Child Proofing Your Android Device - Series 2

Series 2: Study Time

Tablet OS: Android 4.0 and higher

Area: Time Management

There are parental control apps in Android which restricts the ability to use certain apps and also restrict the time when they can be used. The drawback however is either these apps really shouts out that they are there to restrict, or worst, they are skinned too much that they look like totally different from what Mom and Pops are normally using.

Another approach could be using task automation apps to 'silently' monitor the time and trigger an event on the device with the right combination of alert message and the opportunity for the child to voluntarily respond.

Llama at Google Play Store

One such trick is by using Llama, originally an application for location profiling, it can also be used to silently do the job of time management. Where Llama is good at is at being invisible in the background while also being simple to customize. No fancy UI, just the bare bones options to add an event, the right conditions and trigger an action or a series of actions.

The key steps are:

• Define the time period:
• e.g. Time between 6:00 PM until 6:00 AM
• Define the right conditions:
• When the Home application is at the background, which means an app is running in the foreground. (e.g. the child is playing a game or watching a YouTube video.
• Define the right action:
• Send a toast message: "It's time to study! Save the game and continue again tomorrow."
• Launch the Home application.
• Re-trigger the event every 1 minute, in case the child decides to play some more or wants to save the game.

Here is an example screen grab from Llama.

Step 1: Creating the Event trigger. The setting below will launch Nova Home launcher when the trigger is activated, which brings the tablet to the home screen. The child can still go to the recent apps button to go back and save the game or bookmark whatever he or she has been watching.

Step 2: Going into the Advanced setting to set the retriggering. Set the event to repeat every 1 minutes to allow the child to voluntarily respond. The repetitive messages will finally get the message across without being abrupt.

Step 3: And finally seeing it all come together.

Tips and Tricks:

1. This is best done with a Launcher application since Android by default does not show the system Home application in the selection of apps to trigger.
2. Adding the Llama app as an exception in the rule allows you to go to the Llama app and disable the trigger, else the tablet cannot be used unless you are out of the time period covered in the trigger.
3. You may use Llama for more event automation, one example is to automate volume profiles and so on.

Child Proofing Your Android Device - Series 1

Series 1: Restricted Profiles

Tablet OS: Android version 4.3 and higher

Area: App Accessibility and In-App Purchases

In Android 4.3 and higher, it is possible to setup multiple user profiles with one user profile set into a Restricted Profile mode. 

This mode means, that only certain applications which are allowed by the main device owner are available to the user of the restricted profile. This is very useful for parents sharing the same tablet or mobile device with their children. 

Aside from creating a dedicated environment for the child to 'freely use' the device, the restricted profile removes the annoyance of predefined passwords on restricted apps that further prompts the curiosity of the child as to what the restricted app is for. 

Step 1: The device owner should go to Settings> User.

Step 2: Click add User Profile. Select Restricted Profile.

Step 3: Android will show a list of currently installed apps, the device owner will select the apps that the restricted user are allowed to use by sliding the switch from Off to On. By default all apps are set to Off.

Step 4: After selecting the allowable apps, touching the back button returns to the User Profile setting page. Android will indicate and prompt the device owner to setup the restricted profile. This will log-off the current user, and the device will go to the lock screen showing the device owner and the newly created user profile.

Step 5: Login to the restricted profile and make the necessary customizations like wallpapers, app shortcuts, and so on. This part is making sure the user of the restricted profile has a proper homescreen to log into.

Step 6: Going into the app drawer will show and should show only the apps allowed to the restricted user.

Step 7: When new apps or games are installed by the device owner, it can be added again by going to the restricted profile and adding the newly installed apps from the list.

Tips:

1. The device owner will be prompted to add a login password if it is not currently enabled.
2. You can tap on the avatar of the user to add his/her photo, adding more personalization.

Child Proofing Your Android Device - Introduction

Admittedly, more and more kids are using tablet devices alongside their parents. Unattended the poor little fellows can unwittingly set off a purchasing spree, thanks to in-app purchases, banner ads and pop-ups that even a cautious adult can sometimes accidentally click into. Add to that the very thin line between the accessibility of mature apps and children apps or games. And when the kids get the hang off it, study times, or worst, meal times become a tug of war between the parent and the child.

In these series of articles, several examples of child proofing your tablet device is presented. It will also be indicated which device operating system is taken into account, which apps are involved and which area of child proofing: App Accessibility, In-App Purchases, or Time-Management, is being addressed.