Keeping children safer online is not about one perfect app or one strict rule. It is about habits, settings and conversations that help children pause, question and ask for help. If you are also worried about scams aimed at adults in the household, read our guide to how phishing emails have changed; many of the same pressure tactics appear in messages to young people too.
Children use the internet for school, entertainment, friendship, creativity and identity. That means online safety needs to be practical, not panic-driven. The aim is to reduce avoidable risk while keeping trust open enough that a child tells you when something feels wrong.
Start with trust before settings
The most important safety control is a child who feels able to ask for help. If every mistake leads to punishment, children may hide problems. A calmer approach works better: explain that scams, bullying and manipulation are designed to catch people out, and asking for help quickly is the right response.
A child who asks for help early is safer than a child who silently tries to fix an online problem alone.
Review privacy settings together
The ICO explains that privacy settings help manage what personal information is collected, shared or visible online. Its guidance on privacy settings for children is a useful reminder that settings need regular review because apps and platforms change.
- Make profiles private where possible.
- Limit who can send messages or friend requests.
- Switch off unnecessary location sharing.
- Review who can see photos, stories and comments.
- Check advertising and personalisation settings.
Secure accounts and recovery options
Children often care deeply about gaming, social and messaging accounts. Losing access can be distressing, and compromised accounts may be used to send scam links to friends. Use strong passwords and MFA where available. For younger children, parents may need to help store recovery codes and keep recovery email addresses current.
If you want a practical account-security primer, link this with our guide to cybersecurity habits everyone should build. The same habits apply at home: unique passwords, updates, MFA and caution around urgent messages.
Understand online gaming risk
Online games are social spaces. Children may chat, trade items, join groups, watch streams, follow links and make purchases. None of that means gaming is bad. It means the safety conversation should include chat, spending, strangers and scams.
| Risk | Parent check |
|---|---|
| Voice or text chat | Who can contact the child? |
| In-game purchases | Are approvals or spending limits enabled? |
| Friend requests | Can strangers add the child? |
| Scam links | Does the child know not to follow “free items” links? |
Talk about scams in child-friendly language
Children do not need a lecture on cybercrime. They need simple patterns: people may pretend to be someone else, offer free rewards, ask for secrets, create urgency or try to move the conversation somewhere private. Use examples from games, texts and social platforms.
Scams increasingly use voice, images and AI-generated content. For family safety, it is worth reading our guide to AI voice scams and agreeing a family callback rule or safe phrase for urgent calls.
Set device rules that match age and maturity
Device rules should be understandable and adjustable. A teenager may need more independence than a younger child, but both benefit from clear expectations. Focus on sleep, location, downloads, privacy, unknown contacts and what to do after a mistake.
- Use screen locks on phones and tablets.
- Require approval for new apps at younger ages.
- Review location sharing after holidays, school changes or new apps.
- Keep devices updated.
- Agree where devices are charged overnight.
What to do if something goes wrong
If a child clicks a scam link, shares a password, receives threats or loses an account, stay calm. Secure the account, change passwords, sign out other sessions, report the issue to the platform and preserve evidence if there is harassment, threats or extortion.
When to escalate
Escalate quickly if there are threats, sexual content, financial loss, blackmail, evidence of grooming, self-harm risk or an adult pressuring the child to keep secrets. In those cases, platform reporting may not be enough; involve the appropriate support services or police route.
A practical family safety checklist
- Review privacy settings together every few months.
- Use strong passwords and MFA on important accounts.
- Talk about scams without blame.
- Agree a family safe phrase for urgent calls.
- Check gaming chat and spending settings.
- Make reporting problems normal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best parental control app?
The best tool depends on the child, device and family. Parental controls help, but they do not replace conversation. Use controls as support, not as the entire strategy.
Should children use password managers?
Older children can benefit from a password manager, especially for school, gaming and email accounts. Younger children may need parent-managed recovery.
Next steps
Pick one evening to review settings together. Keep it calm, practical and collaborative. The goal is not to catch a child out; it is to make the online world easier to navigate safely.
For families who want one simple routine beyond child-specific settings, our guide to cybersecurity habits everyone should build gives a practical baseline for the whole household.
Sources and further reading
Build safety around trust, not surveillance alone
Parental controls can help, but they cannot replace trust. Children find new apps, private chats, school platforms and gaming spaces faster than most adults can review them. If online safety depends only on blocking tools, it becomes fragile. A better approach combines settings, shared expectations and regular conversations that make it easier for a child to ask for help.
That matters because many online problems are emotional before they are technical. A child may worry they will lose their device, get blamed or be embarrassed. If the first reaction is anger, they may hide the next problem. If the family rule is “you can bring us anything and we will solve it together first”, you get more chances to intervene early.
