Parental control app Qustodio is a highly configurable, easy-to-manage tool for keeping track of your child's activity on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, though it comes at a premium price. Finding the best parental control app, however, can be a bit daunting. Shopping for the right one can be overwhelming, because there are so many to choose from, and they all offer something slightly different. Fortunately, we’ve done a bit of the work to help aid your search and narrowed it down to the five best parental control apps of 2020.
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Looking for THE BEST PARENTAL CONTROL SOFTWARE to safe guard your kids from online dangers? As parents, the thought of our children being taken advantage of, bullied, or otherwise hurt is the stuff of nightmares. These types of dangers have always been an ugly reality of life, but the ubiquity of online connectivity now allows tormentors to virtually knock down the protective wall around a child’s home, putting kids at risk where they are meant to be safest.
And though our primary concern is protecting our kids from danger online, it is not the only consideration in crafting an appropriate web environment for children. Left to their own, children will overindulge connected devices, and as parents it is our responsibility to ensure a healthy and balanced relationship with technology for our kids.
There are thankfully a number of convenient tools available to assist us in this new-age parenting responsibility. And if you are a parent of a child that has the ability to independently use a computer, you should use one.
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The Tools Parents Need to Create a Safe and Healthy Web Environment for Children
Any parental control app should offer tools supporting the following three main objectives:
Foster a healthy relationship with the internet in which the web complements rather than supplants other activities. It is entirely proper to censor inappropriate materials for young children and to monitor their conversations. As your kids grow older, however, not only does privacy become a more important concern, but the types of threats change. Much of the web’s inappropriate material will sadly have entered their orbit anyway, while greater independence makes online predators or bullying more of a threat.
Below are brief summaries of the different tools offered to parents which can assist handling children of all ages.
Establishing time limits
Cell phone addiction amongst children is frustratingly real and when left to their own, many kids (adults too if we are being honest) would prefer to be swiping away at a touchscreen rather than reading a book, playing with friends, or (surprise) doing their homework. It is our responsibility as parents to set digital boundaries, and parental control apps help do this in a non-confrontational manner.
Most applications allow parents to set specific time periods during which screen time is off limits entirely, adjusted perhaps depending on the day of the week. Daily or weekly overall screen time limits are also configurable, with really good software allowing even app-specific time limits, not to mention blocking specific apps entirely.
Some parents prefer to establish a reward based system, by which children may request extra time, or to notify parents when the chores or homework required to use the internet is complete.
Web Filtering with parental control softwares
Any parental control application will allow the filtering of websites and application based on age appropriateness. Most offer predetermined age categorizations, all of which is customizable based on a parent’s preference. Certain software, like Qustodio, do a very good job ensuring that children are unable to circumvent our filtering selections by using obscure browsers, proxies, or other work arounds.
Any software worth its salt provides logs of your child’s internet behavior – what they are searching for, what sites they are trying to view, and what YouTube videos they are watching. It sounds cliche, but reporting on a child’s website and search history provides opportunities for parents to have meaningful conversations with their children on subjects they otherwise might not even realize were an issue. It even gives us the opportunity to prepare ahead of time.
Monitoring Your Child’s Whereabouts with parental control softwares
Want a pop up notification that your child has arrived at school? Parental Control Applications identify popular locations and send these types of notifications directly to parents. Many have configurable functionalities, allowing the parent to input a geo-schedule, which warns the parent if a child wanders outside of boundaries set for a particular time period. No more playing hooky.
And God forbid, if your child is lost, scared, or in trouble, many applications offer a panic button to let all designated contacts know the exact location of your child. Family tree free mac download. The best parental control software and apps also allow you to create a virtual geo fence with the places that your kids are visiting. This features allow you to get notified when the kid is outside the pre configured geo fence.
Communication and Social Media Monitoring
Many applications allow parents to monitor SMS communications, Facebook activity, and phone calls for potential danger. Particular numbers may be remotely blocked, so that incoming calls do not even register on the phone.
This is of course a violation of a child’s privacy, a reading of the diary for a new generation. How does a parent balance a child’s expectation of privacy against the potential for bullying, dangerous behavior, or even online predators? In our opinion it is best to be open with your child about the limits of their privacy, and why it is your responsibility as a parent to watch out for their well being – even in places they would prefer you not looking. But note that communication monitoring is imperfect and often limited. If a child really wants to circumvent your snooping, they will probably be able to do it with third party messaging apps, or disallowing Facebook monitoring.
Read our guides on how to set up parental controls on the different social and video platforms:
YouTube:How to set up parental control on youtube?Netflix: How to set parental controls on Netflix?Facebook: How to put parental controls on Facebook?Reporting Dashboard
Parents are able to monitor online activities in real time across every kid’s device. Real time reporting shows exactly where and how your child is spending his or her time on the internet, and you may review communications, social media activities, even phone or video calls from a single, convenient interface.
Why Pay for Parental Control Software?
Actually, you don’t need to pay for parental control programs. Google, Apple, and amazon all offer freely embedded solutions that have some excellent features. However, they do miss out on a couple of important aspects we feel are generally worth ponying up the annual fee.
You might not agree with their rules. Once your kid turns 13, for instance, google does not allow you to apply parental control.
