Every parent with a smartphone undoubtedly has some applications on it that their children can use. How to childproof your Android Smartphone? Giving your kids something to play with on your phone is a convenient way to distract them or keep them entertained when you are doing boring parental things. However, there are definitely things on your phone that should be off limits to your children. The problem is that most of these things are easily accessed, even by accident, because smartphones are generally easy to use no matter your age.

Here are four great apps for Android-based smartphones that allow you to childproof your phone effectively without having to give up all of the great entertainment that you phone can provide for your kids.

Kid Mode

This is one of the most intuitive and complete apps for people with children. Once you install the application it asks you to enter your child’s birth date. Based on that information, the app will pull videos and games that are suitable for your child and completely age appropriate. The sources from which these videos and games are pulled include huge names in child entertainment like Nickelodeon, Disney and educational channels like PBS. If your child loves watching videos, this is the perfect app for streaming nothing but appropriate content to keep them entertained. There is also a child lock feature that keeps your children in the app and doesn’t let them wander around your phone.

Toddler Lock

If you have really young children, this is a perfect app for keeping them busy all day. The application locks your phone so that they can’t get into it. Then, it allows them to draw lines and shapes in bright colors all over the screen of your smartphone. While your child is drawing, the app also plays calming and soothing sounds that will keep your toddler cheery without annoying you.

Kids Place

Here is an app that is aimed at more “problematic” and older children who have already grasped the way a smartphone works. This app allows you to lock all of your personal data and it also lets you decide what apps your children are allowed to use on your phone. It also prevents the kids from being able to download new apps, make calls, send texts, and do anything else that could end up costing you a lot of money.

Famigo Sandbox

This is another app that works similarly to Kids Place. It does a great job at limiting a child’s access to mobile applications and functions that the parents do not want them to use. However, it also enables parents to find great new apps that are acceptable for their children to use. The app has its own customized discovery tool that enables parents to read recommendations from other parents who have children in the same age group. This allows them to find fun, educational and appropriate new apps for their children to use.

Using these great Android apps, you will be able to protect your kids from the things they shouldn’t see or abuse on your smartphone without robbing them of the fun, learning and entertainment that modern mobile phones can offer them.

This is a guest post by Cindy Pearson. She is currently blogging for PDF Tips blog.