Samsung has unveiled a suite of new parental control features within One UI 7, specifically designed for the Galaxy S25 series. These enhancements aim to provide parents with greater oversight of their children’s online activities, particularly in the realms of web browsing and app downloads.
Enhanced Parental Controls
Historically, Android devices have granted unrestricted access to a vast array of online content, which can pose challenges when devices are in the hands of unsupervised minors. While applications like Family Link offer some level of content restriction, they often fall short when it comes to certain preinstalled apps, such as Samsung Internet and the Galaxy Store. However, with the introduction of One UI 7, Samsung is stepping up to fill this gap.
Within the Settings > Digital Wellbeing and parental controls section of the Galaxy S25, users will find a new content restrictions page. This feature, absent in previous iterations of One UI, empowers parents to manage the types of web content accessible through Samsung Internet and to regulate app and game downloads from the Galaxy Store.
- Parents can activate a content filter that blocks access to “sexually explicit and violent sites” on Samsung Internet. While Samsung acknowledges that the filter may not capture every inappropriate site, it represents a significant step towards safer browsing experiences for children.
- Additionally, parents can set a maximum age rating for apps and games available for download from the Galaxy Store. The ratings can be adjusted to “all ages,” “12+,” “16+,” or “18+,” aligning app availability with the child’s age as specified in their Samsung account.
These new settings are expected to be presented during the initial setup of devices intended for children, although confirmation is still pending. It is likely that any modifications to these settings will require parental approval, ensuring that parents maintain control over their children’s digital interactions. Leaked marketing materials suggest that parents may also have the ability to approve individual app download and purchase requests, adding an additional layer of oversight.
Currently, these content restriction features are exclusive to the Galaxy S25, but there is anticipation that they will be rolled out to other Samsung devices with future updates of One UI 7. Until then, parents looking to manage their children’s access to Samsung Internet and the Galaxy Store will need to rely on existing parental control tools that restrict access to these applications entirely.
