Parent guides
Child device privacy starts with the permission in front of you
Child device privacy is a series of specific decisions about accounts, permissions, audiences, storage, and recovery. Review the permission an app needs for the task, choose the narrowest supported access, and recheck after an app or device changes. Each article offers a specific next step. Read our editorial approach to understand how the guidance is made.
Publication count: According to the current PARE Media guide index, this topic contains 27 guides.
Research context: Ofcom reported that 88% of children ages 3–7 and 99% of children ages 8–17 went online in 2025. Source: Ofcom: Children and Parents Media Use and Attitudes 2025–26.
Back to all guides| Decision | Question | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Full phone permission audit | Which apps have camera, microphone, photos, contacts, location, or notification access? | Run the seven-permission audit |
| Account and recovery | Can the responsible adult restore access safely? | Check account recovery before a trip |
| Camera and photos | Does this task need a new image or the photo library? | Review a camera permission request |
| Microphone | What voice feature is the child trying to use? | Review microphone access |
| Location | Does the feature need location, and how precise? | Review a location request |
| App privacy notices | What does the app collect, use, and share? | Read a child app privacy notice |
Common questions
Should a child's app get every permission it requests?
No. Connect each request to the feature the child is trying to use, choose the narrowest supported access, and wait when the purpose or sharing path is unclear.
When should a family recheck app permissions?
Recheck after a major app or device update, when a new feature asks for access, when the child’s use changes, or when the family no longer needs the original feature.
What should an adult control before handing over a first device?
Set up account ownership and recovery, review important permissions and notifications, choose appropriate defaults, and confirm how the child can ask for help.
27 guides found
First device setup that holds up after day one
The settings, conversations, and recovery plan worth doing before the handoff.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat should I do when a child’s app asks for camera access?
Connect the request to a feature before choosing whether to allow it.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readShould a child’s app have access to their contacts?
Find out why the app wants the address book and whether the task needs it.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat should I plan before giving away a child’s old device?
Separate preserving memories from erasing and transferring the hardware.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readShould my child sign in on a borrowed device?
Decide whether the account is needed and who controls the device before starting.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat account recovery details should I check before a family trip?
Make sure the responsible adult can recover access without packing a public password list.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readDoes a child’s app profile need a real photo?
Check whether an avatar or no image meets the actual need.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readHow do I prepare a child’s device for repair?
Preserve important work and follow the repair provider’s preparation checklist.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhich notifications should we review on a child’s new device?
Start with interruptions and lock-screen visibility rather than changing everything at once.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat should we check when a child shows a purchase request?
Read the item, account, price, and billing arrangement before approving.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 7 min readChild Phone App Permission Audit: 7 Checks
Print this seven-permission checklist, then review camera, microphone, photos, contacts, location, notifications, and post-update requests.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readHow can two homes coordinate a child’s device setup?
Agree on the handoff facts without assuming both homes need identical routines.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat should we delete when a child’s device is full?
Identify valuable work and reversible cleanup before removing app data.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readHow should we handle a device update before a child uses it again?
Check the ordinary tasks and important settings after the update completes.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat belongs in a simple family device inventory?
Keep track of ownership and recovery responsibilities without making a secret-filled spreadsheet.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readDoes changing who can grant app permissions remove old permissions?
Check existing permissions separately from who can approve future requests.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readHow do I review a location request in my child’s app?
Ask what the feature needs to know and who would receive it.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat should I check before allowing microphone access?
Separate making a recording from sending it somewhere.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhy is an app asking for a new permission after an update?
Review the new request in context rather than accepting it to clear the screen.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readDoes the parent’s phone determine which family controls work?
Check the child’s device and account, not just where the parent app can be installed.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readHow do we share one photo for a school project?
Prepare the intended image and review the upload destination first.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat name should we give a child’s device?
Use a recognizable household label without unnecessary personal details.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat should I look for in a child app’s privacy notice?
Find the information collected, its purpose, and the route for questions.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat should we check before setting up a connected toy?
Review the toy, companion app, and account as one planned activity.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat can we decide about a school-managed device at home?
Separate school administration from the household’s use plan.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat should I verify after setting up Apple Screen Time?
Test the child’s actual device and a few ordinary actions before the handoff.
Read guide →Devices & Privacy · For caregivers · 2 min readWhat should I check before lending my tablet to a child?
Prepare the actual session instead of assuming a short loan needs no setup.
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