First phone for 11 year old. What do I need to know/do?

[TheDrsDocMartens]

Last time I went through this my dc were older when they got a smart phone.

What apps are good? How to link accounts?
What do I need to keep an eye on?

Not going to be FB etc but what do pre teens use?

Bump

Ds11 has an iPhone Same as me. Yes it was expensive but his phone is linked to my phone. He cannot download no apps without my express permission. He cannot make purchases without permission. He cannot have in play conversations with strangers. I have to accept friend requests. He knows he has to hand it over at bed time. He knows it is a privilege not a right. He also knows I reserve the right to look through his phone. Yes I’m strict but he doesn’t yet have the maturity to accept that some people are just weird. We have also had a conversation about what to do if you are asked for a picture.

As for apps - he has what’s app to talk to friends. We already use that as a family. Other than that he has YouTube / again I don’t even need his phone to see searches or what he watches. It’s got a filter thing but YouTube is fairly rubbish so just keep an eye. He also has a football news app and a few basic games.

On iPhone it’s family account and he is set as a child

We have google family links which works brilliantly for our 12 year old. Time limits, app limits, needs permission to download stuff, has a child, whoops I mean phone finder.

I have google links on ds tablet, didn’t know it would do phones. Dh & I have iPhones so potential to hand one down and do family link (which I didn’t know was a thing!).