Set up parental controls on Android in about 10 minutes

You need two phones: yours (Android) and your child's Android phone. No computer, no cables, and your child doesn't need a Google account or email.

Install on your phone

Get SafeParent from Google Play, choose Parent and sign up with your email. You'll set a 4-digit parent PIN too.
Add your child

Tap Add child and type their name. SafeParent shows a 6-character pairing code (like A7X-92K) that's valid for 15 minutes.
Install on your child's phone

Install SafeParent on their Android phone, choose Child and type the code. Both phones are now linked.
Allow the permissions

A guided setup on the child's phone walks through each Android permission SafeParent needs. It takes a couple of minutes.
Set your rules

Back on your phone: daily limit, blocked apps, bedtime, places to watch and web filter categories. Changes reach their phone in seconds.
Keep it running

The last part of the guided setup, Keep SafeParent Running, asks for location “Allow all the time” and sets SafeParent's battery use to “Unrestricted”. On OPPO, Realme, Xiaomi, Vivo and similar phones it also shows how to turn on auto-start.

Transparency

Why SafeParent asks for each permission

Android keeps these switches in the child's hands. Here's exactly what each one is used for.

Reads how long each app was used today, so you see real screen time and daily limits can be enforced.

Powers: screen time, reports

Notices when a blocked app is opened and sends your child back to the home screen. It isn't used to read messages or what's typed.

Powers: app blocker, schedules

Lets SafeParent lock the screen when you pause the phone or at bedtime.

Powers: remote lock, bedtime lock

Shares the phone's location with you and checks your geofences, including when SafeParent is closed.

Powers: location, geofence alerts

A local, on-device VPN that only looks up website names to block the categories you chose. Traffic isn't sent to our servers.

Powers: web filter

Battery set to “Unrestricted” (“Don't optimise”) so Android doesn't pause SafeParent, and notifications so the child sees lock and time messages.

Powers: background updates, new-app and low-battery alerts

Install the same app on your phone and your child's Android phone, pair them with a 6-character code, and your rules start working right away.

Scan with your phone camera to install