The Best Parental Control Tools

 The Best Parental Control Tools

All the parental control filters that we recommend are monitoring tools that allow you to set limits and monitor your child's online activity. There are other products designed for covert observation of your kids' search habits, texting, etc. In a word: espionage. This spyware allows you to see what is happening without your children knowing.

We recommend having an open line of communication with your child to help foster good online habits. If you use spyware to secretly track your child's online activities, you are missing the opportunity to provide them with real tools that will help them stay safe online for a lifetime.

Let's take a look at some of the best parental control programs on the market.

Bark

Bark is the simplest parental control app we tested, but it offers powerful protection. It uses an impressive algorithm that looks for warning signs in social media posts, emails, text messages, and photos.

That level of oversight sounds invasive, but Bark only alerts you to posts or photos that he notes as potentially dangerous. This provides the opportunity to stay on top of what is happening with your child without having them turn over their phone for inspection. Because you receive specialized alerts for specific warning signs, you can address each issue with your child.

Bark is one of the most expensive parental control apps we've seen. But it offers a 7-day free trial period, and you can use the app on an unlimited number of devices.

Qustodio

Qustodio is one of the most comprehensive parental control software , and we like that you can choose between a free or paid basic version to access additional features. You can try all the premium features for a three day period.

One of our favourite Qustodio features is the panic button. Children can access the panic button through the Qustodio app on their smartphone. When they push the button, you get an instant panic alert, and thanks to location tracking, you can determine exactly where your child is when they ask for help.

Qustodio has advanced Facebook monitoring and offers full visibility into your child's messages, posts, and photos. And if your child has an Android device, you can track calls and text messages and block any contacts that you consider inappropriate.

If you have multiple children that you want to keep track of, Qustodio offers plans that cover between five and 15 devices.

Net Nanny

Net Nanny offers many features and has a solid reputation, but setup is difficult and costs a bit more than some other available options. You can buy Net Nanny for Windows if you want to protect only one desktop device, but with the Family Protection Pass you can protect between five and 20 devices, including tablets and smartphones.

Once Net Nanny is installed, it is very easy to block access to specific websites and applications, and the remote time-out feature was a great success.

But it's also easy to get around Net Nanny's web filter, so we recommend it for younger kids who may be less knowledgeable in online settings.

Kaspersky Safe Kids

Kaspersky offers a lot for a low price. For around 15 euros you can protect up to 500 devices with all the premium features of Kaspersky. We imagine that most people don't need as much protection, but we like that Kaspersky makes it easy for families of any size to afford parental control protection.

One of the most innovative features of Kaspersky is low battery alerts. When your child's phone needs a charge, get a notification. This means there are no more "my phone died" excuses when you ask why your child ignored your call or text.

We like that there is a free version available, but it is really basic: if you want more than a content filter and screen time management, you will need to upgrade to the premium plan.

Boomerang

Boomerang offers an impressive number of parental control features, but its use is limited for iOS devices. But if you have an Android device, you can manage apps, filter content, configure geofences, monitor text messages, control tabs on YouTube views, and more.

One thing we like about Boomerang is its uninstall protection. If your child tries to remove the software on Android or iOS, you will be notified.

Overall, Boomerang is an affordable option that offers comprehensive protection for Android devices.

 

Family Link

This free parental control tool has been designed mainly for mobile phones and allows you to set time limits for device use. It is also possible to create accounts with different levels of access and security.

Norton Family premier

Symantec's Norton Family Premier is easy to download and install. There is no specific limit on the number of devices. It has a data-rich dashboard that provides detailed information about your child's web usage. It is compatible with Android and iOS.

McAfee Safe Family

McAfee Safe Family is parental control software with a common application for parents and children. It works on an unlimited number of devices and comes with good time management features to restrict your child's internet usage hours. It also has geolocation.

MMGuardian

MMGuardian is one of the best parental control apps with good social monitoring as well as calls and SMS. The app supports comprehensive reports on app usage, web browsing, and more. One-click shutdown button is also available. You can add words and the system will notify you when your child is using them.

Mspy

MSpy is one of the veterans in the market. With an emphasis on monitoring the different social applications. The standout feature is the photo monitoring, which is quite unique. No time management. Easy installation process.

What other types of parental controls are there?

There are other types of parental controls that we are going to discuss.

Router and DNS servers

Through the router we can manage restrictions on Internet browsing when different people connect with different devices. In this way, it is possible to filter the content accessed by minors, establish connection time limits and implement filters to prevent access to certain web pages.

Most parental control tools have the option of setting filters on the router.

There is also the possibility of parental control through the DNS server with which all devices and operating systems that we have at home can be controlled.

Antivirus

Many antivirus programs also incorporate parental control with which you can set browsing time limits, block certain websites, monitor chat conversations or control your child's online and social media activity.

Browsers

Browsers provide different ways to filter the websites that you don't want your children to access. The parental control Firefox , Safari, Chrome and Internet Explorer allow you to select sites and domains that you want to block. To do this, you must set the filters you want by accessing Settings and selecting the types of websites you want to block.

There are tools that give access to pages or content suitable for the little ones in the house. Among these tools we highlight:

Tweens Browser

Parents should know that this browser is a safe and ad-free window on the web for tweens. The software automatically filters out racist, pornographic, and overtly violent content, as well as chat. In addition, the sites are reviewed by a human team of parents and educators. Overall, the sites are fine for kids to eat, and they do an especially good job of appealing to the more sophisticated tastes of older tweens.

While child-oriented browsers offer parents peace of mind, they will not completely restrict children from accessing the Internet, whether by scrolling through your computer's filter or at someone else's home.

Kido'z

KIDOZ is the fastest growing content discovery and recommendation platform for kids, reaching more than 100 million children worldwide. It has become the leader of the global network, helping millions of children find content they love while allowing hundreds of brands and developers to monetize and distribute content to children around the world.

Zoodles

Parents should know that Zoodies allows younger children to sample age-appropriate web content, including games and videos. The app selects content for kids based on age, skill level, and special needs. Users can only access pre-approved sites and cannot browse parts of those sites that have not been added to the content rotation.

A premium version of the app gives parents access to special features, including the ability to monitor children's activities, block ads, and personalize content. Parents can try the premium version for free for 14 days.

Search engines

There are also search engines that offer safe results for minors, such as:

Kiddle

The sites that appear in Kiddle's search results are eligible for families as they filter sites with explicit or misleading content. It offers child-oriented results: safe sites and pages written specifically for children, safe and reliable pages that are not written specifically for children, but have content written in a simple way, easy for children to understand.

Children's search engine

The best search engine for children with 100% safe content. Ideal for teachers, educators and parents. The Children's Search Engine is designed and programmed using Google technology with very powerful filtering algorithms that discriminate content not suitable for minors in search results.

Bunis

Bunis is another safe search engine for children. It is a Google search engine that filters content that is not suitable for minors.

As you can see, you have many parental control tools. But remember, it is best to use them responsibly and find a balance between protecting your children without having to behave excessively authoritative.