Monitor Your Children’s Internet Activity
Technology has reached us and reached every one of our homes. Although many of us choose not to buy or give tablets to our children, today it is very common to see children who perfectly master the use of a smartphone or tablet.
Therefore, it is important to take certain precautions to avoid that our children come across information or content that is not appropriate for them. We share with you the best seven parental control applications to protect children on the Internet.
Why install a Parental Control Application?
For one simple and simple reason: everything that we have access to through a smartphone or tablet, our children can have as well. There is a lot of content that is not suitable for certain ages, so installing an application to limit access to them must be something basic in every device used by a child or teenager.
In addition, many of these applications have other functions besides blocking access to certain websites or applications, such as controlling the time of use given by our children or tracking the behavior or searches they perform. We share with you the seven parental control applications that will help you protect your children online.
Screen Time
With this app you can keep a watch on the time your kid uses it’s smartphone as well as what it is doing with it. The app is for free, but for some parents the paid premium plan might be appealing as it offers extra features.
The app offers sending a daily activity report of your child including it’s search history and browser history, and with the Premium plan you can even directly manage your kid’s smartphone usage by shutting the device off in case the time is exceeded and you can set time schedules.
Available free (in Basic plan) for iOs and Android.
Kids Place
Kids Place is an ideal application for younger children, creating a safe environment in which only specific applications selected by parents can be accessed. In order to enter or exit from it, a password must be entered, and while inside Kids Place, children will not be able to deactivate it unless they know the password, so they will not be able to make calls, open other applications, take pictures or send messages.
Available free for Android.
Qustodio
Qustodio is another option you can download for free, but it has a Premium plan that makes it one of the most comprehensive parental control applications you can find, to have greater control over your children’s activity on all devices.
This application can be installed invisibly on smartphones, tablets, and computers, and you can control everything from blocking specific applications and websites to the times they’ll be able to use it.
Available free for iOs, Android, Windows, and Mac.
Mobile Fence
Another parental control application that we can find is Mobile Fence, which monitors the applications that are used, the websites that are visited, as well as the times of use and the contents of the messages that are sent.
In addition, it allows you to block the camera, WiFi and Bluetooth connection, as well as calls, and in case of loss, ** allows you to block the device remotely** and make factory reset to protect personal data.
Available free for Android.
ESET Parental Control
ESET Parental Control is a free application with purchases within the application, which will allow you to have access to your child’s behavior: from the applications they use, to the websites they browse. It also includes the option of sending a message directly to your child, which he or she must confirm he or she has received.
Available for Android.
Family Time
Another of the most complete parental control applications you can download is Family Time, which, like the previous ones, has a Premium version that will allow you to have greater control over the activities your child performs within their devices.
Among its functions are the blocking of applications (even if they are installed they will not be able to open them), screen time limit and browsing history, as well as a family locator that shows you where your children are, the history of the places they have visited and even has a panic button in case your child needs help.
Available for iOs, Android, and Kindle.
WebWatcher
WebWatcher offers features similar to other parental control applications, such as browsing history and application usage, but in addition, you can monitor their location and lock the device remotely.
It also offers monitoring of specific applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat, as well as the ability to read text messages and view call history.
Available through an annual or monthly subscription for iOs, Android, Windows and Mac.
A long time ago report found that 70% of parents leave their tablets to their children, but how many take the necessary steps to protect them? It may not always be possible to prevent our children from using them, but by installing a parental control application, we can at least have the peace of mind that we can take care of what they see.