Your old iPad can be great gift for a child
– if you set it up properly
With three generations of iPads now
available, it’s becoming increasingly common to find multiple iPads in a home,
and some of them are being passed on to children. So what can you do to make
such an iPad useful (and safe) for your child? These steps are a good place to
start.
iOS offers broad options to switch off
Safari, Youtube, iTunes and Ping. You can allow app and media downloads based
on their rating.
World
on wonder – app such as Vectorpark’s Windosill help make the iPad a great
device for children – if you take the time to set up the device carefully
Step 1 – remove your stuff
When giving an iPad to another person, it’s
imperative you remove all your data from it. Hook up your iPad to the computer
you normally sync it with, and then back it up (because you may want to restore
that data on a new tablet). Next, select that iPad in iTunes’ Source list; and
in the Summary tab, click on Restore. iTunes will download and install the
latest version of iOS. Choose to configure the iPad as new, and you’ll end up
with a device that’s essentially as it when you took it from the box.
Step 2 – plan a syncing strategy
If you have a young child, you should take
responsibility for obtaining app on their behalf and syncing the iPad through
your own iTunes account. That way, not only will you know exactly what’s on
their iPad, but you can also deal with obtaining, organising and configuring
apps.
Older children will want an iTunes account
of their own. If you let them set one up, they’ll appreciate having the
independence to download the apps and media you’ve decided are ‘good for them’.
If you go down this route, you’ll also want to create a separate account for
them on your computer (for advice on this, try How to Share One Mac with
Your Family at bit.ly/HW3Ujf), as well as obtain an Apple ID for their use
( which we address at bit.ly/MpKuIR). That way, their app are tied to their
account and they won’t have access to yours, some of which may be inappropriate
for children.
Step 3 – configure restrictions
Know
your limits – iOS 5 allows you to impose restrictions on apps, locations, and
accounts
iOS offers broad options to switch off
Safari, Youtube, iTunes and Ping, and to disable the ability to install and
delete apps. Additionally, you can allow app and media downloads based on their
rating – restricting movies to U and PG ratings, and apps to ages 12 and over,
for instance – and deny in-app purchases, multiplayer games, and adding friends
within Game Center.
To enable restrictions, launch Settings on
the iPad, tap General, and then tap Restrictions. Select Enable Restrictions at
the top of the screen. You’ll be prompted to enter and confirm a four-digit
passcode. If anyone tries to change your settings, they’ll first need to enter
that code.
iOS 5 lets you impose restrictions on
location and accounts. Tap Location in the Restrictions pane and then disable
location information by toggling the Location Services switch to Off. Or you
can choose to turn off location for the specific apps listed below that
switch-parents may not want an app to tell the world where their child is. A
good rule of thumb is to switch on location for apps that tell the user about
the world around them – Maps, for example. But you may want to turn it off for
an app that broadcasts the iPad’s position – Find My Friends or a Twitter or
Facebook client, for instance.
Step 4 – configure email
If your child hasn’t got an email address,
you can obtain a free one from a source such as Gmail or Yahoo. Both services
ask that the owner of the email address be at least 13 years old, although they
have no way of confirming the owner’s actual age.
Unwanted email can be a problem with iOS
devices because, unlike with OS X’s parental controls, you have no way of
limiting the addresses your child can receive email from or send email to n the
device. Gmail and Yahoo allow you to create limited whitelists of senders the
recipient should always receive messages from, but offers no way to block
senders who aren’t on the list. The same applies to iCloud email accounts. You
can set up basic filters on the iCloud website, but they can’t prevent the
sending of mail to your child’s iCloud email account. For this reason, you
should be completely sure that your child can handle the responsibility that
comes with an email account (and is willing to tell you if they are receiving
inappropriate messages).
Step 5 – choose apps for the iPad
Movie
ratings – Netflix offers parental controls, but they apply to everyone’s
content
If you’d like complete control over which
apps your child can install on the iPad, switch off restrictions if they’re
enabled, sit down with them, and choose some appropriate apps. When you’ve
finished, switch restrictions On and toggle the Installing Apps option to Off.
This prevents your child from installing apps.
Keep an eye on the Netflix app. It’s a
terrific resource for streaming movies to your child’s iPad, but its
restrictions are tricky to manage. Although you can create profiles for
different members of your family, Netflix applies parental controls globally.
If you don’t switch on parental controls, your child will have access to any
movies or TV shows available via Netflix’s Watch Instantly service or within
your streaming queue. And, of course, once you switch on parental controls,
they keep the adults in the family from watching more mature content until you
modify those settings. Also, you can only modify parental controls on Netflix’s
website.
Step 6 – the talk
Whenever you consider giving a child access
to technology, you should sit down and chat to them. This talk should address
the importance of setting limits on iPad use, asserting your right as a parent
to check up on your child and warning of the dangers of giving out personal
details on the internet.
The approach should be age-appropriate. You
don’t watch to terrify younger children with visions of internet bogeymen, nor
should you overprotect a teenager. Your advice should be similar to that for a
traveler in a new city – get the lay of the land, learn about the dangers and
opportunities and have a good time.
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Vital info
Device: iPad
Difficulty: intermediate
Time required: 30 mins
What you need: N/A
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