How to get your tech gifts working before they go under the tree this Christmas

Tech checklist for Christmas

The day is fast approaching and all the prep is under way. But what can you do in advance to make sure tech presents work like a dream rather than a nightmare this Christmas? Quite a lot actually.

Install the updates

If Santa is leaving some electronics under the tree, it is inevitable that there will be software updates to install before the devices can be used. That can be a massive undertaking, depending on what device we are talking about. Bluetooth headphones may have a firmware update that will take a few minutes to install; a games console could have a large update that could take some time to install, especially if there is huge demand for the item on the day. Previous Christmases have been full of tales of hours-long queues for updates ahead of Christmas Day as millions of devices are opened and activated, all requesting the same software updates. Updating in advance – surreptitiously of course – can eliminate that risk. Then all the recipient has to do is take the device out of the box and plug it in.

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The bonus? If there are any other issues with the device, you can get them resolved ahead of what could otherwise be a very disappointing Christmas morning.

Set up the accounts

This is another time-consuming task on Christmas morning that can be simplified ahead of time.

While you may not want to activate a phone too early ahead of the big day – due to warranty issues, for example – you can do the basics further in advance.

To set up an account for a child, regardless of the platform, you will need an account of your own first to oversee it, or access to another adult account that can act as a family manager.

Apple:

If you have a family sharing group – which is advisable from a content control point of view and also savings, by sharing services across the group – you can add a child account to your group. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings>Family and tap the Add Member button. Tap Create Child Account> Continue.

You’ll then enter your child’s birth date and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the set-up.

Android:

To set up a Google account, visit accounts.google.com. If you are setting up an account for a child under 16, you will be asked to designate the account that will be used to manage it until the child turns 16. If you are already in a family group, your account must be the family manager one to oversee the account.

PlayStation:

On your web browser, go to PlayStation.com and select Sign in>Create New Account. You will need to verify your age and email address before you can add child accounts.

Once you have verified your account, you can start to add family members. Go to Account Management> Family Management> Add Family Member, and select Add a Child.

Xbox:

On your web browser, go to Xbox.com and tap create a free account. You will then be directed to set up a Microsoft account. Once that has been done, you can start adding family members. Go to account.Microsoft.com and scroll down to the family section. Select View Family, and then tap the Add Family Member button, and create your child account.

Nintendo:

Go to accounts.Nintendo.com and firstly create your own parental account. Once you have set yourself up, you can add members to your family group through the Nintendo website or on the Switch itself, creating profiles on the device and linking them to a Nintendo account.

Check out parental controls

Depending on the age of your child, you may also want to familiarise yourself with the parental controls and screen time monitoring features that different platforms offer. That could prevent any arguments down the line by automating access times or restricting certain content straight out of the box.

There are plenty of horror stories of large bills being run up on virtual game items without parents’ knowledge

The other bonus of parental controls is the ability to prevent bill shock. Restricting your child’s ability to download new apps, for example, may not only stop them from accessing inappropriate content, but it could also save you from an unexpectedly large bill.

iOS:

On Apple devices, Screen Time can be managed by an adult account, allowing you to set rules for when certain devices can be used, how long they can spend on them, and what apps can be accessed.

To activate Screen Time, go to Settings> Screen time> Continue, and then choose “This is my child’s [device name]”. From there, you restrict content and set app limits, and most importantly, set a passcode to stop any tech-savvy kids from making their own changes.

You will also be also to see how much time they are spending on the devices, and apply it across anything they are signed into.

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What about in-app purchases? There are plenty of horror stories of large bills being run up on virtual game items without parents’ knowledge – until the credit card company comes looking for an extortionate amount of money.

On iPhones and iPads there are several options. You can set up Ask to Buy for downloads, which gives your children the freedom to make their own choices on what they are using on their device without giving them free rein with your credit card.

Another way is to require a password for each purchase, meaning that as long as your password stays secure there will be no unexpected charges to your account.

Of course, you can impose a blanket ban and turn off all in-app purchases through Screen Time by selecting your child’s profile, going to Content and Privacy restrictions> iTunes and App Store Purchases> In-app Purchases and selecting Don’t Allow.

Android:

Family Link can keep watch over your child’s account until they hit the appropriate age to manage it for themselves. That includes updates in settings such as name and birth date; stopping your child from circumventing controls and supervision by changing a few key details, deleting accounts, and managing activity controls such as app activity. Crucially, Family Link allows you to keep watch on new users being added or removed from your child’s device.

As family manager of a PlayStation account, you can restrict communication between your child’s account and other players

To use it, you’ll need a device with Android 5.1 and higher for your child to use; once your child’s account is managed with Family Link, they can’t sign in on devices with Android 5.0 and lower.

Once you have the account set up and linked to your family group, you can open the Family Link app and get started. To add a device to your child’s account, you will need it in hand, logged into the account you previously set up for your child. Go to Settings> Google> Parental controls, and then follow the steps provided.

To ensure no new users can be added, turn off add/remove user for that device in the Family Link app. And to turn off in-app purchases, tap your child’s profile in Family link, go to Content restrictions> Google Play> Purchases and download approvals, and tap require approval.

PlayStation:

As family manager of a PlayStation account, you can restrict communication between your child’s account and other players, limit the viewing of content created by other players, set play time controls and spending limits, and restrict web browser access.

There are some preset controls that apply depending on the age of your child, set to child, early teens and late teens or older; the latter will give your teenager more freedom to access games with an appropriate age rating or open access to virtual reality content, which is blocked on the “child” setting.

On Playstation, the monthly spending limit for child accounts is automatically set to 0. Changes can be made by the family manager or anyone you have appointed as a guardian for the child accounts, so choose who you appoint to those roles wisely.

Nintendo:

Nintendo has its own Parental Controls app for the Switch and Switch Lite that allows you to see what your child is doing on their games console and set some rules.

You can set how long your child can play for, or what category of content can be played under their ID. You can also limit the sharing of in-game text or images, and restrict the ability to post screenshots to social media.

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The Nintendo Switch allows you to restrict shop purchases through your own line account. Go to accounts.Nintendo.com and sign in with your parental account details. Then select the child account to which you wish to apply the restrictions, and scroll down and tap on “Spending/purchases on Nintendo Switch eShop and Nintendo.com”. You can restrict purchases, save the changes, and they will automatically be applied to your child’s account.

Xbox:

Like the other consoles, Microsoft’s Xbox offers an app to monitor screen time and manage spending. Again, you need a family account with the various child accounts linked to that family. If your child wants more screen time, that request can be made through the app, while you can also keep a close eye on friends and online gaming through the Xbox Family Settings app.

Ask to Buy will give you control over spending, while you can also add money to or view the balance of your child’s account, and see what they are spending their money on.

It works for both Series X/S and Xbox One consoles, and screen time restrictions can also be applied to Windows PCs when the child is logged in with the Xbox profile.

Look at protection

While phone insurance may be a waste of money for some people, it depends on the type of phone you have and how careful you are with the device.

If you are prone to smashing phone screens, for example, it might be worth looking into some sort of insurance – Apple Care+ for the iPhone, for example, lasts for two years and gives you a reduced rate for common – and expensive – repairs such as front and rear glass.

If your phone is reasonably inexpensive, insurance payments might not be worth it. Read the fine print. Some policies impose onerous conditions for claims, including limiting where devices can be kept. Others have a high excess to pay out for a claim, and there can also be limits on how many claims you can make in a 12-month period.

If you are prone to losing or damaging devices, prevention is better than cure – invest in a decent case for the device and turn on the various tracking apps to keep tabs on the phone or tablet.