Internet safety for children in Singapore: setup, rules and help

You can set up the basics of internet safety for your child at home. Keep devices in a shared room and switch on the parental controls built into the phone or tablet. Then agree that your child comes to you whenever something online feels wrong. MOH says children under 13 shouldn't be on social media, and Singapore's Be Screen Smart portal suggests a basic phone, not a smartphone, for primary school children who need one.

How to set up internet safety for your child, step by step

1. Keep the tablet or family phone in a shared room where you can see the screen. Be Screen Smart advises keeping devices in shared family spaces.
2. Switch on the parental controls built into the device and keep the passcode to yourself. Singapore's Online Safety Commission says these let you set time limits and control what your child sees and downloads.
3. Check the age rating before you allow any app, game or show. Make new apps need your yes first, then try them together, as Be Screen Smart suggests.
4. Set accounts and game profiles to private, and teach your child to keep their full name, school, address and photos to themselves. Digital for Life advises guiding children to protect their personal information online.
5. Agree what happens when something upsetting appears: close the app, put the device down, come and tell you. Digital for Life says to promise that telling you won't lead to punishment.
6. Give one rule for chats and games: only talk to people you know offline. Digital for Life adds that your child should tell a trusted adult if anyone asks for personal details or wants to meet.
7. Hold off on social media until 13, as MOH advises. If your child needs a phone to reach you, Be Screen Smart suggests a basic phone.
8. Set a volume limit for headphones. WHO advises keeping the volume at no more than 60% of maximum.
9. Agree the same rules with grandparents and your helper, and write them down. MOH suggests a family Screen Use Agreement for this.
10. Ask about their online day the way you ask about school. MOH says to talk to your child often about what they view online.

What to allow and set up, by age

This table covers safety, not hours. For daily time limits by age, see our screen time guide.

Rules hold when every adult uses the same ones, so sit down with your helper and the grandparents to agree which apps and shows are fine and where the tablet lives. Settle what everyone does if your child sees something upsetting. MOH suggests a written family agreement, so stick yours near the charger.

Your own habits count too. Families for Life suggests putting devices away during family time. Before you post a photo, IMDA suggests thinking about how your child might feel about it when they're older. Set privacy so only people you choose can see family moments.

Your child's first smartphone: what Singapore guidance says

Neither MOH nor Be Screen Smart gives a set age for a first phone. Both point the same way. Be Screen Smart says primary school children are often not developmentally ready for a personal smart device, and suggests a basic phone instead. MOH's screen use guidance says that if your child needs to carry a device, check the parental controls are in place, and consider one with limited functions and limited internet.

Before you buy, ask yourself:

• What is it for? If it's calls and texts to you, a basic phone or a watch that only makes calls does the job.
• Who approves new apps? Be Screen Smart suggests your child asks first and you review each one together.
• Where does it charge? IMDA suggests device-free zones such as bedrooms and the dining area.

MDDI says app stores in Singapore must now use age checks to keep under-18s away from apps that aren't suitable for their age. The government also plans to require social media services to keep users under 13 off. Getting ready for Primary 1? Our Primary 1 preparation checklist covers the rest of the list.

Scams and strangers online

CSA says children can be tricked into sharing personal details or giving away access to their accounts. IMDA suggests practising together on spotting misspellings, odd web addresses and offers that look too good to be true. Help your child make a passphrase of at least 12 characters, as CSA advises, and turn on two-factor login. If a scam has already happened, stay calm and change the passwords. Money gone? CSA says to call your bank and make a police report. If you're not sure something is a scam, the ScamShield Helpline is 1799.

Online grooming is when someone builds a trusting relationship with a child under 16 online, usually to abuse them, Digital for Life explains. Prevention works best, it says, and the known-friends-only rule from step 6 is how you do that. If you're worried, stay calm. Tell your child they did the right thing by telling you, take screenshots of the chats, and report them to the police rather than questioning your child at length. Our guide to stranger danger and body safety covers the words to teach.

