Does anyone know of a good privacy respecting (preferably FOSS) parental control app for Android? I’m trying to convince a friend to get a Pixel with GrapheneOS as their kids next phone but they won’t do it unless it let’s them control certain things.

They’re used to iOS where apparently their kid can request to download an app and they can remotely allow the installation. They can also add screen time beyond the original set limit if the kids requests it.

Unfortunately, I don’t think they’d be open to switching if it means losing their parental controls.

  • machinin@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Sorry, this won’t answer your question, but I would just let them use what they want. Unless they were interested in it originally, they will just resent you if anything goes wrong or if they have any trouble.

  • ichbinjasokreativ@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Graphene would allow them to create a non-owner profile with no APP store. That way, their kids wouldn’t be able to install anything and the parent could install apps in the owner profile and then permit the kid to use it.

    Screen time and such would not be configurable though I think.

  • random65837@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    iOS is better for them, GrapheneOS isn’t going to / can’t do what they want, it’s not what it’s designed for, it’s literally designed to do the total opposite of that.

    The closest they’d get is using DNS to filter out inappropriate web content, using the sandboxed play services on a child acct so certain apps are restricted, and having Family Link on their phones for the approvals of things. But it’s not going to be as integrated as what iOS and Google does. Goes way beyond generic content filtering, screen time, customizable shutdowns around homework time and over night hours where kids wake up and hop on devices etc.

    Gotta use the right tool for the job.

  • alonely0@programming.dev
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    8 months ago

    Família link (which does all that and more) won’t work unless it has privileged access. Life360 is even worse than google, so no talking about that. I don’t know what to say, if he’s just into location stalking; then you can just use google maps to share the location, but elsewhere, you’ll need to find some trustworthy MDM service.