Diving into the settings of your iPhone can transform it into the "perfect kids’ dumb phone", according to Wired. It's all thanks to a clever combination of accessibility tools built into the Assistive Access menu.

This lets parents lock the device to a few standalone apps, such as Camera and iMessage, limiting exactly what children can access. It even goes so far as to limit which messages can be seen in iMessage.

It's a hidden feature already available ahead of Apple's incoming protective child features, which will be released as part of iOS 27 later this autumn.

But what if you don't have an iPhone? Samsung doesn't yet offer an identical set of features built into its handsets, but it does have something similar called Easy Mode. This enlarges icons and text, declutters the Home screen, and prevents accidental taps by adjusting touch-and-hold delays.

While Easy Mode won't restrict access to certain apps or features on the device, it can be paired with other customisable safety tools that can be found on your Galaxy. The only caveat is that it takes a few more steps to fully restrict the device, the same way as Apple's built-in feature allows.

From Samsung Kids and parental controls to screen time limits and purchase protections, here are a few workarounds to create a kid-friendly experience on an Android.

Set up Samsung Kids

The easiest way to create a child-friendly environment is by leveraging Samsung Kids, a built-in feature available on the majority of Galaxy devices like the Galaxy S26 series or the Galaxy A27.

This feature is meant for ages three to eight and is designed to create a separate, secure space where your child can only access approved apps, games, and educational content. It's an ideal feature if you're lending them your phone.

It also prevents them from accessing your messages, photos, emails, and other personal data.

Once enabled, you can customise which apps and contacts are available.

Use Google Family Link for Parental Controls

If your child is a little older, it's possible to give them more flexible control with Google Family Link.

This tool helps you manage your child's devices by letting you set daily screen limits, approve or block app downloads, monitor app usage, lock the device remotely, and view the device's location.

However, your child will need their own Google account to have this feature enabled.

What's special about this feature is that it's not limited to Samsung devices. You can access it across all Android mobiles running Android 7 or higher, and iPhones running iOS 16 or higher.

Restrict App Purchases

One of the easiest mistakes children can make is accidentally purchasing apps or in-game items.

To avoid surprise charges on the Google Play Store, you can take the following steps:

This ensures that every purchase requires your password, PIN, or biometric authentication. Apple has its own version of iTunes and App Store.

Turn On SafeSearch and Content Filters

Children can often use phones to browse the web or search for videos, making content filters an important safeguard.

You can manually toggle on these restrictions on commonly used apps like YouTube and Google:

While no filter is perfect, these tools can significantly reduce exposure to inappropriate content. Like Google Family Link, these same features can be found across Android and iOS devices.