Learn how to block the installation of applications on Android and take control of your device’s privacy and security. Follow our simple steps to customize your app installations.
On the vast expanses of Google Play and the Internet, you can find many applications that are not recommended for children of one age or another. If you are afraid that your child will one day decide to “taste the forbidden fruit”, then our guide will help you avoid this.
How to Block App Installation on Android
Blocking installation of applications from Google Play via parental control
The first thing you should do is enable parental controls in Google Play. To do this:
- Go to the store and click on the avatar;
- Click on “Settings” in the menu that opens;
- Scroll down to the Family section and expand it;
- Go to “Parental Control”;
- Move the slider to the active position. You will be asked to create a PIN code.
Once parental controls are enabled, you can decide which apps to block. They fall into three categories:
- Games and applications;
- Movies;
- Books.
Most of the content presented in Google Play has age restrictions. You can set up a ban according to them. For example, allow only those games and applications that are recommended for children aged three and over.
An important point: if your child uses your account and is smart enough, it won’t be difficult for them to go into Google Play settings and disable parental control. For some unknown reason, Android doesn’t require a PIN code to disable this feature. To avoid this, you’ll have to create a separate account for your child in the Family Link app .
Ban on installing applications from Google Play via antiviruses and other software.
There are a lot of third-party utilities and antiviruses that have a parental control function. In practice, this makes little sense, since most programs are paid and do not have any advantages over a similar function in Google Play.
Prohibition of installation of applications from third-party sources
The path to settings may vary depending on your device and Android version.
Procedure using Huawei P30 Lite as an example:
- Go to the OS settings and open the “Security” section;
- Go to the “Additional settings” section and select “Installing applications from external sources”;
- Click on all installed web browsers one by one, then on the Files application and move the sliders to the inactive position.
Unfortunately, it won’t be difficult for a “savvy” kid to disable all these restrictions. And here a third-party application that blocks the launch of applications will help us. For example, AppLock will cope with this task perfectly.
Procedure:
- Download and install the program from Google Play;
- After the first launch, you will be asked to create a pattern key and then repeat it;
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- After this, you need to grant the program all permissions.
By default, AppLock blocks access to Google Play and system settings. This way, you can even do without activating parental control in Google Play.
How to Unblock App Installation on Android
The process is the exact opposite of everything described above and depends on the method you choose.
How to prevent apps from being removed
The best program for this purpose is AppLock or a similar one. Even if the child tries to delete the application from the desktop, the application will still ask for the key.
How to Block or Remove Google Play
You won’t be able to block access to the store using standard tools – you can only impose a ban on downloading applications of a certain type. Since Google Play is a system program, it can only be removed using third-party utilities and if you have root rights.
In general, deleting the store doesn’t make much sense – it’s easier to block access to it via AppLock.