More and more parents are concerned about the protection of children on the Internet. This is an issue that worries many parents and keeps them awake at night. For them, we have compiled the following tips: Best Parental Control Apps for iPhone and Android, tools to address the numerous risks to which minors are exposed on the networks.
The use of this type of application is becoming more and more common, because children are starting to use computers, smartphones or tablets at an increasingly early age. Given this situation, it is difficult to keep control: how much time children spend online, what pages or social networks they visit, what content they consume, who they communicate with… Unfortunately, the danger of them falling into the hands of criminals or stalkers is real.
It is not a matter to be taken lightly. Children and adolescents should use Internet without any kind of supervision on the part of adults is an irresponsibility on the part of adults. And the consequences that this entails can be very serious: from situations of cyber bullying to malware infections on our computers.
Children are not always aware of these dangers. In their innocence, they can fall into the hands of false “virtual friends” with the worst intentions. Our obligation as adults is to always be alert, to be aware of what our children do and to warn them of the dangers.
For all these reasons, it is essential to adopt certain security and prevention measures. That is why parental control apps exist.
The effectiveness of parental control
One of the best ways to prevent all these problems is to Setting up parental controls on the different devices and applications that children have access to. This will help us manage key aspects of their safety:
- Control the type of content which is accessed.
- Establish specific filters to block certain websites or applications.
- Define the access hours of children to the Internet.
- Decide time limits for the use of networks.
Unfortunately, all these measures are not one hundred percent foolproof. We will never be able to be completely calm. However, through parental control apps we will be able to minimize risks considerably.
Best parental control apps
This is our selection of applications that can best help us in our task of protecting our children and teenagers from the numerous dangers that, unfortunately, exist on the Internet:
eyezy
The first on our list of best parental control apps is eyezy, an effective application for spying on mobile phones. Through it, we can establish effective control over the devices that our children use.
Among the many options it offers us, Eyezy can monitor the activities of the child's mobile phone, as well as offer us practical tools to ensure their safety. It is also capable of providing a complete record of calls, shared files, messages sent and received on WhatsApp and different social networks, etc.
Family time
This is one of the most effective tools for Setting limits on the time our children spend on the InternetYou can set a maximum number of minutes or hours per day or mark certain times of the day as time when you can or cannot use the Internet.
The rules that we set through Family time They bring the necessary order and balance to children's lives, so that they have time to play, study, sleep, etc. The application also has a secure browsing which includes the possibility of blocking apps and websites or desired ones.
Google Family Link
We can't talk about parental control apps without mentioning one of the most popular options: Google family link. What this app offers us is an easy way to remotely control our children's devices: knowing where they are and what they are doing.
For it to work, it is necessary to link the minor's Google or Gmail account (the one configured on their mobile) with that of the adult. Among the many things we can do with this app is the possibility of limit mobile phone usage time, blocking certain applications and, above all, the real-time geolocation.
Qustodio
Qustodio is another highly recommended solution for adults who want to establish effective parental control over minors in their care and protect them from the risks of online use. It brings together a host of very useful tools.
The basic functions that we can highlight from this application are the content filter, real time geolocation and Limiting the time of use of the device. All this is included by default in the free version of the app. Obviously, we will find much more precise advanced functions in the paid one.
SecureKids
The last proposal of our selection of the best parental control apps is SecureKids. Again, this is a free application that allows us to remotely control the use our children make of it. from their mobile phones and tablets.
Its functions are numerous and very varied. Of course, it includes a geolocation system, an option to create alarms, another to set rest hours, different options for blocking applications, websites, etc.
In conclusion, we have to admit that controlling everything that children and teenagers do when they surf the Internet is quite difficult, although not impossible. There are also those who think that some of the functions of these parental control apps are in some way an intrusion into their privacy and intimacy, but that is a lesser evil compared to all the dangers that can be avoided.
Obviously, the use of these tools must be combined with a active communication with minors, to whom we must instill a series of basic concepts so that they themselves know how to take care of their own safety.
Editor specialized in technology and internet issues with more than ten years of experience in different digital media. I have worked as an editor and content creator for e-commerce, communication, online marketing and advertising companies. I have also written on economics, finance and other sectors websites. My work is also my passion. Now, through my articles in Tecnobits, I try to explore all the news and new opportunities that the world of technology offers us every day to improve our lives.