How to Set Up a Child-Safe
Android Phone in India
Giving your child their first phone is a milestone — and a chance to set up the right guardrails from day one, rather than retrofitting rules after problems appear. Here's a complete setup checklist.
Last updated: July 2026 · 8 min read
Step 1: Create a Google Account for Your Child
Set up a supervised Google Account
For children under 13 (or the applicable age in your Google Family Group), create their account through Family Link rather than letting them sign up independently — this links their account to your supervision.
Add them to your Google Family Group
This enables shared app purchases, screen time controls, and location sharing without needing separate subscriptions for each feature.
Step 2: Configure Family Link Controls
App approval
Require your approval before any new app can be installed from the Play Store — this is the single most effective control for what content reaches your child.
Screen time limits
Set daily limits and a bedtime schedule that locks the phone automatically. Adjust as your child grows rather than leaving it static for years.
Content filters
Set Play Store content ratings appropriate for their age, and enable SafeSearch for Google Search and restricted mode for YouTube.
Location sharing
Family Link shows your child's device location — useful, but pair it with Raksha's family circle for real-time alerts like geofencing and SOS, which Family Link doesn't cover.
Step 3: Set Up Safety Features
Add Raksha and set up the family circle so you can see location, get low-battery alerts, and trigger SOS if your child needs help
Set up emergency contacts and Medical ID on the lock screen so anyone can reach you without unlocking the phone
Enable Google's Find My Device from the start, before it's ever needed for a lost or stolen phone
Turn on a lock screen PIN or pattern appropriate for their age — even a simple one is better than none
Disable installing apps from unknown sources (sideloading) to prevent apps outside the Play Store's review process
Step 4: Decide What Apps Come Pre-Installed
Before handing over the phone, decide together (age-appropriately) what's allowed from day one:
Start restrictive, loosen gradually
It's far easier to add access as trust builds than to take away apps a child has already gotten used to.
Agree on social media age and rules upfront
Most platforms require a minimum age of 13. Decide as a family whether and when your child gets each app, rather than letting it happen by peer pressure.
Set expectations about monitoring transparently
Explain what Family Link and Raksha show you and why — kids who understand the "why" are less likely to feel surveilled and more likely to come to you when something goes wrong.