Children are getting their first smartphone at an increasingly younger age. A smartphone is not a cheap toy, so it happens that parents do not buy a new one for their offspring, but pass their own device on to a child. But is that a good idea? Is it safe enough?
If you want to pass your own device on to a child, there are some things to bear in mind.
Be sure that the smartphone is up-to-date and to turn on automatic updates. https://www.safeonweb.be/en/do-regular-updates
If the smartphone is deprecated and does not receive new updates anymore, then it’s not a good idea to pass it to another user.
- iPhone : Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
- Android : On most phones, you can reset your phone through the Settings app. If you cannot find the button, please check your phone's manufacture's.
When you reset a phone to its factory settings, all data is erased from the phone.
Create a new account for the smartphone, especially if your old account was linked to your credit card.
- iPhone : create a new Apple ID. See documentation
- Android : create a new Google account. See documentation
Make sure your child's device is secure and teach your child how to use it smartly: https://www.safeonweb.be/en/secure-mobile-devices
