Your Kid's First Phone: What to Set Up in the First 30 Minutes (iPhone and Android)

A calm, step-by-step plan for a new iPhone or Android phone, split by platform: the right account, purchase approvals, contacts, and screen time, plus what to do for teens and phones you've already handed over.

Short answer: Give your kid their own account with their real birthday, connect it to yours, and turn on app approvals before you hand the phone over. It takes about 30 minutes, longer if you're creating accounts from scratch.

Last verified 2026-09-30 against the official sources listed with this post.

Jump to: iPhone · Android · Teens (13 to 17) · The conversation

A new phone is a big moment. Your kid is thrilled, and you may be a little nervous. The most useful thing you can do is set it up together, with your kid next to you so they understand what you're doing and why.

Do this tonight

Give your child their own account with their correct birthday. Don't share yours. Both Apple and Google use the birthday to switch on age-appropriate protections.
Connect it to your family through Apple Family Sharing or Google Family Link.
Turn on purchase and download approvals so new apps come to you first.
Choose who they can contact, at least to start.
Set a bedtime for the phone, then tell your kid what you set and why.

Already handed it over? That's fine. The steps are the same. Sit down together with the phone in their hand, and treat it as a setup you're doing as a team rather than a crackdown.

iPhone

Step 1: the right account

Apple requires parents to create the Apple Account for children under 13 (the age varies by country). Once Family Sharing is set up, go to Settings → Family → Add Member → Create Child Account → Continue on your own iPhone. Enter your child's name and correct birthday, then follow the prompts.

If you've already set up the new phone and chose a child or teen age range, you can connect that account to your Family Sharing group later.

Step 2: Screen Time

On your phone, go to Settings → Family → your child's name → Screen Time, and follow the prompts. Apple recommends managing your child's Screen Time, including the Screen Time passcode, from your own device. Pick a code your kid hasn't seen you use.

Several protections are already on by default (exact ages vary by region):

Ask to Buy and Ask to Browse are on for children under 13. Your child has to request new apps, purchases, and unfamiliar websites.
Limit Adult Websites is on for kids under 18.
Communication Safety is on for kids under 18 with the latest software. It blurs photos and videos with detected nudity in Messages, AirDrop, FaceTime, and more, and offers ways to get help, like messaging a trusted adult. Apple says the checking happens on the device and Apple doesn't get access to the photos or videos, unless your child chooses to report the sender to Apple, in which case the content is sent to Apple for review.

Then check these, all under Settings → Family → your child's name:

Allowed Contacts → During Screen Time. Choose Contacts Only, Contacts & Groups with at Least One Contact, or Everyone. With Manage Contacts on, you choose who's in their contacts, and if someone new messages them, your child can't see the message until you approve.
Time Allowances. Set a daily time budget across categories like games and social media.
Screen Time Schedule. Choose which apps work before school, during school, and at bedtime.
Content & Privacy Restrictions. Set age ratings for apps, movies, music, and books.

Note: These paths are for Apple's updated Screen Time in iOS 27, which needs every device in your family group updated. If some can't update, Apple says you can keep using the previous version, where settings start at Settings → Screen Time → your child's name.

Android

Step 1: Family Link

On Android, Google's parental controls run through the free Family Link app. Install it on your own phone (Android 6.0+ or iPhone with iOS 16+). Your child's phone needs Android 6.0 or newer.

If your child is under 13 and doesn't have a Google Account, create one for them through Family Link.
If they already have an account, keep their phone nearby. On their phone, go to Settings → Google → All services → under "Kids & Family," tap Parental controls → Let's do this, then choose their account. Your child will need to agree to supervision during setup.

Family Link can't supervise iPhones or iPads, and a child's school (Workspace for Education) account can't be managed with it.

Step 2: the controls that matter

In Family Link on your phone, select your child. From there you can:

Approve or block apps, and change app permissions.
Set daily screen limits and a bedtime, and see time spent in apps.
See the phone's location.
Restrict mature content on Google Play: Controls → Google Play, then choose a content type and rating.

Two honest caveats from Google: Play content restrictions don't stop restricted content from appearing in search results or through a direct link. And Family Link's purchase approvals only cover purchases made through Google Play's billing system.

Teens (13 to 17)

A first phone at 13 or 14 still deserves setup, just with more say for your teen.

iPhone: If your teen already has a Child Account, invite them from Settings → Family → Add Member → Invite Others. They enter their account password on your device to accept, then you can set up Screen Time as above. Limit Adult Websites and Communication Safety stay on by default for everyone under 18.
Android: If your teen already has a Google Account, use the existing-account steps above. Your teen has to agree to supervision. Once they're 13, supervision can be stopped, but a teen under 18 needs your approval, and you'll both be notified.

Decide the settings together, and agree on when you'll loosen them.

The conversation

The settings are the easy part. Before you're done:

Show them what you set and why. Kids handle limits better when they aren't a surprise.
Explain how requests work. When they want an app or more time, they ask, and you'll answer.
Pick a charging spot outside the bedroom for overnight.
Make one promise: if anything online ever scares or confuses them, they can tell you and won't be punished for it.
Plan a check-in in a few weeks to adjust. Controls should loosen as your kid shows they're ready.

No setup is perfect, and no setting catches everything. But a thoughtful half hour now gives you both a calm start.

Our free checklist walks through iPhone, Android, and popular apps, no login needed. The $12 Full Family Kit covers every kid in the family.

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