Our 6 Best Parental Control Softwares and Apps 2020
With free parental control software, you can have that peace of mind knowing that your children are safe from inappropriate or adult content. These apps can take some of the worry out of letting your children use the internet when you can't watch them directly, at no cost to you.
In an ideal world, the web would be a safe space for underage kids. Unfortunately, that is far from reality, and as a busy adult, it’s not always possible for you to spend the time to be there while your children are online. This is where free parental control software can help - by allowing you to either block access to particular sites that may have concerning content, or only permit access to sites you deem suitable, this tool can help protect your kids.
The best free parental control software will look after the kids when you're unable to, whether they are conducting research for a school project, keeping in touch with friends, or simply enjoying all the good things that the Internet does offer. It does not matter what age your child is, or whether they are using a mobile device, Windows or a macOS computer. In this roundup, you will find the perfect free parental control software to lend you a vigilant hand. Toast titanium product key generator.
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Qustodio's premium parental control tools are the best around. YouTube monitoring, the ability to see time spent on social networks, time limits for games and call tracking are just some of the options available. These tools aren't free, but they'll provide an extra layer of protection to keep your kids safe.
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1. Qustodio
A full suite of parental control tools to keep your kids safe online
Operating system: Windows Mac, Android, iOS, Kindle, Nook
Lets parents set time limits
Some features behind paywall
Most parental control software is aimed at Windows users, but Qustodio (think 'custodian') is also available for Mac, Android, iOS, Kindle and Nook.
The free version is one of the most comprehensive parental control apps around, enabling you to set rules and time schedules, block pornography and other unsuitable content. If you go for the paid-for version, you'll also get SMS monitoring, social media features and per-app controls.
Its raft of features and support for a wide range of platforms make Qustodio the best free parental control software, but there are some other excellent free programs available, some of which may be better suited to your individual needs as a parent. Read on for the rest of our our top choices. Download boston stitcher no 7 manual.
Read our full Qustodio review
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2. OpenDNS FamilyShield
Block domains on your whole home network at router level
Operating system: Windows
Ready-made blocklists
Setup can be tricky
FamilyShield is a free service from OpenDNS. Its parental control tools automatically block domains that OpenDNS has flagged under the headings 'tasteless, proxy/anonymizer, sexuality, or pornography'.
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One of the big pluses here is that while FamilyShield can run on PCs and mobile devices, you can also apply it to your network router and filter all the traffic that passes through it – it's just a matter of changing the DNS server numbers in your control panel.
This has the happy benefit of improving DNS lookup speeds on some ISPs. By filtering everything at the router level, every device on your network benefits from the filters. For more options, there's also a premium service available.
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3. KidLogger
Detailed activity logging, including apps used and keystrokes
Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, BlackBerry
Cross-platform
Best Macos Parental Control App Download
Only covers one device
Nothing gets past KidLogger. This free parental control software not only tracks what your children type and which websites they visit – it also keeps a record of which programs they use and any screengrabs they take.
If you're concerned about who your kids might be talking to online, there's even a voice-activated sound recorder. If your children are a little older and more responsible, you can pick and choose which options to monitor and give them a little privacy.
The free software only covers one device and lacks some of the sneakier features of the premium editions (including silent monitoring of WhatsApp conversations and the ability to listen to Skype calls), but it's still a well-rounded tool if you're concerned about your kids' safety.
Read our full Kidlogger review
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4. Spyrix Free Keylogger
Find out what your kids are typing, and if they might be in trouble
Operating system: Windows
Remote monitoring
No content blocking
Keyloggers have something of a bad reputation online, as they're often used by crooks hoping to capture passwords and bank details, but they can be a force for good too, and Spyrix Free Keylogger enables you to see what your children have been up to.
Although it's dubbed parental control software, the free version of Spyrix really a monitoring program; it doesn't stop the kids getting up to no good, but it does let you see exactly what they've done. If you want content blocking too, premium subscriptions start at US$59 (about £45, AU$75).
The absence of filtering means Spyrix might not be the best choice for younger kids' computers, but it may be useful for older children if you suspect online bullying or other unpleasantness.
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5. Kaspersky Safe Kids
Parental control software for all devices
Operating system: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Available for multiple platforms
Extra mobile-specific tools
Kaspersky Safe Kids is parental control software for all devices – desktop and mobile – with both free and paid-for versions.
The free edition includes a blacklist that prevents your kids seeing inappropriate content online, plus app controls that let you manage app use by time used, age restrictions, and category (if you don't want your kids playing games on a school night, for example). There's also a screen time management tool to help you control overall device use,
The paid version adds more mobile-specific features, including a battery tracker so you can see if your kid's phone is about to go flat, leaving them without a way to contact you. You can also keep an eye on their location with GPS tracking, manage their social media use, and receive real-time alerts if they visit websites they shouldn't or leave a pre-defined 'safe' area.
We found that it took longer than usual to log into a Windows account when Kaspersky Safe Kids was running on a Windows 10 PC, so this is worth bearing in mind if your kids' PC is a little on the slow side already.
Best Macos Parental Control AppsOther apps to consider
A premium parental control app for mobile devices, Famisafe can be installed on up to 30 devices per account. It features all the usual tools for keeping kids safe, including setting time limits and blocking inappropriate content, but can also detect potentially inappropriate photos and text messages, block games, and monitor your kids' whereabouts with GPS and geofencing.
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