Share

Toddler disables his dad's tablet for 48 years: Digital lessons from a cautionary tale

accreditation
Toddlers and androids don't mix.
Toddlers and androids don't mix.

What do you do when your 3-year-old manages to lock you out of your iPad for 25 536 442 minutes? 

That's what a father, author and writer for the New Yorker, Evan Osnos, asked his Twitter followers after his toddler's repeated (and unsuccessful) attempts at unlocking his dad's iPad, reports CNN

Of course, the trolls jumped at the chance to make light of the situation, their advice ranging from time-travel, to posting a few "helpful" memes. 


Also see: Is your tot addicted to your smartphone?

Do you feel as if you're somehow sharing your digital toys with your children? What's the worst thing that's happened? Share your story with us, and we could publish your letter. 




 

Others offered actual advice like syncing the device up to a computer and connecting to a recognisable wifi network, but it was only after two days that Evan managed to get his tablet on its way to being up and running again. 


Also see: Toddlers + touch-screens = little sleep?


Evan's dilemma and its lessons 

Innocently locking – or wiping and formatting – a device may be just around the corner for your little one, so what to do? 

According to Popular Mechanics, there are far too many online "hacks" for getting your phone out of disabled mode, and the site advises users not to trust these sources. 

And even though getting his device into Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode worked for Evan, pulling it off is tricky, notes iMore.com. 

As per the site, getting your device into DFU mode "allows your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to be restored from any state... [but] DFU mode requires a bit of timing and can take practice to get right." 

Here's a link to a step-by-step guide to getting your Apple device into DFU mode

Given the airtight nature of biometric security like fingerprint sensors and face-scanning technology, your only option may be to format your device and start from scratch, so your best bet is back up, back up back up! That's the advice of Gizmodo.

The super useful site offers advice on what to do when you've locked yourself out of a smartphone or laptop and we suggest you bookmark this guide in case of future mishaps.  

Best advice, possibly, is to go into your settings before any mishaps, and ensure you won't be locked out of your phone should your tot get your pass code wrong.

Chat back:

Do you feel as if you're somehow sharing your digital toys with your children? What's the worst thing that's happened? Share your story with us, and we could publish your letter. 

Sign up for Parent24's newsletters.

Read more:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE