they can view.

Restrictions 2.0
Within the same Restrictions page, take a few seconds to scroll through each one of the options, including Location Services (which I turned OFF for the obvious reasons), as well as contacts, reminders, and photos, then decide whether you want your child to be able to make changes to any of those categories.

For example, I prefer to add contacts myself to my daughter's iPod Touch, so I set that to "don't allow changes."

As you scroll down, you'll see you can also turn "multiplayer games" and "adding friends" to off which might be wise for younger kids who aren't quite social networking yet.

Kid-Safe Browsers

If you turned off Safari but would like your child to have some Internet access, you can add a kid-safe browser to the iPod Touch. I tried out two of them on my daughter's iPod Touch to get a sense of how well they work.

K9 Web Protection Browser is a free app that blocks out adult and potentially offensive sites, as well as malicious sites, potentially illegal sites (online gambling), and even sites that cover child-parent discussion topics. I entered a few different websites, like YouTube.com for example, and that was completely blocked. The interface is a little childish, so your older tween or teen might roll their eyes a bit; and you can't choose words or sites that you want to block since it's all based on their own settings. But I think it works well for younger kids who might still want to do some research or searching on the Internet.

The Mobicip app is on the higher end at $4.99, and offers the ability to set levels based on your kid's age (I chose elementary) and looks fantastic-- just like Safari in fact.

Now this app does not completely block YouTube, but rather blocks out what their algorithm deem as inappropriate content based on the level you set. Despite that however, a Ke$ha video still popped up on the screen--not the worst thing in the world, though not sure I'd consider that elementary level viewing. Also, in order to get any of the really cool features that Mobicip offers, like adding specific websites and keywords you want to block, as well as getting a report on your kid's activity, you need to upgrade for an extra $9.99. If you've got a teen who you think is ready for a little more freedom, I'd say this app with the additional monitoring could be worth it.

The Tech Talk

Before you pop a safe case on the iPod Touch and hand it over to your child, I strongly suggest you talk to your children about Internet safety, privacy, and overall gadget care, so that they understand the responsibility of tech ownership and usage. In our own experience, having continued, fluid conversations about technology is important to their safety and success, as well as making sure they understand that they can come talk to you if they have any questions or concerns. The restrictions and privacy settings are only a very small part of keeping your kids safe. Most of it is about the decision they make on their very own.

For more Internet safety tips for kids, make sure to check our archives.

Find More: Apps apps and more apps, Apps for iOS, Games + Gaming, Internet Safety, Tips and Tricks, Tweens + Big Kids

7 Comments

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Megan {Velveteen Mind} | January 22, 2013 1:30 PM | Reply

Thank you! I needed this article after a new Christmas iPad for the kids. Having researched the heck out of this on my own, I am seriously impressed with how thoroughly you've nailed it. I didn't know about kid-safe browsers, though! I love y'all.

Danielle Smith | January 22, 2013 10:36 PM | Reply

There are TWO new iPod Touches in our home after Christmas (courtesy of doting grandparents) and I have been researching this like crazy...especially after hearing not one, but half a dozen other parents shrug and say, 'but I'm not really that tech-y'.

NOT AN OPTION. Thank you for this - just what I needed.

Karin | January 22, 2013 10:45 PM | Reply

Thanks so much for this article! My 8 year old is saving money to buy an iPod touch. This will help me keep my kiddo safe!

Jessica, The Debt Princess | January 22, 2013 11:04 PM | Reply

Thanks for this post. I bought my son (much to his disappointment) a Nano this past Christmas. I just don't want him having unlimited access to the internet, games and apps but I want him to have music for a number of reasons.

He's about to turn 10 but I don't think he's getting a Touch until 12. I don't mind being behind the curve on this one.

cavalletta | January 27, 2013 1:55 PM | Reply

Great tips! Thank you!

Liz from Mobicip | February 1, 2013 8:38 PM | Reply

Thx for the shout out. You girls rock!

BTW here's a discount code for your readers: 0BK4EJ (10% off the Premium upgrade, valid until end of Feb 2013).

RG ICT | March 25, 2013 7:26 AM | Reply

Hi All,

As an ICT educator, I have come across this browser as an alternative for younger students, children using devices.
Check out k9 safe search
http://www.k9safesearch.com/about.jsp

There is even an app for it !!
Worth a look at anything that can protect our kids!
Cheers RG

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