There is no doubt that the iPhone can act as a great educational and entertainment tool for kids. However, with such a powerful tool at his fingertips, your little one may inadvertently stumble upon inappropriate or harmful content. With these 10 parental control apps, you can monitor and control what your child accesses through his phone, providing a safe and enjoyable environment that will give you peace of mind, too.
- K9 Web Protection Browser – This app is a must have for cautious parents everywhere. While most parental control apps block almost everything to the point of excess or allow scads of questionable content through, K9’s intelligent web browsing technology identifies only potentially harmful or inappropriate sites. Pornography, malicious or phishing sites are automatically added to the blacklist, allowing your kids to browse in complete safety. Best of all, the app is free.
- Mobicip Safe Browser – Mobicip offers some great filtering features, which allow you to set protocols for multiple users according to age or preference. You can allow or block by category, keywords and specific websites. The browser is similar to the iPhone’s default Safari browser, which will eliminate the learning curve. This free app also comes with a time limit feature, which allows you to control how much time your kids spend on the internet.
- Kidsafe YouTube Lite – Designed to filter Youtube videos, Kidsafe lets you determine what is safe for your little ones to watch. The app automatically blocks adult related content, however, you can also choose entire categories, playlists or single videos to block or allow. For total control, you can set up bookmarked lists of videos with this free app, creating a completely parental approved collection of content for your kids.
- Ranger Browser – As well as filtering inappropriate content, Ranger Browser allows you, as the parent, to monitor your child’s Internet history from anywhere in the world. The browser takes advantage of already established and trusted blacklists and whitelists to create safe filters for your child. Ranger Browser also has a time limit feature, which you fully control. This is another great free app for the parents of iPhone users.
- Browser for Kids – For $0.99 you get to control everything that your kids browse using their iPhone or iPad. Unlike many other parental control apps, the time limit feature on Browser for Kids uses a password lock. Your child cannot access the browser after the allotted time until the next morning or when you enter the password.
- B.O.B. – The Parental Control Web Browser – The problem with a lot of parental control apps is that they rely on blacklists or search filters that are easily bypassed by determined site creators. With B.O.B, your child cannot view any site that you have not approved. The app comes at the cost of a one-off $3.99 fee, however, many similar apps charge much more for premium access on a yearly fee.
- McGruff SafeGuard Browser – Multi-user features are hard to find on kid-safe browsers, so McGruff SafeGuard Browser is definitely an app to consider as it supports profiles for all the family. The blacklist feature prevents access to pornography, questionable content sites, inappropriate YouTube content and potentially dangerous websites. Parents also have the option of taking complete control of each child’s browsing habits. Add a detailed summary of browsing history for parents to the list, and this free app more than stacks up against the competition.
- Screen Time – Just as the name suggests, Screen Time sets limits on how much time your child spends using his iPhone. The app lets you predetermine the amount of time for each child, and when time runs out, the app sends a series of notifications letting your child know. Before your child can access the iPhone again, you must enter a four digit pin-code. This free app is extremely effective and easy to use, and allows you to set boundaries for your child’s phone time.
- Kids TV – Safe Videos For Children – With Kids TV you can utilize handpicked video lists that are specifically aimed at kids, as well as set up your own filter lists. This app is all about giving parents total control and providing peace of mind that your kids are safe on the net. The app usually costs $1.99, however, the developers often run promotions giving Kids TV away for free.
- AppCertain – The app monitor – How about an app to tell you when your kids install new apps? AppCertain will send you an email every time your child downloads and installs a new app on his iPhone. You receive a short description of the app, which allows you to decide whether it is age appropriate or not. Combine this free app with a parental control browser and you will virtually ensure your child never views inappropriate content from his iPhone.
