Online Parental Controls and Monitoring Apps

There are a number of apps which allow a parent to monitor their child’s internet use, set parental controls, prevent certain other apps being downloaded etc. As online safety is an increasing worry for many of us, Catch22 have decided to put together some information about these apps for parents along with some tips for keeping your child safe online.

Please note that we don’t endorse any of these apps.

Please also bear in mind that whatever apps and controls you have in place, net-savvy young people can get around them, and new apps come onto the market every day which aren’t covered by the existing monitoring technology.

As well as apps and controls, we recommend that you keep the conversation flowing with your child and with other parents about the children’s social media accounts and online activity.

The most effective ways to keep a child safe are to…

1) show interest in their life.

2) model responsible social media use yourself.

3) keep talking to them about stuff going on online.

4) ensure you have your child’s passwords and PINs for devices and apps.

5) listen if they seem down or concerned about anything they have seen or experienced online.

6) report any serious concerns.

Latest information and advice about parental controls and monitoring can be found on a number of websites, including the following.

You can also check out an app before your child downloads it at

• https://www.net-aware.org.uk/ - this allows you to see the risks and to get independent reviews from both parents and children.

Internet Matters	Check out their guide at: https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/monitoring-apps-parents-guide/ Advice on setting up parental controls at: https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/
CEOP	Advice and information at: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/Concerned-about-your-child/Online-contact-and-staying-safe/
National Online Safety	Guides for adults available on a very wide range of apps and games at:  https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/wake-up-wednesday/
Childnet	Parent toolkit and information on tackling online risk and setting up a family agreement at:  https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parental Control Apps

Other apps are available! These are just the ones that have been reviewed or recommended frequently in our most recent check of online forums (October 2019).

Qustodio	free or £	Free version or premium plans available from £36 p.a. but no monthly payment option available. Daily reports about phone and laptop use, consoles not covered. Location tracker included. Blocker for certain apps. Requires setting up on each device separately. Good reviews on comparison sites.
Net Nanny	££	Includes internet filter, scheduled access, activity alerts and reports but does not cover apps. Requires setting up on each device separately
OurPact	££	Tracks calls, texts, social media use. High degree of parental control, including scheduling access to certain apps at certain times of day. Requires setting up on each device separately. Doesn’t cover consoles or laptops.
Kaspersky Safe Kids	free or £	Web monitoring, time limits, app management. Laptops also covered but not consoles. Good value option.
Norton Family Premier	££	Web filters, location tracking, time scheduling and monitoring for unlimited android and Windows devices.

There are one or two other options too.

• It is possible to make a one-off purchase of a hardware device such as Circle.
• You may find that your device has in-built controls which can be activated. Synch your child’s phone to your phone so you can see which apps have been downloaded or block the purchase of apps. For example, iOS 12 offers controls at the operating system level.
• Google Family Link is a free android app for under 13s, which can be controlled by the parent’s i-phone or android phone.

   

Whatever you choose to do, don’t do nothing!

In our experience, many parents just assume that their kids are safe and find out too late that they have been accessing inappropriate content or receiving inappropriate messages and requests.

As one member of the Catch22 Young People’s Forum said:

‘I am just a child. I don’t think it is my job to keep myself safe. I want my parents to help me do that. Even if it makes me annoyed sometimes, I know I need them to help me be safe’