Understanding the Features of Parental Control Apps


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To get the best user experience, it is essential to understand features of the parental control systems such as home network solutions and screening content, as well as managing media options.

In addition to educating your children regarding browsing time limits and the right ways to behave online, it is necessary to monitor what they are doing online. You cannot look over their shoulders all the time and provide a safe online experience for your children by careful monitoring will protect them from potential dangers online. For the best results, it is important to get the cooperation of your children while using these parental control apps.

These apps provide a reasonable form of protection. However, there may be some lapses in the system. Helping your children understand the benefits of making the right choices will make you feel more comfortable about their safety online.

  • Smartphones and tablets.The recent software upgrades installed on mobile devices include parental control features that help parents monitor their children’s browsing activities while preventing them from accessing inappropriate sites online. It is also possible to download these parental control apps in situations where they have not been pre-installed. These apps also offer features that allow parents to determine the time of the day during which their children can have access to the internet as well as remote locking functions which shut down the systems during bedtime or study periods.
  • The pre-installed operating system.Operating systems such as Microsoft’s Windows, Apple’s Mac OS, and Google Chrome feature extensive parental control functions that track browsing behavior when activated. These apps are compatible with all devices that run on that particular operating system, and they are regularly updated to enable parents to have more control which is needed to protect their children online.
  • Web browsers.There are so many web browsers such as the Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox that currently features content filtering options to prevent your children from accessing sites you do not want them to visit. These browsers have strong content filters that can protect young children from accessing sites commonly used by online predators and cyberbullies. However, older children can overcome the filters on these browsers by downloading other browsers through which they can access unsafe sites.
  • Kids’ browsers.These are special browsers developed for little children. These browsers feature portals through which children can have access to useful educative information games and other fun activities for children. These browsers are perfect for younger children, however; older teenagers may feel these browsers are too restrictive.
  • Third-party apps and software.There is a parental control app that can be used to limit browsing periods while preventing access to certain websites you do not want your children visiting. These sites and apps are also protected from cyber-attacks that can compromise the safety of your children online. Access to these apps usually requires monthly subscription fees.
    These apps and programs are developed to meet the needs of children at different ages; hence you can adjust the settings to match the age of your children.
  • Home Networking.Some parents have been able to manage the exposure of their children online by implementing secure home networking systems. These systems control the Wi-Fi usage in the home. The system works with Open DNS programs which function with the router to restrict internet access to particular content you do not want your children to view. These home networking systems also give you control to determine time limits and adding content filters to screen online access based on particular keywords. Managing these networks independently is easy if you have a good IT knowledge or else, you may need to engage the services of an IT engineer.