Thanks to Parental Control, you can keep your children protected from the dangers of the Internet. We must recognize that, little by little, the network has become one of the main sources of information and, also, a means of communication available to anyone (both adults and children).
Precisely, there is a danger! The easy and wide accessibility that exists to different devices with Internet access. Therefore, we must take special care with the smallest of the house, since not everything that abounds in the network is suitable for all audiences, which makes it necessary for parents to activate certain security measures.
And to help you keep your family safe, today there are also technological solutions that will make it easier for you to monitor this digital environment. Hence, if you continue reading this guide, you will learn what parental control is, why you need it and what programs you can use to protect your children on the Internet.
Here, we listed the Best Android Lock Screen Applications (PIN, Footprint, Patron).
What is Parental Control?
The parental control or “parental control system” refers to a tool to monitor and control the activity of minors on the Internet. At present, it is very important because the age at which children have access to devices to surf the Internet, such as mobiles, tablets or computers, is getting smaller.
Some of the options that allow this type of programs are:
- Limit the time that minors use the devices: such as computers and mobiles. This also applies to specific programs within them, such as games or the Internet browser.
- Block inappropriate websites: thanks to them, you can restrict your children’s access to adult pages and sites of dubious reputation or with high sexual content.
- Monitor the content they can access: on the network and on the devices they use to access it.
- Record the activity of the children during the use of the devices, that is, what pages they visited, what applications they opened and much more.
- Control the downloads they make, either from mobile applications or from the Internet on the computer.
Best of all is that most of the tools of this type that exist today work in a completely hidden way, so that the smallest of the house will not even realize their existence, and if they see them, It is possible to protect your deactivation with encryption.
Why is it so important to install Parental Control software on your devices?
As I said at the beginning, the Internet can be an endless source of information and knowledge. There are many successful cases of people who learn new skills thanks to this tool, essential today. However, it is also a reality that not everything we find is good.
As I usually answer the eternal question: Social Networks or the Internet in general, are they good or bad environments for children? The answer is always “DEPEND”. And on what it depends?. It depends on the use of your children and on the lack of control or supervision that we as parents have on that use.
For example, many social networks claim to be suitable only for over 14 years (an age that, to my liking, is a bit low) but, despite this, it is amazing to see children much younger than that, swarming around networks and without any adult supervision.
Without exaggeration, we must not forget that there are also many dangers on the Internet inherited from the Offline world, and I am not only talking about high-level violent or sexual content since there are also more real risks:
- Bullying or digital harassment.
- Extortion or grooming.
- Impersonation, scams or deceptions.
- And, in very extreme cases … even kidnappings.
But, calm down, not everything is so bad. This can be a wonderful world for your children. You just need proper education on the digital issue and a little more parental supervision. And for this, I want to recommend an interesting list of tools or parental control programs:
The best Parental Control tools to protect your children on Android, Windows, iOS or Mac
Everything said above, you might think it was taken from a police movie, but it is not. The worst part of reality can also be found on the web, especially when the victims are small with a susceptible mentality, who are just learning to develop in a family environment.
As a parent, I am sure that you also want your children to have a safe and happy experience when using any type of modern terminal (a mobile device or a computer (Windows or Mac)). For this reason, it is important to keep track of the smallest in the house.
And for this, I recommend using programs with which you can monitor and control the time a child spends connected and what websites a child visit, such as the 9 parental control tools that I present below:
3 Apps to install parental control on Android
One of the first devices to which the smallest of the house usually have access are mobile devices. They have the Android operating system (whether phones or tablets). Therefore, these 3 applications for Android will come in handy.
1. Secure Kids
We start with Secure Kids, an excellent application, you can download it on any of your Android mobile devices and enjoy it for free.
To have access to every one of its functions you will need the paid version, but it is worth it since it is one of the mobile applications of the “freemium” type most downloaded by parents interested in this subject.
With this tool you can not only monitor the applications your children use and monitor the time spent using mobile phones; You also can monitor calls and even block the mobile call function.
With it, you can track the device with the geolocation function and it has an emergency button that your children can activate to inform you that something is not going well.
The best thing is that you can configure the App directly from your computer through its Web and remotely.
2. Kids Place
Another excellent application that integrates this functionality in Android is Kids Place, designed to work on any mobile device with this operating system.
The best thing about it is that many of its features are available in free mode. The only drawback is that only in its premium version can be installed without the children noticing it.
Among its main advantages are its custom launcher, which shows only the tools or games that we allow.
