GOS for Child's Pixel

GMB

I am considering handing over a 6A to my 12yo as their dumbphone has got a bad crack on the screen. I only want them to be able to use calls and texts and learning apps such as Duolingo and school apps. It's a parenting decision and I am wanting to stick with this approach till they are older and maturer.

Is it possible to strip the browser and other items from GOS? He doesn't have a SIM with data anyway but I am sure other friends will be more than happy to allow him to hotspot if so inclined. I'd be disappointed if they didn't haha

If you're wondering why GOS, it's already on there as I was playing with it. I could flash it back with Google Android but would rather not.

Thanks.

natoal

GMB

You should install those apps first just to check whether they work on GOS

raccoondad

GMB No, pixel devices aren't children's toys and GOS isn't a device that offers such services. Any method is going to have multiple loopholes.

Buy them a dumbphone without a screen, they make those for children. Much harder to break as well.

Most 'parent service' apps are terrible and I could not recommend enough avoiding them, privacy alone.

You are better of using technology w/ your child than letting the machine manage what information it takes from your child. Ask anyone who bought those leapfrog tablets...

GMB

natoal fair point

natoal

GMB

I was just wondering, sometimes schools require students to browse the web for taking quizzes and such. If you uninstall Vanadium, he may install another browser like Chrome which is less private

Sagebath

Just create a profile that does not allow apps to be downloaded. You can have access to the owner profile and push whatever apps you want him to have to his profile.

As a side note, here's another way to say it that puts it in a different perspective. Allowing your child internet access is allowing the world unrestricted access to your child.

GMB

Sagebath That's precisely why he had a dumb phone and not a smartphone. So my aim is to match that as much as possible with the additional allowance of say Duolingo. They don't actually use any school apps at the moment but there could be a possibility. I just don't want him to be able to install anything other than what is allowed by me and that includes no browser at all.

If it becomes a hassle to achieve on GOS I will either just flash android back and use a combination of Family Link and Qustodio as I do already with my eldest but he has more access as he's older.

Or I'll get something like the Balance Phone. Was just trying to avoid another cost at the moment.

GMB

raccoondad The reason I'm posting is because the dumb phone broke haha but yes I fully understand and concur. I am part of the SFC movement and echo the same sentiments in presentations and interviews but my plan was always to drip feed. So this school year was dumb phone, next school year a locked down smartphone then a slightly more open one the year after etc. It's just that the second phase I am considering starting now given the device is broken.

Good to get this feedback though I appreciate it.

hmmm

I've set up Pixel tablets for my 8 and 11 yo kids. I regulate their usage using the FOSS app TimeLimit for which I pay ~$20/yr for their server support so I can do stuff remotely. It works well, you can set different time limits for different apps (games = 1 hour, education = 1.5 hour, drawing 1.5 hr, libby = unlimited) and a total time limit. My kids understand the needs for the limits and have even told me they appreciate them when they see their friends always glued to their devices.

IksNorTen

Set AdGuard Family DNS in settings of the Owner profile, he won't be able to remove that thing.

Xtreix

IksNorTen Set AdGuard Family DNS in settings of the Owner profile, he won't be able to remove that thing.

Settings > Network and Internet > Private DNS > Off and Adguard Family DNS is easily deactivated, you need to define it in your router settings to prevent it from being disabled via GOS settings, but this method poses another problem because it forces other users to use this DNS. so I don't recommend it.

Parental control methods are essentially ineffective and raise privacy issues. you can set up stricter controls with restricted choices, but there are always ways around it.

IksNorTen

Xtreix Last time I enabled it from owner settings, I wasn't able to disable it from a secondary profile. Are you sure that you disabled it from a secondary profile?

IksNorTen

Xtreix Parental control methods are essentially ineffective and raise privacy issues. you can set up stricter controls with restricted choices, but there are always ways around it.

I do agree, the best way is to help them to raise awareness about all these things, in addition to a good education.

You won't be able to "control" everything and even if it was possible it wouldn't be good. That's why I'll never buy a smartphone to my child before at least 15-16yo and before that, he would just got a dumb phone with basic functionalities (call, SMS, music but no social media or other apps destroying your attention).