The most important safety feature in a home is a child who feels able to tell an adult when something feels wrong.
Set age-appropriate rules
Rules should change as children grow. Younger children need more limits and supervision. Older children need more explanation, privacy and involvement in decisions. The goal is not to create a perfect rulebook, but to make expectations clear enough that everyone knows what happens next.
| Age/stage | Focus | Useful habit |
|---|---|---|
| Primary school | Devices, games, screen time, trusted adults | Ask before downloading or chatting with new people |
| Early secondary | Group chats, privacy, bullying, scams | Pause before sharing photos, locations or personal details |
| Older teens | Reputation, accounts, money, relationships | Use strong passwords and verify unusual requests |
Conversation starters that work
Big lectures rarely work. Short, ordinary questions work better. Ask what apps are popular, what they enjoy, what annoys them, what rules their friends have and what they would do if someone made them uncomfortable. Keep the tone curious rather than interrogating.
- “What is the best thing you do online at the moment?”
- “Has anyone ever asked you for something weird in a game or chat?”
- “What would make it easier to tell me if something went wrong?”
- “Which apps know your location?”
- “What do people at school do when a group chat becomes mean?”
These questions teach children that online safety is not only about punishment. It is about judgement. Over time, they learn to recognise pressure, manipulation and boundary crossing.
Privacy settings parents should check
Every family has different rules, but some settings are worth reviewing on almost every device. Check location sharing, profile visibility, direct messages, friend requests, in-app purchases, content filters, screen time limits and whether accounts are public or private. Review the settings together where possible so the child understands the reason, not only the restriction.
For gaming, pay attention to voice chat, friend lists and purchases. For social apps, check who can message, tag, mention or find the account. For school devices, understand what is managed by the school and what remains the family’s responsibility. For streaming platforms, review profile restrictions and search history.
Scams aimed at children and teens
Children may not think of themselves as scam targets, but they are. Scams can appear as free game currency, fake giveaways, influencer impersonation, romance pressure, account recovery messages or offers to make money quickly. Teens may also be targeted through resale platforms, concert tickets, crypto promises or job-like messages that ask them to move money.
- Free items that require a login are a warning sign.
- Urgent messages from “support” should be checked in the official app or website.
- People asking to move conversations to private channels may be creating pressure.
- Requests for photos, codes, passwords or payment details should be treated as unsafe.
Connect these lessons to adult examples too. Children understand patterns faster when they see that scams target everyone, not only people who are careless. The same urgency and authority used in phishing emails can appear in chats, games and social messages.
What to do when something goes wrong
Have a simple family response plan. Save evidence where appropriate. Block or report the account. Change passwords if an account was involved. Contact the school if classmates are involved. Contact the platform if there is harassment, impersonation or explicit pressure. If money, threats, sexual content or grooming is involved, seek specialist support and consider reporting to the relevant authority.
Most importantly, separate the child from the problem. You can discuss choices later. First, make them safe, calm the situation and stop the immediate harm. That response teaches them that coming forward was the right decision.
A weekly safety rhythm
Online safety is easier when it becomes normal. A ten-minute weekly check is enough for many families. Review new apps, talk about anything odd, check purchases, update devices and ask whether any settings need changing. Keep it brief. The consistency matters more than the length.
As children mature, move from rules toward shared responsibility. Ask them to explain how they protect their own accounts, why privacy settings matter and what advice they would give a younger child. Teaching back is a strong sign that the habit is becoming their own.
How schools and families can work together
Many online safety issues cross the boundary between home and school. Group chats, bullying, image sharing, device rules and homework platforms can involve both. Parents do not need to wait for a crisis before speaking to a school. Ask what platforms are used, how incidents are reported, what guidance pupils receive and how parents will be contacted if something serious happens.
If an issue involves classmates, keep records and contact the school calmly with specifics: dates, screenshots where appropriate, usernames and what has already been tried. Avoid escalating publicly on social media. Schools can usually respond better when they have clear information and a chance to follow safeguarding processes.
Make the rules visible
A short family agreement can help, especially for younger children. Keep it simple: where devices charge overnight, which apps need permission, what information is private, what to do if someone asks for photos or money, and when an adult should be told. Review it every few months as the child grows.
- We do not share passwords, addresses, school details or payment information.
- We ask before installing new apps or joining new chat groups.
- We tell an adult if someone makes us uncomfortable or asks us to keep secrets.
- We pause before clicking prizes, free items or urgent warnings.
- We solve online mistakes together before discussing consequences.
Visible rules reduce arguments because expectations are already agreed. They also help children understand that online safety is a shared family responsibility, not a surprise punishment.
