PinePhone for Kids

[iraklisam]

Hi All,

Here is my problem:
I want a phone for my 10 year old boy. This phone should have only one function: dial a number and make a call. Actually 3 numbers: emergency, my number and my spouse's number. Also I want phone to receive calls (it is a phone after all). I want everything else to be disabled or blocked (including camera) when he is using the device.
Questions:
1. Does PinePhone support multiple users (root and regular user) so that I can set up the phone and give it to kid.
2. Is it possible to block everything except phone call function?

Thank you very much for your understanding and feedback.

[zetabeta]

short version: pinephone is way too unstable for this purpose and most of your features are not yet programmed.

1:
yes, pinephone support multiple users. although, it logs in by default user and for root user, sudo is used in most distros. so, you need to alter users and sudo config.

2:
technically possible, but i haven't heard anyone to do that. user interface needs some black and white lists for apps.

i don't think that calling app supports phone number whitelists.

because pinephone regular and pro are targeted to users who want to control their own devices and run specialized software, restrictions are not popular. however, when software matures, we might see more possibilities, but i think it takes a lot of time.

btw, what i do commonly is to use ssh and with public ip in mobile data, this can be used for controlling the device remotely. my use case is to avoid touchscreen in most cases and do stuff in a background.

i don't know your financial status, pinephone is somewhat cheap, so what you lose in the end. you end up using it more than your children. but anyway, these usual beta warnings that software is in development more or less.

i don't have kids. but giving average android for a child with google family account doesn't sound that fun, so giving device without google account or equivalent might be less worrisome. in the end i might be more worried about high invoices and how to control cost of a phone plan.

[dachalife]

A conventional old style mobile phone would be cheaper & it would be ready to go out of the package or one of those watch phones for children.