How to Tamper Proof Your iPhone or iPad

by Lori Cunningham

The iPhone and iPad are great learning platforms for children.  There are so many books, games, and learning resources available…for a price and for free.  I recently wrote an article for MyLifeScoop.com on the Top Top 10 iPad Apps for a Happy Toddler, check it out if you have little ones.

Babies really get into the iPhone and iPad too.  A friend of ours told us about his 8 month old granddaughter.  She knows how to play the games she likes and can even press the home button to find the other games she plays.  It’s amazing what this little baby can do at such a young age.

However, many parents would prefer that baby…or junior… do not wander off a game and enter another game without their supervision.  Parents fear kids will move their apps around, change settings, or delete their contacts…unknowingly.

Enter the BubCap, by Paperclip Robot.   BubCap is a sturdy, semi-rigid sticker that you place on the home button of your iPhone or iPad.  When babies or toddlers press on it, they will not be able to activate it.  Parents, however, with a harder press can still access the home button.

BubCap comes in three strengths:

1. Regular – best for toddlers and iPhone & iPad touch, not recommended for iPad
2. ULTRA – best for toddlers on iPad, or older toddlers on iPhone & iPod touch
3. MAX – best for older & stronger kids on iPad

Although I don’t have young toddlers in our family, I did try putting the BubCaps on my iPad.  I was very surprised and impressed with how they functioned.  Babies and toddlers will have a very difficult time engaging the button.  It’s a bit of a hard press for me, but it works.  The BubCaps are designed to stay on the home button for a long time and difficult to remove so a toddler will be unable to remove it him/herself.  But, the BubCap can be removed with a fingernail and a little determination.

BubCaps can be reapplied, however, the more times you remove them, the less adhesive they become, making them targets for toddlers to want to pull off.  Not to worry, four BubCaps come in each package, so you have spare ones.

You can purchase a four pack of Regular’s, ULTRA’s, MAX’s, or an Intro pack (2 ULTRA’s and 2 Regular’s) for $5.00 each with free shipping directly from BubCap.com.

A Mom’s Perspective

BubCaps are a really useful tool.  When I did my research for the Top 10 iPad Apps for a Happy Toddler article I wrote, I found a lot of great fun games for toddlers and I was very tempted to list the free versions for parents to download and save a little money.  Free apps work great for kids 5 and older, but with younger kids, they cause problems.  Free apps typically have flashing ads in them which scream out for a toddler to touch them.  Before you know it, your toddler has wandered off the game and ended up on the Internet.  I could see the potential danger…and frustration for toddler and parent.  The same is true with the Home button on the iPad or iPhone.  It looks like a button to press, and we all know how toddlers like to press our buttons!  Pressing the unprotected Home button will cause a toddler to become upset because their game disappeared.

BubCaps gives parents the control of providing a safe environment and ensuring the kids are playing on the app they are supposed to.

*I was sent BubCaps in hopeful exchange for a review.  After trying BubCaps, I knew I had to review them.  They solve such a great need for many parents.