Did you know that these days, 82% of children are exposed to lots of inappropriate content online by age 11? The internet can be a free territory that arouses curiosity among all age groups. This “unknown land” for children and adolescents can quickly instill fear among their parents.

Young people’s natural curiosity, combined with a lack of maturity and possible naivety about the full world, can be the fuel that fires problems in the virtual world. The main concern of parents is the action of cybercriminals who use the internet strategically to capture their victims.

The list of the best free parental control software for any device. The best three apps we have found so far are: mSpy (updated: 30-days refund policy) — the best parental control app for iPhone. Qustodio (free 3-days trial version) — a perfect choice for Android. Kaspersky Safe Kids (free 7-days trial) — worth your attention as a free. These are the cases when the parental control and web filtering software come in handy. They allow you to control their screen time, content type, accessible websites, and many other aspects to protect them against distractions. Linux comes with some great parental control settings, just like any other major operating system.

Best Parental Control Application

The authoritative mainstream media regularly discusses different types of children monitoring software explicitly created to manage the content of websites your child may prefer. At the same time, you can block porn,block specific Youtube channels or any other potentially harmful information or communication on his/her computer or iOS/Android mobile devices. It can be beneficial, and these days, it is possible for parents to download many types of computer monitoring software for parents for free. Isn’t now the right time to start acting and not just keep on observing “the internet safety” for your kids?

Useful tips on how you can protect your children

Having undertaken some thorough research, we have created a shortlist of tips for parents who want to protect their loved ones online:

• Have a decent conversation. Excellent communication is essential if you want to connect with your children finally.
• Be on the same wavelength as their children. So join the same social networks, get to know their interests, the channels they watch. Take time out of your day to surf the internet together to let them show you what they like to access.
• Rely on the free parental control software to organize your children’s digital routine on their cell phones.

What is the best free parental control software, you might ask? There is no ultimate solution. We’ll familiarize you with the best free monitoring apps for each mobile platform (iOS/Android), which were designed to make your life much more comfortable. All of them have a free trial option that allows you to make a wise decision about which internet parental control software works for you.

The list of the best free parental control software for any device

The best three apps we have found so far are:

• mSpy(updated: 30-days refund policy) — the best parental control app for iPhone.
• Qustodio(free 3-days trial version) — a perfect choice for Android.
• Kaspersky Safe Kids(free 7-days trial) — worth your attention as a free parental control software for Windows and as the best internet filter.

If you are a young parent, it’s obvious you will be concerned about your children’s social activity. Keeping an eye on your children surfing the web was much more comfortable when they were confined to a single computer in the living room. Most network browsing and online activities take place on smartphones and other mobile devices. They make monitoring your children’s online presence and his/her protection much more complicated. That’s why it’s vital to choose the right free child protection software to put set time limits, block apps, screen time spent on social media platforms.

mSpy: Parental control software for iPhone

The popular parental control software for the iPhone is mSpy, which tracks everything kids do virtually via their phones. It lets parents review and filter their iPhones all at any time.

The app offers to track a cell phone location without them knowing, call logs, tracking text messages, emails, browsing history, and hacking social media networks like Instagram. You can even view new address book entries, and the app also allows you to lock a device remotely.

Once installed, mSpy runs discreetly in the background, hidden from the phone user. It doesn’t require any particular setting, which is why it’s perfect for smart teens who want to subvert monitoring apps. Plus, you can use this spyware for iPhone without jailbreaking. This parental control program is compatible both on Android/iOS devices.

Qustodio: Best free parental control software for Android

The best free parental control app for Android Qustodio offers many of the same features as other applications in this list, but its time-limiting options help it stand out. This best parental control software for Android version allows you to:

• read texts and block any texts coming from specific numbers;
• monitor certain social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram for cyberbullying and inappropriate behavior;
• set time limits for applications or an entire device; and
• press a panic button that can send an emergency text to pre-selected contacts.

Use Kaspersky Safe Kids for PC

Kaspersky Safe Kids tool works both on smartphones and PC, offers an easy way to support and protect your children using any internet browser installed on the Windows device.

Main features of the best free parental control software for pc:

• You can specify time limits for device use or select specific times on certain days of the week when the child is allowed to stay online;
• Kaspersky’s solution restricts the installation or use of potentially dangerous apps where they contain scenes of violence.
• To prevent a child from encountering undesirable content on the internet, Kaspersky Safe Kids filters the sites by category: adult content, profanity, drug information, etc.;
• It is possible to exclude sites from the search results of popular search engines;
• Parents can see in their My Kaspersky account a summary of their child’s activity on Facebook;
• Location tracker — this free parental control software function allows parents to know where their child is at a particular time.

Bottom line

All the parental control services described above offer free and paid versions that users can choose from. In the paid version, there are many essential functions added, for example, time limits, accessing your child’s location in real-time, notifications of installed applications, usage reports, application lock, etc.

With these functions, parents can set their child’s bedtime, time to study, family talk time, and block certain websites during school time. So remember that it’s wiser to save your child than save 9$!

We have also compiled a list of Top 10 Best Parental Control Software for Android and iPhone/iOS, make sure to check those out too.

Best Parental Control Programs

Everything in this world has gone digital, and that includes homework (if you have kids). If your kids are young, you probably aren't giving them laptops or the free family computer reign. You probably aren't always able to monitor their screen activity.

