Security in the virtual world is just as concerning as that in the real world. But it is not going to be as easy as it is to keep an eye on them in the physical world. In the virtual dimension, it is tough for you to keep an eye on them, know what they are doing, snoop on them, and so on. In these dark times, keeping a close watch is necessary to reduce the security risks, not to mention limiting the access to inappropriate content on the internet. In such a situation it becomes important that we find a shield that will protect them from online threats. Your knight in a shining armor in the virtual world is parental control apps. They will provide you with many features that will protect your child in various ways. Don’t misuse the opportunity by being a nosy rosy all the time. Don’t invade their privacy to such an extent that they will want to fool you and try to get past this shield. Remember, the story of the chicken who gave a golden egg every day. Long story short, don’t kill the opportunity. Here is the list of parental control apps that will do your usual virtual snooping.
- Qustodio
Qustodio offers an extensive list of spying activities to protect your child. This app will filter content that will be inappropriate for your child as per your liking. It also provides activity monitoring that will help you know what all your child does on the internet. It comes with the feature of setting a screen time limit so that your child does not rot their brain off. Moreover, it has a family locator that will be useful in giving you location information. Another important feature offered by this app is the SOS button that can be used by your child if they are in any danger.
And the best part is that it is free!
- NetNanny
NetNanny has a highly sensitive internet filter. While browsing on the web, if your child comes across some content that is not age-appropriate NetNanny filters that content. This app also comes with the screen time manager and location tracking.
The app gives you great features at an affordable price and a free trial too.
- Bark
This app keeps an eye on their texts and social media accounts for you. It will also monitor for any harmful content that they might be accessing. You will get a notification when the app finds that your child may be in potential trouble. Do yourselves a favor and don’t use this app as an excuse to spy on their texts and social media accounts instead of using it for their protection. Stay true to your original intentions.
You will get a free trial of this app before buying it.
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- Kaspersky safe kids
This app also blocks harmful content. It helps you control screen time. You can also track your child’s location. Along with these features, you can monitor your child’s social media activities.
You have to buy this app, and there is a free trial to know if this is the ‘one’ for your parental control needs.
- Mobicip
Out of all the apps on the list of parental control apps, this has unique features than the rest. It allows you to lock all the devices that are connected instantly. Furthermore, it blocks inappropriate video streaming apps and websites. It is one of the lesser intrusive apps that protect your child from threats and doesn’t invade their privacy too.
This app has a free trial.
- Spyrix free key logger
As the name suggests, it is available free of cost. It is also one of the apps that will do more protection than spying. It is a key logger. It will keep an eye on what your child is typing and if they may be in danger.
- Surfblocker
This app prevents your child from accessing harmful content. It is a parental control app that provides password-protected internet access. This app lets you know when and why they want internet access. In this way, you can avoid unnecessary detective work too.
This one comes at a price and a free trial.
- Webwatcher
It is the James Bond of all the spying tools. Apologies, I meant parental control apps. Not only does it record your child’s activities, alert to notify risky behavior, GPS locator but also show you deleted texts, screenshots, and call logs. This app proves to be helpful, provided you do not use it for the wrong reasons.
It is a paid app and needless to say, offers a free trial.
- KidLogger
It tracks your child’s activities and where all they have logged in. It also shows which apps and keywords they have used.
It is one of the parenting control apps that is free.
Using parenting control apps is as important as it could be harmful. It may develop trust issues in your child. As the child grows, you need to change the limits of parental control. Rules that apply to a toddler will not apply to a teenager. As they age, you need to stop supervising their life. You should understand, as they grow older, they need to take responsibility. And you need to give away responsibility.
These are some of the best parenting control apps out there. You can use them to protect your child from the bad elements of the internet. But a word of caution. The primary goal of parenting locks is to protect. These apps are not in any way intended for you to spy on your kids. Be as less invasive of their privacy as you can be. You may protect them from the world by this tactic but you will surely lose their trust. You may damage your relationship with your child due to these seemingly small transgressions. Don’t misuse these apps, they are made for your child’s protection, nothing else. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.