Protecting Your Device From The Dangers of…Toddler Hands

If you read yesterday’s post on the little girl who accidentally spent $1,400 on her mom’s iPhone, it gave pause for thought on the various ways we can better protect our phones – and our bank accounts. If an 8-year-old can do that much damage, imagine what a toddler with little inquisitive fingers and a blissful obliviousness could do. 

Luckily, there are a few options available for addressing this exact quandary. First, double check the parental controls that are built-into your device’s operating system. The iPhone 4 in particular has controls that let you to restrict access to certain apps, browsers, iTunes and more. A website called iPhone and Kids has a helpful guide which takes you through setting these controls. 

There are also a couple smartphone apps that serve to distract toddlers and keep them immersed in the app itself, like Toddler Lock (Android, free) and Toddler Tap (iTunes, $0.99), but if your child happens to find that home button, damage can still be done. 

The best option I’ve found to address the dangers of toddler hands is a product called BubCap. BubCaps are sturdy sticker covers that fit directly over the home button (on Apple devices) and are rigid enough to prevent a toddler from pushing the button. With the BubCap in place, you can put an age-specific app on for your little one and have confidence that the chosen app will stay on.

You can’t guarantee that the phone won’t get dropped, licked or chewed on, but at least you can be sure that the home button won’t be pushed. 

BubCaps can be purchased directly from the company’s website. A pack of four BubCaps is $5.00. 

If you have a question for Screen Play or would like to submit a product for consideration, please contact LetsPlugIn@gmail.com.