Best Android Apps: Toddler Lock

By TRJ

As the father of 18 month old little girl, who shares her fathers affinity for all things gadget, this app is a life savor.

I know that non-parents will not be feeling the excitement for an App called Toddler Lock. However Marco Nelissen, the developer of Toddler Lock is a savior in my family’s home. I grabbed Toddler Lock on Google Play.

The beauty of the app is its simplicity.  I was in the market for an app that would lock my phone and entertain my child for 5 minutes so I can pay the bill at the restaurant, or finished the last 5 miles of a 6 hour long vacation drive.

This app delivers.  Basically there are two steps involved in this App.

  1. Launch Todder Lock
  2. Hand Android to your child

Your toddler can draw across the black backround or hit the screen creating different shapes and colors.  If you own a slide phone the buttons on the slide will also create different shapes.  None of the buttons on the phone will allow your toddler out of the App to make embarrassing phone calls to friends you haven’t spoken to in ages. (Trust me this happens)

Android Toddler Lock Review Booya
Toddler Lock Screenshot

The “End Call” key will put the screen to sleep, but pressing it again will wake the screen back up.  The toddler can pull the white bar on the top of the screen down to erase their masterpiece and begin sketching all over again.  Once you have had enough fun you can exit the app by pressing the Q,P and Space key in that order.

I have run this App on my LG Ally and my Motorola Droid 2, both of which are running Android 2.2 Froyo.  I haven’t convinced Booya Cuz to run this on his Xoom for verification, maybe some of our users can keep the pressure on him.

If you are a parent and trusting enough to hand your Android to your Toddler, you need this App.  Thanks to Marco Nelissen. His App is free, but he does accept donations.  He already has a Halloween version of Toddler Lock and hopefully other holiday versions are in the works.

This ToddlerLock demo will give you an idea of what to expect and it does the job and it’s Toddler approved.