Help Son downloaed lots of games. How do I lock the Market?

[Austin808]

My son was playing on the phone the other day and downloaded a lot of applications. He is only 6 and somehow knew to use the market to download new games.

I am worried because it is so easy to buy apps without a password or anything. Plus I would like to be able to control what he can play. Ideally I would like a pin or password to protect the market and perhaps other applications on the phone as well. I am kinda shocked something like this is not built into Android.

Can someone recommend the best application locking tool?

Thanks.

 

[ashykat]

As far as I know there are no parental controls for the Android Market. One option you have is to root your phone and delete the Vending.apk file which will remove the market. Kind of a drag but this would do it.

 

[Austin808]

I can't see myself removing the market since I still need it to install apps.

I did find a few apps that will password protect apps. I guess I will have to download a few and see which I like best. Unless I get some recommendations first.

 

[tcope]

I'm not a parent so perhaps I'm missing something but shouldn't a 6 year old know right from wrong? If you tell him not to download games and he does... he no longer gets to use the phone. At least this is how it was done when I was younger. It was called "no TV for a week" back then.

 

[tbert]

Smart kid, well done.

 

[DrSarcasmo]

You can also remove your credit card from the market and use it as you need it. A pain in the rear but you won't have to worry about if your kid gets ahold of the phone again.

 

[Szadzik]

Use Launcher Pro and hide the Market from App drawer. Unhide it when you need it.

 

[nickstanley]

I am a single parent and I am the only parental control I need. He downloaded a game one time. I explained to him why he needs to check with me first before he does and it has never happened again.

 

[Foolish Mortal]

Use Launcher Pro and hide the Market from App drawer. Unhide it when you need it.

This is a great answer!

 

[jr0065]

Use Launcher Pro and hide the Market from App drawer. Unhide it when you need it.

How do you hide apps with LP ?

 

[aeiou]

Just get app lock and password protect the market. Its really that simple.

 

[droidx_fan]

I think at 6 years old, he would be old enough to understand yes and no, as in "no, you're not allowed to download games from the market." Instead of seeking a bandaid, utilize your own parental control. While I'm confident this will fall on deaf ears, I'd personally assign him additional chores at home to pay for the games he did download. Perhaps he will learn a valuable lesson from that.

 

[tksuther]

Just get app lock and password protect the market. Its really that simple.

Yep - I use App Protector Pro - great program!

 

[htom]

There is also a 24-hr money back feature on the App market. Hope you catch it in time, though.

Link

 

[Gareee]

Why would someone let a 6 year old use a $500 smartphone at all? Especially long enough to buy a bunch of games and play them?

I can't think of any reason at all why I would let a child just play around with my new DroidX unsupervised.

 

[mxsjw]

I'm not a parent so perhaps I'm missing something but shouldn't a 6 year old know right from wrong? If you tell him not to download games and he does... he no longer gets to use the phone. At least this is how it was done when I was younger. It was called "no TV for a week" back then.

I am a single parent and I am the only parental control I need. He downloaded a game one time. I explained to him why he needs to check with me first before he does and it has never happened again.

I think at 6 years old, he would be old enough to understand yes and no, as in "no, you're not allowed to download games from the market." Instead of seeking a bandaid, utilize your own parental control. While I'm confident this will fall on deaf ears, I'd personally assign him additional chores at home to pay for the games he did download. Perhaps he will learn a valuable lesson from that.

Why would someone let a 6 year old use a $500 smartphone at all? Especially long enough to buy a bunch of games and play them?

I can't think of any reason at all why I would let a child just play around with my new DroidX unsupervised.

Parental control is called a switch from the woodshed.
No has, and always will mean no...I got one chance as a kid, after that, I knew what would be coming.

 

[Austin808]

I am a single parent and I am the only parental control I need. He downloaded a game one time. I explained to him why he needs to check with me first before he does and it has never happened again.

I have already explained that to him. So hopefully it won't happen again. But the fact that our credit card is available to anyone that picks up the phone without a password is really a lack of security. Even when I make a purchase on Amazon.com it will always ask for my password and the majority of the time its from my own computer that never leaves my house.

 

[Austin808]

Just get app lock and password protect the market. Its really that simple.

Thanks, I have read about all the app locking programs and it seems they work for some and not others. I will give app lock at try first.

 

[lamoglinsgal]

How do you hide apps with LP ?

From home screen, menu, preferences, general settings, hidden apps.

 

[Austin808]

I think at 6 years old, he would be old enough to understand yes and no, as in "no, you're not allowed to download games from the market." Instead of seeking a bandaid, utilize your own parental control. While I'm confident this will fall on deaf ears, I'd personally assign him additional chores at home to pay for the games he did download. Perhaps he will learn a valuable lesson from that.

Yep I did tell him he is not allowed to do that any more and luckily he did not download any pay games. And your right if he did he would have had to earn it back.

 

[Austin808]

Yep - I use App Protector Pro - great program!

I will give this one a shot after trying app lock. Thanks.

 

[Austin808]

There is also a 24-hr money back feature on the App market. Hope you catch it in time, though.

Link

Thankfully he did not actually purchase any apps. Thanks for the info on the 24-hr return. I assume from all my reading that all I would need to do is uninstall the app within 24-hours, right?

 

[Austin808]

Why would someone let a 6 year old use a $500 smartphone at all? Especially long enough to buy a bunch of games and play them?

I can't think of any reason at all why I would let a child just play around with my new DroidX unsupervised.

Well kids love games, and in this day and age we have many handheld games and now they see the phone as just a new toy. It was while I was driving I let him play a game I downloaded for him, but I guess he got bored of that and wanted to play others. And honestly I would be very shocked to hear that most parents don't let their kids play on there phones. In fact I have seen many kids younger than mine playing on iPhones, etc.

 

[Austin808]

Parental control is called a switch from the woodshed.
No has, and always will mean no...I got one chance as a kid, after that, I knew what would be coming.

Not sure if you have kids or not, but just telling them no does not mean that it won't happen again.

I have told my kids many times not to do things. It is the nature of being a kid. They will always try to push it and see what they can get away with. I will continue monitoring what he does and if he does it again he will be punished for sure.

 

[mxsjw]

Not sure if you have kids or not, but just telling them no does not mean that it won't happen again.

The first is on Her/His way...wife and I just found out 2 weeks ago.
But, we do have puppies and many family/friends with kids, much of the same applies with learning "No".

I will continue monitoring what he does and if he does it again he will be punished for sure.

And that's all we as society can ask of you.