If your child is cyberbullied

Digital for Life defines cyberbullying as using online platforms to harass, threaten, embarrass or hurt someone. Mean messages count. So does posting an embarrassing photo, or leaving a child out of a group chat on purpose.

Calm yourself first, then listen and tell your child you want to help, as Digital for Life advises. You might say: "Something's bothering you. I'm here, and we'll work it out together." Then walk through its five steps:

• Stop: leave the app or game where it's happening.
• Save: keep screenshots as evidence.
• Block: cut off the accounts sending it.
• Tell: talk to a trusted adult, such as you or a teacher.
• Report: flag it on the platform.

If your child's safety is threatened, Digital for Life says to alert the school and report to the police straight away. For trouble at preschool, our guide to bullying in preschool explains how to raise it with the centre.

Kids headphones and safe volume

WHO's safe listening standard has a setting for children: 75 dB for 40 hours per week. It also says devices should offer a parental volume limit locked with a password. WHO's simpler rule is no more than 60% of maximum volume.

WHO suggests choosing headphones and devices with volume limiting built in. Well-fitted, noise-cancelling headphones also mean your child doesn't have to turn the sound up on a noisy MRT ride. For games, WHO prefers speakers to headphones where possible, and a 10 minute break every hour.

When to get help

Talk to a professional if you notice any of these:

• Sudden changes in device habits, or getting evasive and defensive when you ask what they do online (Digital for Life).
• Poor sleep, or less interest in things they used to love (Digital for Life).
• Sadness and mood swings, a drop in grades or not wanting to go to school (Digital for Life).
• Sexual language you wouldn't expect them to know, or gifts they can't explain (Digital for Life).
• Lying about device use, extreme tantrums when the device is taken away, or being unable to cut down (MOH).

Start with your GP, polyclinic doctor or paediatrician; our paediatrician map lists clinics near you. For school problems, talk to the teacher or school counsellor. MOH suggests the school, community partners or professionals if screen habits don't improve. Our child mental health guide covers where to go for low mood or worry.

For online harassment or sexual images of a child, you can report to the Online Safety Commission, which MDDI says opened in June 2026. Parents can file for children under 18. If your child is in danger, call the police on 999, or SMS 70999 if it isn't safe to talk. Primary school children can call Tinkle Friend at 1800-2744-788, Monday to Friday, 2.30pm to 5pm. For emotional support at any hour, call National Mindline at 1771.

Frequently asked questions

What are the basic rules for internet safety for kids in Singapore?

Keep devices in a shared room, switch on parental controls, and check age ratings before new apps. Teach your child to chat only with people they know offline and to tell you when something feels wrong. MOH adds no social media before 13.

When should kids in Singapore get their first smartphone?

There's no set age in MOH or Be Screen Smart guidance. Be Screen Smart says primary school children are often not ready for a personal smart device and suggests a basic phone if they need one. If you do choose a smartphone, MOH says to have parental controls in place first.

What is a safe kids headphones volume limit?

WHO's standard for children is 75 dB for up to 40 hours a week. The easier guide is no more than 60% of maximum volume, WHO says. Set the device's volume limit with a passcode, and pick well-fitted, noise-cancelling or volume-limited headphones.

What should I do if my child sees something upsetting online?

Stay calm and thank them for telling you. Digital for Life says to teach your child to close the app straight away, and to reassure them that telling you won't lead to punishment. Once they're settled, report the content on the platform where it showed up, and use our guide to talking to kids about scary news for the words.

Can my child use social media before 13 in Singapore?

MOH says parents shouldn't give children under 13 access to social media, and notes major services require users to be at least 13. Be Screen Smart also says to delay it until 13. MDDI says the government plans to require social media services to keep under-13s off.

Where do I report online harm to my child in Singapore?

Start with the platform's own report button, then go to the Online Safety Commission for harms such as online harassment or sexual images of a child. Parents can file for children under 18. Call the police on 999 if your child is in danger.