Prepare your Android device for parental supervision using Norton Family

Certain settings on your Android device may impact the functionality of the Norton Family app and its ability to monitor your child's online activities.
To ensure your child can safely browse the internet, make the following configuration changes to your Android device for the best performance with Norton Family:

Prevent new user account creation

Devices running Android 8.0 or later can be configured with multiple user accounts. These accounts include the owner profile account, user account, and guest account. By default, these devices have an owner profile account. If needed, you can create a new user account or a guest account to share the device with other members.

If your children use any of these devices, their activities are monitored only if Norton Family is installed on the account that they use to login to the device. Moreover, if your children use owner profile account to login to their device, they can easily create a new user account or guest account and switch to these accounts to do their online activities. In this case, Norton Family cannot monitor their activities as it is installed only on the owner's profile.

Likewise, when your child's device is upgraded to Android 8.0 or later, you get the owner profile account, and all the installed apps, including Norton Family, will be part of this profile. So, it is required that you install Norton Family on the user account that your child uses to login to the device and you prevent your children from creating new user accounts, including guest account. For more information, read Prevent your child from creating new user accounts on Android 8.0 or later devices.

Ensure app permissions are turned on

Norton Family requires certain app permissions on your child's device to prevent your child from circumventing Norton Family protection. So, ensure that you have turned on the required permissions before handing over the device to your child. You will be notified if these permissions are turned off by your child or by the device itself. In such case, turn on the required permissions again for continued protection.

Norton Family requires the following permissions:

Device Admin
Accessibility
App Usage Access
Display over other Apps
Location
Phone

Turn on app permissions

In Android 11 or later, if the app is not used for few months the permissions are revoked. To change this, tap Go To Settings and then tap App Permissions.

Open Norton Family parental control app on your child's device.
Tap the profile icon and then tap Permissions.
In the Permissions screen, turn on the permissions that are marked with red warning alert :
- Device Admin: Required to prevent your child from uninstalling Norton Family app.
  Tap it and then tap Activate this device admin app.
- App Usage Access: Required for time supervision and app supervision to work.
  Tap it and then tap Norton Family. In the Usage access screen, turn on Permit usage access.
- Location: Enables you to track the location of your child.
  Depending on the version of Android OS on your device, do one of the following:
  - For Android 10.x and below versions: Tap Location and then tap Allow All the Time.
  - For Android 11 or later: Tap Location > Allow all the time.
    In the App info page, tap Permissions > Location and then select Allow all the time.
- Draw Over Apps: Enables you to block apps that you think are inappropriate for your child's age.
  Tap it and then turn on Allow display over other apps.
- Accessibility: Required for enhanced monitoring of your child's web activities and to prevent unauthorized uninstallation of the Norton Family parental control app.
  Tap it and then turn on Norton Family Accessibility Service.
  Ensure that the Norton Family Accessibility Service Shortcut is always turned OFF.
- Phone: Allows your child to make calls to their emergency contacts during the curfew or instant lock.
  Tap it and then allow Norton Family to access the phone contacts.
- Notification: Allows your child to receive notification on House Rules updates.
  Tap it and then allow Norton Family to receive notifications.

Configure settings on Redmi Device

Go to the Settings app, and then go to Apps > Permissions > Other Permissions.
Search for Norton Family and then tap Open new windows while running in the background to turn it on.

Disable Private Space

The Private Space feature on Android creates a secure space and restricts other apps from accessing the data of the apps that run in Private Space. If your child's device has Private Space feature enabled, Norton Family cannot monitor the activities of apps running in Private Space.

Private Space feature is only available in Android 15.0 and above.

To monitor your child's activity more effectively, disable or delete the Private Space on your device.

Delete Private Space

On your Android device, go to Settings.
Tap System > Reset Options > Delete private space.
Type your device PIN.
Tap Delete to confirm.

For more on Private Space, read the following Google Support article: Hide sensitive apps with private space.

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After deleting the Private Space, block the settings app for the child in Norton Family.

Block Settings app

App and time supervision require a few options in the Settings app to be turned on always. Ask your child not to turn off these options. If your child still accesses the Settings app and turns off these options, you can block the Settings app using Norton website or Norton Family parental control app for Android.
To enable the Settings app again, follow the same steps as below but turn off blocking.

Use Norton website

Use Norton Family parental app for Android

Sign in to the Norton Family app in Parent mode.
Tap the child whom you want to manage.
Go to the Rules tab.
Under Activities, tap App supervision.
If App supervision is turned off, turn it on by tapping the Off button.
Check the Settings app, and then tap Done.

Disable Smart popup view

Smart pop-up view feature is available on some mobile devices. It allows users to view an app or content in a small pop-up window while using another app and improve multitasking.
To monitor your child's activity more effectively, turn off the Smart pop-up view feature.

Go to the Settings app, and then go to Notifications.
Select Advanced Settings > Floating notifications.
Select Off.

If you are using Google account to sign in to your Norton Family account, make sure that you sign out from your Google account in your browser after finishing the Norton Family setup.

Need more help?

Norton Family Support Home
Set up Norton Family on your child's iPhone or iPad
Enable Norton Family browser extension

Ultimate Help Desk