Smartphone risks start before the school bells ring in the morning and continue all day: Children play games while going to school, they can update social media profiles during classes, and then they go home and mix homework with their phones and TV. Parental controls are in the minority.
Our infographic provides tips and tricks what you need to agree on with your kids.
What further tips do you have for other parents to use?
I find it very unfortunate that there is no good way to monitor my daughter’s iPhone. The operating system just does not allow for it.
I am aware of the “restrictions” function, but that is only a partial answer. And I have tried some of the various purported parental control apps for iOS, and they have been abject junkware.
Hi Scott,
What functions would you like to see in such a parental control app?
Best,
István
Hello,
Thank you for the reply. But sorry; I did not see your reply before just now.
I’d like what I consider to be core functions that any good parental control platform should offer:
* Ability to block malicious, adult, and other unwanted web sites (by categories, such as “hate,” “religious,” etc.).
* Blocking of malicious emails and SMS.
* Blocking of sending private information via email or SMS (i.e. prevent sending home phone number via SMS, or Social Security Number, address, etc.).
* Ability to view current device and activity status in a portal (i.e. location, battery level, recent calls/SMS, etc.).
* Ability to define either a whitelist and/or a blacklist for calls and SMS.
* Immediate emailed alert when an inappropriate web site was accessed, when a blacklisted (or non-whitelisted) contact was contacted via call and/or SMS.
* Ability to view SMS content.
* Ability to restrict access to certain apps either completely or during certain days/times (e.g. no games during school hours, or no Safari at all, ever).
* Ability to restrict device usage to predefined days/times.
* Geofencing (i.e. alert if the device is not in a predefined area at a predefined time, or if the device is in a predefined blacklisted area at all).
My understanding is that under iOS, many of these functions are impossible due to restrictions inherent to the OS.
I realize that some people object to what they perceive as an “invasion of privacy” with respect to this type of monitoring. I don’t care about these people or their ridiculous objections.
Do you offer any solutions at avira?