Setting up a mobile phone for a 12 year old

[BirdandSparrow]

Hi,

We have decided to let DS have a mobile phone. He currently has a gmail account which has his birthdate on it, so it's linked to my gmail as he's under 18.

When we set up his mobile phone should I use this email account? I understand that then means I can control usage through Family Link, which we use to control and limit his tablet use.

If I set up the mobile with his (under 18) gmail address, will he be able to use whatsapp? (We will control whatsapp use and read conversations etc) and TikTok? (he would like this ap, I was planning to make sure it's a private account and monitor what he does on it).

Will he be able to view Youtube with restrictions or will it only let him on Youtube kids?

Thanks.

Yes to the apps- you approve them so he'll be able to use them. No to YouTube unless someone else has found a way round it which kind of sucks as kids tube is really only ok for 7 and under. I trust DD to be sensible on YouTube but she can't use it on her phone

OK, thanks. He can use Youtube on his tablet through firefox so I'll just tell him he'll have to keep doing that.
So, does that sounds sensible, to set the phone up using his under 18 gmail address?

I can't remember what I did, but we switched on the restrictions thing on YouTube on the tablet and check his history regularly.

If I set up the phone with his under 18 gmail, will it let him Google things or send me a request every single time he tries to open a page?

You have a choice to lock it down so you have to approve all sites, a parental control option tho it's not foolproof or give him free reign over it. DD is younger so her browser is locked down and I have to approve everything- she also can't get YouTube via her browser even if I allow it. By 12 I anticipate giving DD a bit more freedom but she understands she has to start off like this

is this set up for both andriod and apple?