Pokemon GO A Parent's Guide
18th July 2016
Pokémon Go is a game where you collect and trade cute creatures called Pokémon (Pocket Monsters).
It's one of the first popular games to use "augmented reality" - a kind of cross between real life and an online world. The game makes it look like Pokémon appear in real life places by using the GPS and camera on your phone.
It's already become a craze in Australia and America, and has made it's way into the news across the world.
Here, we'll take you through what you need to know about the game and how you can help keep children using the app safe.
Explore together
With younger children, you might want to play the game together, and explore how it works. Older children may want to play alone but it's important to let them know the risks.
Set some ground rules
Talk to your children about the risks of meeting strangers and ending up in areas they don't know. Set some boundaries such as:
- take a battery pack, the game drains phone battery and this will avoid them getting lost without a phone
- stay with friends
- watch out for others - people can get competitive!
- establish where they'll be playing.
Turn off in-app purchasing
To avoid unexpected bills, check that your child's app permissions are set correctly.
Apple products:
Set up Family Sharing and Ask to Buy, which allows your child to request to purchase before it comes to you for approval.
Find this on: Settings > iCloud > Family and tap your family member's name, before tapping Ask to Buy.
Andriod:
Set up a family group which includes adding a payment method with your chosen payee.
Find this on: Subscribe > Family > Set up family > Get started
Protect your child's personal data
In order to sign up, your child has to enter their date of birth and their email address.
However, parents can request that these details are kept safe. Details on how to do this are on their privacy policy.