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Everyone wants to protect their children online and parental control software sounds as a hassle-free solution. Why not install an app to keep your kids safe? In the real world, this approach can be complicated. Experts say installing invasive software to spy on children can be counterproductive. Furthermore, a curious child can bypass most restrictions imposed by parental controls. Finally, most of the third-party apps we tested collect and store disturbing amounts of data. For these reasons, we no longer assign ratings to third-party parental control products. Instead, we recommend checking out native OS apps like Apple’s Screen Time, Google’s Family Link, and Microsoft’s Family Safety for comprehensive, free child monitoring software. We also recommend that you enable parental control features in gaming and chat apps with your child’s permission. If you still prefer third-party parental control apps, details about popular apps are provided below.
How to check your child’s devices
Children who feel they have some agency when using parental control apps are less likely to try to disable the software or circumvent restrictions. Don’t feel like having hard conversations with your children? Take the time to learn how your child uses technology. As technology addiction becomes more and more of a problem, it’s important that children learn the value of good device habits for themselves.
Verify that any product you choose does not limit the number of child profiles or devices covered by your subscription. For example, large families will appreciate an app that works on an unlimited number of devices. Most parental control software works as a subscription service, so price levels often correspond to device limits. However, some offer free versions for basic protection on a limited number of devices.
If installing parental controls on your family’s devices seems too difficult, consider a network-wide solution. These systems perform content filtering at the router level, so your settings affect every device on the network. Obviously you won’t get the same fine level of control and detailed monitoring on every device as you would with a local agent, but this is a much broader solution.
Some parental control tools use VPN technology, where internet connections are made through a local app to enable content filtering. You will see the VPN icon when such a tool is active, but this does not mean that a full VPN will secure the child’s connection, nor will it mask the device’s IP address.
Many children spend more time on gaming consoles than on any other device. The parental control services in this overview don’t cover this situation, but we’ll show you how to enable parental controls on gaming consoles elsewhere.
Web filters, time limits and apps
Parental control tools usually offer content filtering, which is the ability to block access to websites that match categories such as hate, violence, and porn. This type of filtering only works if it is browser independent and works with secure (HTTPS) sites. Without HTTPS filtering, a smart teen could bypass the system using a secure anonymizing proxy website or in some cases even an unusual web browser. Using a VPN or the Tor browser often breaks even the strongest protections.
Most apps also have the option to enable SafeSearch permanently, although those settings are often limited to Google, Bing, and sometimes YouTube. Your child can thwart most SafeSearch restrictions by using a lesser-known search engine like Ecosia.
Access scheduling is another common feature. Some services allow parents to set a daily or weekly schedule for device use. Others specifically limit the amount of time your child spends on the Internet. This is especially useful for children who have a habit of playing games or using social media apps when they have to do homework. The most useful time-based settings apply to all your kids’ devices, so they can’t switch between them to bypass limits. Check out our coverage of additional ways to manage your child’s screen time across all their devices.
Monitor your child’s messages and social media
As children get older, filtering content alone can seem pointless. At some point you start to worry more about their interaction with the rest of the world. Sure, if their friends come over in person you can at least meet them, but what about friends on social media and other contacts that your child never talks about? Who are they really, and what do your children discuss with them? While some supervision is acceptable, you should still respect your child’s fundamental right to privacy and encourage open discussion rather than using parental control software like spyware.
Some services let you monitor contacts and messages and watch for potentially dangerous or unapproved situations. Some parental control software even lets you block new contacts or view the contents of messages. Please note that this mainly applies to text messages; Popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat and Signal are not included in the same scope.
Parental controls and video streaming
You can use parental control software to block access to video streaming apps and sites and limit how much time your child can spend on them. However, if you want to limit what your child can watch on Netflix, Disney+, and other video streaming services, none of these parental control tools offer that option. Instead, you’ll have to dig into the settings of each video streaming service.
The parental control options of video streaming services vary widely. Some offer no options to restrict content, while others simply offer a kid-friendly mode that broadly limits the streaming library to content suitable for young children. The best services let you set rating restrictions for individual profiles and prevent your child from simply switching to an unmonitored profile without a password or PIN.
Parental control notification and management
Most kids use mobile devices at least some of the time, and many use the Internet almost exclusively on their phones. Fortunately, many parental control services offer a companion app that lets you view your child’s activities, set ground rules, and view notifications as they arrive. This type of companion app is especially useful for responding to access or time extension requests on the go. Otherwise, you manage everything online or locally on the PC, where you have precise control over activity reports and restrictions. Any changes you make should be reflected on your children’s devices when they connect to the internet.
When your child tries to visit a blocked site, posts a message using questionable language, or otherwise breaks the rules, the best parental control services will send you a notification to your preferred channel, such as through the app, the web, email, text message or a combination of these options.
Additional parental control features
Some parental control systems have advanced features that can help them stand out from the crowd. These include YouTube monitoring, geofencing and remote device locking, to name a few. Microsoft’s Family Safety app even tracks your teens as they drive to encourage better habits on the road.
You’ll also find advanced versions of standard features in paid parental control apps. For example, the best content filters don’t just use a database of categories. They analyze page content, filter profanity, and allow you to add custom keywords and categories to block. We also like services that support multi-factor authentication for account logins. In general, the more advanced features you want, the more you can expect to pay.
What is the best parental control app?
At PCMag, we believe that parental control apps are only effective if they are installed with the child’s permission. Otherwise, the child will simply find ways to get around the restrictions you pay for. That’s why we recommend free parental control apps from Apple, Google, and Microsoft over paid third-party solutions.
Talk to your children about online safety and why some of the behavior, content, or relationships they witness on the Internet should be off limits for the time being. The Internet was not created with children’s safety in mind. Remember that fact and help create a safer online space for your family through open, compassionate, and engaging communication with your children.
