Today, kids under the age of three can access and use mobile devices to play games, watch their favorite kids’ YouTube channels, learn math, music, or a new language.
One of the biggest fears most parents have is not being able to know and control what their kids are doing online when they’re not looking.
Fortunately, you can open a Microsoft Family account and link your child’s account to it. However, if you need more granular control, there are more effective tools with powerful features that allow you to monitor, restrict, and manage the apps your kids can access.
Table of Contents
The best parental control software on Windows 10
Whether you just buy your child a laptop or they have control of the home computer for free and you want to start monitoring it, these parental control apps for Windows 10 will help you keep your kids safe online.
first. Windows Family Safety
Windows 10 comes with a built-in parental control tool that lets you block free websites. However, to use this feature, you need to sign up for a Family Safe account, then you can add an account for each child.
While this may seem complicated, it includes online activity reports and blocking any websites, apps, or games that you don’t want them to access. There are more kid-friendly games, learning apps that teach them how to read, write and even how to type.
Windows Family Safety also lets you limit your kids’ device time, control purchases, and track their location.
2. Net Nanny
Net Nanny is a comprehensive parental control tool that allows you to monitor your family’s digital habits while protecting your kids from inappropriate and/or harmful content.
The software provides comprehensive reports and logs of your child’s online activity along with real-time warnings about inappropriate or harmful content. You can also block websites or apps you don’t want them to visit and set time limits on device usage.
Net Nanny also has a comprehensive parental control panel, location tracker, and remote timeout settings. However, it is more expensive than other parental control software, has a complicated setup process, and doesn’t offer social monitoring.
If you have young children at home and you are more worried about accidentally running in with problematic content or display time, Net Nanny is a suitable choice for you.
3. Qustodio
Qustodio is a comprehensive toolkit with tons of features to help parents keep their kids safe online.
The software has an intuitive and easy to use interface and you can manage everything from the dashboard. In addition, you can set rules and time schedules and manage personal time limits for games, internet and apps usage.
Real-time filters that detect porn are included to block inappropriate content. On top of that, there’s a panic button, which your child can easily access through Qustodio mobile. You will receive an alert notifying you exactly where were they when they called for help.
The free version has some limited features, but you can try premium features like social network monitoring (although limited to Facebook) with full visibility of posts, messages and a photo of your child. Other premium features include location tracking, call or SMS tracking, and blocking of contacts you deem inappropriate.
If you like what you see, you can pay to access these extras and use them on multiple devices.
4. OpenDNS FamilyShield
OpenDNS FamilyShield is a free service you can use to control what content your kids can access in your home. The service prevents access to inappropriate content by blocking domains at the router level.
Besides being easy to set up, FamilyShield’s security settings affect all the devices in your home. Regardless of the device, the tool will block any domains that are flagged for specific attributes like pornographic, sexual, or tasteless content.
Another benefit of using OpenDNS is that you can apply it to your router and filter any traffic going through it by changing the DNS servers in your control panel. Doing this also improves DNS lookup speed for some internet service providers (ISPs).
If you want an even more powerful network-level parental control and monitoring service, try OpenDNS Home VIP. This service not only filters web content for all devices on your internet connection, but also provides dynamic IP handling, reporting on the websites your kids visit and which ones have been hacked. block so you can block or allow an entire domain.
5. KidLogger
If you prefer secrecy instead of being proactive, KidLogger is a great free parental control software for Windows 10 to monitor your child’s activity instead of blocking websites.
KidLogger automatically tracks your kids’ web history, what they type, the websites they visit, any screenshots they take, and the programs they use. You also get detailed activity logs including phone call logs and contact names.
The software is very invasive with what it monitors. Plus, it lacks root password protection, which might not work for you, especially if your kids are tech-savvy.
The software is compatible with Discord and Instagram, which you may want to pay attention to especially if you are a teenager.
6. Phloem
If your kids spend most of their time on social media and you’re worried about what they’re posting or sharing with others, then Bark should be at the top of your Windows 10 parental control software list.
The app may seem simple at first glance, but it offers powerful protection and detailed reporting so you can see what’s going on with your child. Not only that, but Bark’s home child psychologists offer recommendations and advice on how to deal with any alarming situations that arise.
Bark uses its impressive algorithm to monitor any warning signs in emails, social media posts, photos, or text messages, and alert you to potentially dangerous ones. This way, you can interact with your child and work through each issue with him without seeming intrusive.
The comprehensive app lets you set screen time limits, filter web activity, and monitor your kids’ emails. In addition, Bark keeps tabs on 24 different social networks and apps including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, text messages on your child’s mobile devices, and email accounts including Gmail, iCloud and Snapchat. Outlook.
7. Kaspersky Safe Kids
Kaspersky is a household name in the security software segment. Safe Kids parental control software is feature-rich, affordable, and works on all devices including Windows 10 PCs.
The software has an easy-to-use filter that blacklists inappropriate online content. You can also use Safe Kids to monitor your child’s social media (Facebook and VKontakte), and control the app to manage app usage and device time.
If you pay for the premium plan, you can unlock additional features including GPS tracking, powerful web filtering, Geotextiles, an extended real-time alert system, and an informed battery monitor notify you when your child Phone needs to be charged.
The free version of Kaspersky Safe Kids is really basic, but its premium plan is more affordable than its competitors and you can protect up to 500 devices with the premium plan.
What to look for when choosing the best Windows 10 parental control software
There is a wide selection of parental control software to choose from. Here are some key features to look for in a parental control app to help you choose the best app for your needs.
- Remote reports and activity logs: With this feature, you can track your child’s activity even when you are not at home and stay updated on their online habits.
- Filter and block contentParental control software should at least be able to filter web content and prevent your child from accessing inappropriate content. In addition, the software will be able to block such websites, prevent your child from viewing certain pagesand notify you when they try to access them.
- Manage screen time and apps: Time management isn’t available on all parental controls, but it’s nice to have because it allows you to set the time your kids can be active online. You can also limit their computer access and use and approve it through the software when they need more time.
- Follow social media and text messages: Many children spend a lot of time texting, chatting, and exchanging thoughts or ideas on social media. For this reason, the parental control software you choose should provide social media monitoring and messaging so you know who your kids talk to or what posts they like and interact with without being interrupted. too much trespassing.
Keep your kids safe online
With so many parental control tools to choose from, each offering something slightly different, finding the right one can be overwhelming. We’ve narrowed our list down to these seven to help aid your search and find the right listing for your needs.
Do you have a favorite parental control software for Windows 10? Let us know about it in the comments.
