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First phone: the 10-minute setup that pays off for years

Set the controls before the box opens. You’ll thank yourself in year three.

Article·Last reviewed 2026-04-22·1 min read·by Lexeprint Inc.
Setup· Reviewed 2026-02-01

The ten things to do before they open the box

  1. Create a child Apple ID (Family Sharing) or supervised Google account (Family Link).
  2. Sign the phone into that account. Not an adult account with the kid’s name.
  3. Set the app-store age rating (12+ or 17+, your call).
  4. Turn on Screen Time / Family Link. Set a parent passcode your kid doesn’t know.
  5. Require a password for every purchase. Remove saved payment methods from the kid’s account.
  6. Pre-install the apps you want available. Do not install the ones you don’t.
  7. Turn on Communication Safety (iOS) or install a Bark-style alerter.
  8. Add the phone to your Find My / Family Link location. Both ways.
  9. Turn off location sharing in individual apps (Snap Map, Instagram) — only Find My stays on.
  10. Print the first-phone family contract. Review together.

Three conversations that matter on day one

  • “This phone is on loan. I can see your screen time, your apps, your location.”
  • “If anything scary happens, you come to me. You’re never in trouble for telling me.”
  • “No phone in the bedroom at night. It charges in the kitchen.”

What you’ll thank yourself for in year three

The rules you set on day one are easy. Loosening them as the kid matures feels like a gift. Starting with no rules and tightening later is an impossible fight — don’t do it that way.