This is where parental control software comes in handy. Parental controls keep your kids safe from the dark web, and there's an untethered version available for all operating systems. Read on to find out more.

Integrated operating system features

Providing your kids with technology designed for their age group is a great first step towards being safe online. When they have access to more general computing devices, you can take advantage of the parental control features built right into the operating system. Parental Controls for Windows and MacOS provide a convenient and acceptable way to restrictg web access and chat functionality, as well as viewing detailed logs and monitoring e-mail exchanges.

Windows Family Security

For Windows 10, you need to sign up for a Family Safety account. You can then add a specific child account (or more) to your family account for your children to use.

This approach can be a bit complicated, but it has many advantages. You get activity reports for all online activity for child accounts and block any apps, games, or sites you want.

To get an idea of ​​what apps are truly beneficial for kids, please take a look at some of our favorite apps.

You can also limit the time they spend on the account and strictly monitor their purchasing activity. There are some real safety features too, including the ability to track your kids' location as long as you're using Windows mobile devices.

Parental control built into MacOS

MacOS offers more than a few parental control options, each accessible through the Parental control shutter housed in the main System Preferences sign. The software includes options to block specified apps and websites. You can also block messages from certain people you think are inappropriate. Users must individually set up accounts, but once done, users can also set time limits.

There are other options as well, such as the ability to hide profanity in most source content and the prohibition of the computer's built-in camera and disc burning utilities. If there is more than one Mac on the same network, users can even remotely manage said parental controls from a different computer entirely. It's a reasonably complete solution if you don't mind spending time in Mac settings to make sure everything is okay. The catch is, you can only manage parental controls on an individual user basis, so you'll need to set up separate accounts for each child.

Applications and extensions

Windows and MacOS offer a decent selection of parental controls, but they can't do everything by default. Likewise, parental controls can be a challenge to implement on mobile devices aimed at children. Here are downloadable programs that may be more suited to your particular goals.

Qustodio (Windows / MacOS / iOS / Android)

Qustodio has a very intuitive and easy to use interface that allows you to register for the free version of its software in a matter of moments. You manage everything from the dashboard, including social media monitoring, individual time limits for internet use, games, apps, and even tracking text messages and calls on the right devices. . Real-time internet filter can detect pornography and make sure everything is blocked, even in private browsing mode.

The compatibility options are impressive as the software supports Kindle, Nook, Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS. However, Qustodio tries to make as much money as possible with this program, so many features (like game blocking, location tracking, etc.) are behind the paywalls. You can also only use the free version on one device, which limits its applicability. Qustodio has a great set of features; we want more to be available for free.

Kidlogger (multiple platforms)

Kidlogger is a great option if you prefer to be discreet rather than proactive. Instead of blocking sites, Kidlogger automatically tracks keystrokes, web history, and program usage (automatically recording all screenshots taken on the computer). When installed on a smartphone, the app automatically records all phone calls made by number and contact name. It's compatible with popular apps like Instagram and Discord, which parents may want to pay special attention to, and updates continue to add more compatibility for the service.

The free version of Kidlogger is fine, but the premium versions add oomph, although some features are downright intrusive. If you want to monitor your kid's phone conversations and record WhatsApp messages, Kidlogger can do it. Unfortunately, the app doesn't have native password protection, so if you have a smart kid, you might end up getting caught. The app is available for Windows, MacOS, Android, BlackBerry, and iOS. Like Qustodio, a free account limits you to one device, while the paid versions offer more protection.

Zoodles kid-friendly web browser (Windows, MacOS, Android)

Zoodles takes a dramatic step forward by replacing the typical web browser with a browser designed for kids. This software is particularly suitable for very young children who are just starting to access online content. Zoodles combines a filtered online experience with a walled garden of promoted and kid-friendly content.

Available on a variety of devices and operating systems, Zoodles offers games, books, videos, and access to other age-appropriate content, all customizable by parents. There are activity reports to see what your child is spending time doing and an adjustable recommendation engine, which helps parents promote specific learning tools to their children through the app.

The regular free version ends there, but the advanced premium edition - $ 60 per year or $ 8 per month - adds a lot of other features, including time management options, storybooks, blocking of individual site, multiple languages, etc. You can get a free trial of the premium mode if you want, but it will start loading your account automatically. Zoodles is great for young children, but remember older kids will quickly learn to get around it.

FoxFilter (Google Chrome / Firefox add-on)

FoxFilter provides users with a block filter score based only on individual keywords and sites. They also offer solutions for adding trusted sites to an organized list of banned content. In addition, the sensitivity settings of the add-on can be changed to analyze body content, title and URL. Users can set notification and alert preferences detailing the type of content underlying each blocked site.

A quick way to implement parental controls is to manage your preferences, which means you can easily block entire categories of websites. If you are new to using parental control software, we recommend that you rely on the software's default warning word list.

You can unintentionally block all websites by using too many keywords or using the wrong ones. Fortunately, FoxFilter users can access it using a simple email. If you have any issues, contact Inspired Effect for assistance.

And after?

Parental controls should go far beyond just your child's computer. Nowadays, you have to block some sites from their cell phones. To help you out, we have put together a comprehensive list of the best control apps for your kids. More than likely, you are also wondering about the safety of your child's game consoles.

Parents, it's your job to defend the online safety of your children as well as your own. It's wise to use reliable antivirus software and make sure your passwords are protected with one of the best password managers.

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