Giving a Tablet This Christmas: Child Profiles, Updates and Gift Cards

Before you wrap it

Most of this happens on your own phone, tablet or computer.

• iPad: create the Child Account first

  Apple's steps for creating a Child Account are all done on your own iPhone or iPad, and in the UK a child under 13 can't create an Apple Account without help and consent from a parent or guardian. Apple says that if you set up an iPad for a child using only a child age range, the child can't download apps, use shared iCloud storage or have modified parental controls until you finish creating a Child Account and add them to the Family Sharing group. Full step-by-step: see our iPad guide.

  • Your phone or tablet
  • Your account

• Android tablet: set up Family Link

  Google says the Family Link steps for creating a child's Google Account are done in the parent's own app. Google Kids Space needs a Google Account set up for the child and managed with Family Link before it can be used. Check the tablet is on Google's list of devices that Family Link can supervise. Full step-by-step: see our Android tablet guide.

  • Your phone or tablet
  • Your account

• Amazon Fire tablet: use the Parent Dashboard

  Amazon's free Parent Dashboard (app or website) lets a parent set up child profiles and manage screen time from their own phone or computer. When you sign up in the app, Amazon sends a one-time password to confirm it is you, so the phone number on your Amazon account needs to be correct. A child profile can be created at no additional cost on any compatible device; Amazon Kids+ is the separate paid subscription. Amazon allows up to four child profiles. Full step-by-step: see our Amazon Fire tablet guide.

  • Your phone or tablet
  • Your account

• Give the right birthday

  Amazon says the Parent Dashboard assigns each child to an age group based on the birthdate you enter, so use the real date of birth.

• Update your own devices

  If you use Apple's new parental controls, Apple says every device in your Family Sharing group, including your own, needs version 27 or later of iOS, iPadOS, macOS or watchOS. Amazon says Fire tablets download software updates automatically when they are connected to the internet.

  • Software update

What you'll need on the day

• Your own phone or computer, signed in

  Apple tells parents to have Family Sharing set up and to be signed in to their own Apple Account before setting up the child's device. For a Fire tablet, you manage the child profile from the Parent Dashboard on your own phone or computer.

  • Your phone or tablet
  • Your account

• Wi-Fi, and a quick check of the basics

  A new iPad needs a Wi-Fi or mobile network connection to activate and continue setup. For a Fire tablet, Amazon says to make sure it is connected to a Wi-Fi network when registering it, and that incorrect device time, outdated software or incorrect passwords are often the cause of setup problems.

  • Wi-Fi
  • Software update

• A credit card, if you are asked to prove you are an adult or give consent

  In the UK, Apple says an adult can confirm they are 18 or over with a credit card in their own name, a scan of a passport or driving licence, or a PASS-accredited Proof of Age card. Debit cards and gift cards can't be used. For Google, one way to give parental consent is a credit card: it is not charged, but a temporary authorisation may be placed on it and is usually removed within 48 hours.

  • Payment method

• Your child, only if they already have a Google Account

  For a child who already has their own Google Account, Google says adding supervision needs the child and their device to be with you at the time.

  • Your child there

If it's second-hand

A tablet that has been in the family or bought used needs checking before you wrap it.

• iPad: it must not be linked to the last owner

  For a used iPad bought from anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorised Reseller, Apple says to make sure it has been erased and is no longer linked to the previous owner's account. If setup asks for the previous owner's Apple Account details, it is still linked, and Apple says to hand it back to the seller to enter their password.

• Android tablet: the reset lock

  Google says Factory Reset Protection ties a reset Android device to the previous owner's Google Account or screen lock. If those details can't be supplied during setup after a reset, Google says the new owner won't be able to use the device at all.

• Fire tablet: reset it before it changes hands

  Amazon says a factory reset deregisters the device from the owner's account and removes their downloaded content and personal information, so the recipient can add their own. Before gifting a used Amazon device, Amazon says to reset it to factory default settings.

On Christmas Day

• Gift cards and codes

  On an iPad, don't rely on Ask to Buy to stop gift-card or code spending. Apple's own help pages don't agree on whether a child redeeming a code needs your approval, and Apple doesn't say what happens with a gift-card balance. On Android, Google says Family Link purchase approval only covers purchases made through Google Play's billing system. On a free Amazon Kids profile on a Fire tablet, Amazon says in-app purchases are blocked by default and a parent can choose to enable them. Keep any card or code yourself until the account is set up and tested.

  • Payment method

• Video calls and messages

  On a Fire tablet, Amazon says a child can't use communication features such as video calls until the parent grants consent in the Parent Dashboard; you can hide the features instead. On an iPad, Apple says that when a parent controls who the child can communicate with, a message from someone new is hidden from the child until a parent or guardian approves it.

• Browsing and content

  Apple says Limit Adult Websites is on by default for children under 18 (ages may vary by country or region). Google says Google Play content restrictions are not a complete block: restricted content can still show in search results or be reached through a direct link.

• Keep Christmas Day simple

  A short chat about the basics is enough on the day. Save the detailed family agreement for Boxing Day.

Ages and accounts

• Apple

  Apple says a Child Account is required for children under 13 and is available for children up to 18, with the exact ages varying by country or region. Ask to Buy and Ask to Browse are on by default for children under 13.

• Google

  Google's minimum age to manage your own Google Account is 13 in the UK. Google says that once a child turns 13 and chooses to manage their own account, the account no longer works with Google Kids Space.

• Amazon

  Amazon says Fire tablet Parental Controls (the restriction on an adult profile) are designed for users 13 and older, and points parents of children under 13 to the child profile instead.