Xtreix

IksNorTen Are you sure that you disabled it from a secondary profile?

You didn't write you wanted to do it from a secondary profile, at least I didn't see that, in which case yes it's playable.

IksNorTen I do agree, the best way is to help them to raise awareness about all these things, in addition to a good education.
IksNorTen I'll never buy a smartphone to my child before at least 15-16yo

I'm agree.

IksNorTen

IksNorTen If you're in the case you want to give him a smartphone before 15-16yo, then good luck. Because even with the greatest education in the world and explanations, at the very end he could always be thrown under social pressure and access to some contents you wouldn't want him to access. AdGuard DNS Family would eventually prevent this while he's still too young for having a smartphone.

We also all know how bad screen time is bad for cognition, memory and concentration. So be very careful with this because it became very common to kids (when I take the bus or walk in the street, I can see kids with the nose stucked into their phones on social medias, that's very scary because it now became a drug).

It's not "black and white", It's not "I'll do nothing or it will means I become invasing to their privacy" or "I'll try to control everything he's watching'. You'll have to take a lot of time to explain them the reality about smartphones and these apps like TikTok, Instagram, etc. (the fact that It's literally a drug) and consequences on people and especially young ones. But you need first to read about all of this yourself to be "prepared" to know how to answer if he's questionning what you told him.

LeslieFH

Parental controls and digital balance tools in GrapheneOS are not a priority, to say the least, I would go back to stock Google OS in this use case (added security from GOS is not important because you'll use parental controls in Digital Balance to block any browser). Here you'll mostly get rationalizations of why digital balance tools are not worth it and people should just exercise their willpower :-)

chinook

LeslieFH pisses me off, tbh, especially the discussion around Digital Wellbeing alternatives/options, but at the end of the day there's little choice - either comfortable, luxurious, surveillance and/or bug-ridden OS, or something that could be generously called "ascetic" but much safer.

happy belated birthday FH, btw :)

grayway2

Smartphones are extremely nefarious for a child. Most of the time, they become addicted and very susceptible because of it.

It's also dangerous because of internet being open (scammers, online predators, cyber bullying)

Only a phone which allow basic functions such as SMS and Calls should be allowed.

I had my first phone when I was 15 years old.

haddock

What is it with so many people giving parenting advice whenever this topic comes up? OP asked how they could make a GOS device work for a child not which device or approach everyone thinks is the best way!

To your question @GMB
Unfortunately as said before there is no clean and easy way to do this on GOS. Vanadium can't be uninstalled ,as it is a system app. It can be deactivated but your child will probably figure out quickly how reactivate it. Deleting it through something like command line adb or UniversalAndroidDebloater is disadvised by the project as it compromises device security, but if you want to take that risk it is also an option for method 1).
As far as I see it there are two methods that are somewhat tamper proof:
1) Using a secondary user profile for the child, no app installs allowed and restricting the web by using a DNS-service, which is implemented device wide from the owner-profile. Only you have access to the owner profile. Described in detail here

main downside: if the phone dies or is rebooted the child can't unlock it, as the owner profile needs to be unlocked after a reboot, and only you have the pass

2) https://timelimit.io/en/
Neat and trustworthy app with a friendly developer. You can set a passcode and restrict the usage of apps including newly installed ones. In order to prevent a deinstallation you need give the app device owner permission through adb (see the documentation on the bottom of the website). Unfortunately it does not prevent the child from creating a new user, without restrictions. You could try this, until your child figures out the loophole. As far as I see it, the only option to prevent a new user from being created is by blocking the settings app for your child and only you could access it with the timelimit passcode.

Both options require some playing around with the initial setup but can work well after that. If you prefer a low effort way, maybe a used iphone 12/13 mini (which aren't to expensive) could be an option. iOS built in screentime allows you to prevent new apps from being installed (while still allowing automatic background updates), deactivate safari (but not possibel to reactivate w/o the passcode) and setting timelimits on apps. These settings would be behind a seperate screentime passcode set by you. As far as I am concerned the option that is best integrated into the OS and tamper proof.

userofgos

Something I've recently been using for myself is the FOSS app Mindful which has a lot of different features, some are still being tested.

Github: https://github.com/akaMrNagar/Mindful