5 parental control apps all parents must download on their phones

With the ease of using technology and the flood of information available on the internet, it is extremely difficult to keep children safe online.

As a parent, you face this daunting task of screening or monitoring content, which your child is consuming on the net. Parenting control software is thus, becoming popular and extremely useful in helping parents keep track of their child’s digital presence.

A recent survey by Google of parents in the Asia Pacific found that parents in Singapore reported the two greatest online threats their children faced in the past year – exposure to inappropriate content and oversharing on social media.

Therefore, when it comes to your child’s online activities, you need to ensure they are safe and a parental control software can help you with it. 

Why you must monitor your child’s online activities

Statistics from NetSmartz (an online effort by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children), reveal that children are online more than ever.

• About 93 per cent of kids aged 12 to 17 are online, and 75 per cent of the same age group have cell phones.
• Around 73 per cent of teens have social networking profiles on sites like Facebook, with almost half uploading pictures of themselves.

These alarming figures are proof that children can get exposed to undesirable content on the internet easily. And most of them are exposed on content such as:

• Sexually explicit content
• Obscene or age-inappropriate content
• Violent or graphic content
• Downloads of pirated materials

Consumption of this type of content has led to an onset of abusers too, who approach kids without parental supervision. This is why it is more important than ever for parents to consider a parental control software. 

ALSO READ: Facebook increases parental control features in Messenger Kids app

What is a parental control software?

According to Kaspersky, parental control software allows you to monitor all aspects of your child’s online experience. From the amount of time they can spend online, to the apps and websites they can use. With the help of parental control software, your child won’t get access to the blocked programs. 

Now, there are a wide variety of functions that parental control software perform, such as block and filter websites and content, record their activities, limit their time online, and view their browsing history and communications.

Let’s take a look at some of the popular options you you can try. 

5 parental control software you can try 

1. Kidlogger

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This free parental control software not only tracks everything your children types and the websites they visit, it also keeps a record of the programs they use and any screen grabs they take.

There is also a voice-activated sound recorder for those concerned about who your kids talk to online. The free software monitors five devices and keeps log history for nine days.

2. Kaspersky Safe Kids

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Kaspersky Safe Kids is a parental control software for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS devices, with both free and paid-for versions.

The free edition includes a blacklist that prevents your kids from watching inappropriate content online, plus app controls that let you manage app use by time used, age restrictions, and category.

The paid version adds more mobile-specific features, including a battery tracker, so you can see when your child’s phone is about to go flat, leaving them without a way to contact you. 

3. Net Nanny

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Available for PC, Android, iOS and Kindle, Net Nanny lets parents manage their kids’ screen time, block certain apps and websites, and filter online content.

A Family Feed allows parents to instantly see what apps are being used by kids and offers real-time alerts on content involving suicide, weapons, drugs and porn.

4. Bark

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Bark helps to manage and protect their children’s online lives. They monitor 30+ of the most popular apps and social media platforms, including text messaging and email, for signs of digital dangers.

5. Qustodio

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This is another popular app, which you can use to monitor the online presence of your child. The app limits screen time and can block or limit the time spent on different apps. It also allows parents to see who their kids call and text the most and allows parents to block contacts.

While it is necessary to monitor your kids’ online activity, it should never be done discreetly. 

ALSO READ: Parents now can control their children's activity on TikTok

Balance monitoring with trust 

At the end of the day children must have some room to learn and grow from their mistakes.  If you are too intrusive, it might make them rebellious. Try not to surreptitiously install monitoring software or parental filters, instead be upfront with your children.

It is quite natural that it may tempt you to know what your children are doing online, but resist yourself into stealthily monitoring your children’s online activity.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.