Free Tools to Monitor Your Child’s Online Activity During COVID-19
Similar to other age groups, Covid-19 has also exposed the younger generation to internet more than before. Even those parents who enforced strict screen time routines had to become flexible as everything shifted to virtual platforms. Education, interaction with friends, and entertainment was all accessible only via internet during the lockdown phase.
This increased exposure could not be prevented without leaving your child isolated. However, there are still ways to keep them protected from the potential harms present on the internet. It is not always possible monitor your child personally with the responsibilities of work and home. Free parental control tools can do that for you by blocking inappropriate sites and customize what your child views.
The best parental control software cares for your children when you are unable to do it yourself. And the best thing is the ones we have listed here are free to avail. Whether your kids need to research for a project, communicate, or watch their favorite shows these tools will protect them.
Table of Contents
Compatible with mobile devices, Windows, or macOS systems
OurPact
Parents can balance the screen time for their families with the OurPact app. The software is free for Android and iOS devices. It allows parents to limit their children’s access to certain filter websites and apps. OurPact also enables GPS monitoring and schedules daily activities alongside limiting screen time. The free plan offers five blocks, one schedule, and limitless grants for a single device.
While with the premium paid version of this software, you can manage as many as twenty devices. It also enables the monitoring of every app on the device in your child’s use. You can also mark them separately as Per Schedule, Always Allowed, or Always Blocked. There is also the family locator option and geo-fence for text -blocking, alerts, and web filters.
Qustodio
Researchers from the online service of affordable assignments shared their thoughts, smart wordplay application on the term “custodian” is a complete suite of parental monitoring tools. It is common for apps like this to be exclusive for Windows. But Qustodio can be used on Mac, Kindle, iOS, Android, and Nook as well.
The free version of this app is easy to use and very comprehensive. Parents can set time schedules and rules and block pornographic or any other unsuitable material. With the paid version, you can additionally get monitoring for SMS, social media features, and controls over every installed app.
Its variety of support and features makes Qustodio a highly recommended option for online monitoring. The filtering feature works effectively while cross platform access makes it more convenient for users.
Open DNS FamilyShield
OpenDNS offers this service free of cost to all users. FamilyShield’s parental controls can block domains on your entire home network. It automatically targets those domains which are flagged by OpenDNS as tasteless, proxy/anonymizer, pornography, or sexuality.
One of the biggest positive aspects it has is that FamilyShield can run on mobile devices and computers. It can also be applied to your router and filters all traffic which passes through. All you need to do is change the DNS server digits in the control panel. This also has a side benefit of improving lookup speed on DNS for certain ISPs. By filtering the traffic at router level, all devices on the network receive its advantages.
KidLogger
With the detailed logging of online activities on KidLogger including keystrokes and used apps, nothing can get past it. This is another free parental control tool which tracks the websites your children visit and anything they type. The experts from online assistance of assignment help trusted this app as it can also record the programs your children use, and any screenshots taken by them.
If you are concerned about who your child communicates with online, the voice-activated recorder helps in doing that. If you have older and responsible children than you can select the options to allow them some privacy.
The free version of the tool covers a single devices and lacks features like the audio recording. Premium editions also include further options like silent WhatsApp monitoring and eavesdropping on Skype audio calls. Even without these sneaky features though the app is most useful for children’s virtual security.
Spyrix Free Keylogger
Keylogger did earn a bad reputation as it was being used by crooks to capture bank details and passwords. But it has redeemed itself by Spyrix Free KeyLogger enabling you to efficiently monitor you children’s online activities.
Although it is called a parental control software, the free version is more off a basic monitoring program. It allows you to see all that your kids are doing online but does not limit any content. However, the premium version does have that feature which is not that expensive either. We recommend it for older children as it helps protects them from cyberbullying and other related unpleasantness.
Kaspersky Safe Kids
This software is available for macOS, Windows, iOS devices, and Android. The free version has a blacklist which prevents kids viewing anything inappropriate. There are also app controls to manage usage time, schedule, and apply age restriction. The screen time management features help control the overall use of your child’s device.
With the paid version you get more features that are specifically for mobile. That includes a battery tracker. This is great to let you know if your child is unable to contact you because of this issue. GPS tracking enables you to view their location at any given time. It further allows you to manage social media usage and sends you real-time alerts if they view objectionable sites.
One downside is that it takes quite long to log onto the software’s Windows account even on Windows 10. So, if your system is not that updated then it can cause some problems.
Conclusion:
With these tools you can successfully protect your kids from the very real threats which can befall them online. As technology gets more indispensable it also becomes necessary to create awareness of the damages it can cause. It is however also technology itself which can save young minds from these negative influences.
No Comment