El parental control It is a function that we have available today in practically all the devices that are around us, and to which we do not always give the importance that he deserves Thanks to these options, we will be able to set schedules so that our children make a moderate and rational use of the television. At the same time, we can block content that minors should never view. If you have a TV with system Android TV, or you use a TV Box that uses this software, in this post we will explain how toactivate parental controls and customize the blocking of applications, channels and external devices.
Types of parental controls on Android TV
If you are interested in preventing your children from accessing certain content through the smart TV at home, you can limit their use by two forms different:
- Restricted Profile: consists of creating a secondary profile on TV. This new user will have less privileges, not being able to enter settings, or not having access to some video platforms, applications, games and others. This function not only serves to limit minors, but it can be useful if a guest is going to use our television for a few days and we do not want them to enter certain applications that can invade our privacy.
- Parental control: Allows you to block media content from its own panel in Settings. Lock using a four-digit pin that only the adult should know. In this way, the minor can use the family profile of the television, but with certain limits to the content that has been previously restricted.
Content blocking through Restricted Profile
Let's get to know in depth how the Restricted Profile works on Android TV and its different options.
How to create a Restricted Profile on Android TV
- Go to Configuration, clicking on the cogwheel in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Enter the option 'Device Preferences'. Within the list, look for the section 'Security and restrictions'.
- Go to the end of the menu, and enter the option 'Create restricted profile'.
- The wizard will then ask us for a 4 digit pin. Enter one that only you can know, and that your kids won't be able to guess after a few tries (no easily predictable birthdays or numbers).
- Then the menu will open 'Allowed Applications'. They will all be disabled by default, and you can activate the one that interests you the most one by one. This list will show streaming services, games, utilities and, in general, any program that we have installed on our television.
- Once you have the entire list of applications that you want to allow, you can go back and use the TV again normally until you want to activate this profile, as we will show you below.
Activate the Restricted Profile
With all the previous section already prepared, we can activate or deactivate the restricted profile at will. We will use our normal profile without limits, and when we are going to leave the device in the hands of minors, we will do the Next steps:
- Go back to Settings > Device preferences > Security & restrictions.
- enter the option 'Access restricted profile'.
- The TV will flash, exit the standard user profile, and return to start Android TV with the custom profile that we created in the previous step.
- El bloatware typical of the system will still be present, so we can tidy up the profile a bit clicking and hiding the icons that bother us so that children can use the system without applications that they are not going to use.
What else can't the restricted user do?
In addition to having limited applications that we have established, the restricted profile you will not have access to the Play Store eitherlarvae, nymphs, and adults, so you will not be able to download new applications or make in-app-purchases of the applications that you do have access to. When entering the Google Play Store, a message will appear error message notifying the user that they do not have permissions to perform that operation.
If you have installed on your television more app stores, such as Apptoide, you should also restrict access to that program. Otherwise, minors will be able to access the repository and install new apps in the profile, completely bypassing the limitation.
The restricted user will also have a much more limited settings menuwith fewer options. You can add bluetooth devices, but you won't be able to bypass the lock by enabling developer options or factory reset. Therefore, it is very important that don't forget the four digit pin that you set in the previous steps.
Exit Restricted Profile
To return to normal profile with privileges, click on the top bar, next to the configuration icon, and enter on the icon 'Restricted profile'. We will be shown an option called 'Exit restricted profile'. We will be asked for the 4-digit pin, and we will return to the standard profile.
What happens if I forget the Restricted Profile pin?
If you forget the pin you've set on your TV, we have bad news. You will be able to regain control, but you will have to put all the factory state system.
To do this, you must find out how to put your television on recovery mode (recover mode). Once you have it, follow the necessary steps on your specific model to "format" the television and set it up from scratch with your Google account.
Content blocking through Parental Control
In addition to the restricted profile, Android TV has a classic parental control. You can activate it by entering Settings > Parental Control. Once you activate it, you will have to establish a pin, exactly as we have explained in the Restricted Profile. Don't put an easy one on it and don't forget it, or you'll only be able to regain control of your TV by doing a factory reset.
Differences between Parental Control and Restricted Profile
Parental control allows block access to applications, games and services of streaming directly with a pin. The restricted profile is a somewhat more appropriate tool, since constantly entering the code on the television will cause minors to discover the pin at one time or another.
However, both modes can be complemented, and Parental Control has some unique features, as we show you below:
- Schedule Control: We will prevent our children from using the television at certain times of the day, such as at night or when studying. It can be set with a start time and an end time, as well as the days of the week on which this setting will be applied.
- Channel Lock: It is possible to limit some TV channels (those that come from the antenna) so that minors cannot access them.
- Lock 'Fonts': We will prevent children from changing the input source of the TV, preventing them from connecting a game console such as a PlayStation.
- Program lock: we will carry out a blocking exactly identical to that of the restricted profile, only limiting with a pin within our main Android TV user.
Differences between Android TV and Google TV regarding Parental Control
The system Google TV is a version of Android TV, with a different and more modern interface, which is mainly used in the chromecast more advanced.
Although their differences are practically aesthetic, Google TV is much more prepared than Android TV when it comes to control of minors it means. Within the Google TV settings there is an option called 'Accounts and login'. Inside there is the possibility of adding 'Children's accounts'.
Unlike standard parental control or restricted account, Google TV allows create different profiles for our children, limiting the content they can see depending on their ages. The operation is identical to that of the restricted user, but the result is much more elegant. In addition, Google's artificial intelligence learns from the content that the child consumes, using that data to continue recommending multimedia according to her age and without affecting the recommendations of other users.