Also, it allows you to monitor the time they spend inside the mobile, thanks to an interactive calendar (easy to use and very intuitive).
It even allows you to program applications so that they close automatically after a certain time. As if that were not enough, you can even block wireless Internet connections.
3. Family Link
It is not possible to make this list without including Family Link, a Google App/service that you can download on all your Android devices.
It is free and designed specifically for mobiles.
Among its functions, we find the basics for parental control, from the possibility of monitoring the use of applications and the time of use of the mobile to the possibility of administering, allowing or remotely rejecting application downloads.
It also has a geolocation option to know where your children are at all times, and if you want to restrict the use of their phones during certain periods, it will also be possible.
The only drawback I find is that it does not allow you to filter the content that your children see on the Internet through their devices. However, Google Chrome already has this possibility, although less powerful than others.
3 Apps to install parental control on iPhone (iOS)
In the case of Apple, there are also some applications to protect your children (on iPhone or tablets with iOS) that will work great for you.
Among the best are:
1. Parental control of iOS
As is well known, iOS is famous for the wide variety of services it offers, and among these, its devices include a native system that is quite effective. Also, it is free.
Among the functions that it implements, you can find the possibility of restricting certain types of content, as well as access to the Game Center, preventing children or young people from making purchases of some kind.
If you want to know more about the features that iOS has available to help you manage your children’s use of their iPhones, you can directly access the Apple support page through this link.
2. Screen Time
Without a doubt, Screen Time is one of the most downloaded parental control tools for all those users who have iPhone mobiles.
While not all of its features are available in the free version, you know how disturbing it is sometimes to see children being on their mobile devices for a long time.
One of the options that most attracts attention to parents is that the application allows you to count the type of applications that your children use or download, as well as allowing you to enable only those that are related to the academic field.
All this, blocking the rest, to prevent young people from getting distracted during their studies.
It has other functions such as restricting the time of use, establishing periods of study or entertainment, helping you locate your child and even inform you if your child has left a certain place, such as home, school or library.
3. FamiSafe
FamiSafe is another excellent alternative for iPhone that you can install, which has one of the best and most complete services.
The only drawback is that it is not free, so you must pay one of its fees. Of course, it has a trial version that allows you to use it for a few days to enjoy all its functions and decide.
You can receive a notification when there is a potential case of cyberbullying or viewing content not suitable for children, including through the messages it receives.
In addition to this, it also has the classic parental control functions, such as the restriction of content, accounting of the time of use of the mobile, and also geolocation, to know where your child is at all times.
3 Applications to install Parental Control on Windows 10 (PC) or Mac computers
Not only there is a risk in the use of mobile devices without supervision, but in the case of computers, it is also necessary to monitor what children do.
For this, many options will help you monitor what your children do in a desktop computer, and then I will show you more tools for Windows 10 or Mac that you can find currently in the market:
1. Qustodio
This is perhaps one of the best free tools on the Internet. Although it is well known for its operation on mobile devices, Qustodio can also be installed on desktops, both on Windows 10 and Mac.
Qustodio also has a premium service, which increases the functions of the service.
As for its functions, Qustodio allows you to monitor the time of use of the computer, as well as allows you to visualize how they spend their time on the Internet and even what they do on their social networks.
Also, Qustodio has basic functions, such as blocking content that you consider inappropriate for them or that present some kind of risk, in addition to personally managing your time behind the screen to prevent them from spending long hours on the computer.
2. Norton Family Premier
Norton Family Premier is the option offered by Norton to install a parental control program on your computer and your mobile devices. It is possible to install it on both PC and Mac.
The drawback is that it is a payment tool, although it is also included when you purchase a license for Norton Security Premium and you can try it for free for 30 days.
As for its functions, it allows you to perform complete monitoring of your children’s activity on the PC, from the use of programs and games to how time passes on the Internet; It is even possible to track the use they give to social networks to detect any possible case of cyberbullying.
3. Microsoft Family Safety
Microsoft Family Safety is Microsoft’s alternative to protect your family and to integrate it into the digital medium. With it, you can not only maintain a prevention system for your children, but you can create a family group in which to share many of Microsoft’s tools such as “Office 365”.
All activity in social networks and other programs will be archived for periodic consultation.
Another of the functions that it has is to establish a time allowed for your children to use their devices and so they do not spend more time than they should on the computer.
Did you know that there were parental control programs to protect children?
What other tools or Apps do you know?
Tell me your opinion and suggestions about it below in the comments.
