One of the main reasons that can lead us to try to block the download of apps on our mobile device will be that a family member or even our children use our terminal. And it is that it is increasingly common for minors to use smartphones as entertainment systems on a daily basis, so it is important to have a control that helps us protect them from some apps.
The application stores of mobile devices , not only the Android Play Store but also the iOS App Store, are somewhat dangerous platforms for minors since they can find practically any type of content, violent, random and random content. many other types … In other words, without adequate protection measures, it is very easy for a minor to access this content that is not suitable for him.
Why block them?
As we have been telling you, one of the main reasons that lead us to look for a method to block the download of apps on our mobile is due to the use of a minor. However, it will not be the only reason, since it can also be useful in the event that we lose our mobile or it is stolen. Although many people have a pin or fingerprint to access their mobile, many other users do not have this and, therefore, it is advisable to have a method so that no one except you can download paid apps or make purchases.
Parental control of apps
The first option that we will see and that will help us to block the download of apps on Android will be Thanks to the Parental Control that is in the Play Store. With this control we can prevent minors from accessing certain types of content directly from the application store, although it will also help us so that no one except the owner of the smartphone can download apps.
This parental control will affect the entire Google Play store , not only games or other apps, but also the section for movies and videos. In order to activate it, we will have to follow a series of steps that will be very easy to follow. Therefore, the first thing we have to do is open the Play Store on our mobile device and, once inside the store, we will have to open the Settings menu to move to the Parental Control section.
When we are inside the Parental Control menu , we will only have to enable it. To do this, simply activate the switch that appears at the top of the configuration page. After this, it will ask us for a pin with which this configuration will be protected, that is, so that nobody can deactivate it and download the apps on the mobile.
When this configuration is activated we will be able to see all the available options. Therefore, we will only have to configure the level of restriction that we want to apply to each of the sections of the store. Thus, all the content that we want will be blocked by default, protecting both the little ones and the download of apps by anyone.
Forgot your PIN?
If you forgot the PIN you set when you set up your mobile’s parental controls, don’t worry, as you can reset it by following a series of steps. Although it is important that in order to reset the PIN you must delete the settings of the Play Store app. So we will have to do this to be able to change the PIN:
- Grab your mobile device and open Settings.
- Go to Apps> Notifications.
- Press Google Play Store.
- Go to Storage> Clear data or Free up storage space. After this, the parental controls and PIN will be reset. So when you return to the Play Store on your mobile and add parental controls, you can configure a new PIN.
Problems with updates
It is quite common that when these parental controls are configured not to download apps, some of them are not updated . The main reason that causes it not to be updated is that the new version of the app may have a higher rating than the version we currently have on our mobile device. So if the new version of the app is rated higher than your parental controls allow, it won’t be updated.
Therefore, in order to update it, we must change the parental controls settings to allow a higher rating. Or, we can deactivate parental controls to update the app and then activate them again.
Enable fingerprint authentication on Google Play
In the case of Android, it is rare that today we do not find a terminal that has a built-in fingerprint reader . In addition, we can find it in various places, either on the side, on the back, front or, the most recent option, under the screen. In addition, the fingerprint will not only allow us to unlock our mobile, but it will also help us so that no one can download apps on Google Play.
This is because it allows us to easily activate fingerprint authentication to protect all both free app downloads and to make payments more convenient. To do this, we will have to have previously registered our fingerprint on the Smartphone.
Then, you will have to open the Google Play application and access the Settings. When we are inside, we will activate the Fingerprint Authentication box found in the User Controls section. When we press this option, it will ask us for the password of our Google user to confirm this configuration.
In addition, in Google Play we can mark when we want this authentication. It will give us three options, the first will be to ask us for the fingerprint for all purchases, another will be every 30 minutes and, the last, never. To do this, we must follow the steps that we explained before, enter again in Settings> Fingerprint authentication, click on Request authentication to make purchases. Then, those three alternatives will appear.