The power with this kind of system is that a child can’t switch devices, say putting their laptop down and moving to Netflix on their TV, when their internet time is up for the day: the restrictions apply to the entire profile. More advanced settings let you control when a child can access the internet, allowing you configure a schedule, including both total time limits and enforcing a bedtime. You can also manually pause a child’s internet connection without affecting anyone else in the house – handy to get attention for dinner time!
This is exceptionally powerful, as a child will find the same restrictions in place, regardless of which of their devices that they use. You can then set the filtering level for that profile. This type of parental control lets you create profiles for each member of your home, including their age and which devices they own. You can also get similar levels of control with the Sky Broadband Buddy, a subscription service that’s based on the Circle parental-control software, the same system that powers the Orbi system. If you have the right type of router, such as a Netgear Orbi, TP-Link routers that support the HomeCare service, Google Nest Wi-Fi or some Linksys routers, you’ll be able to turn on parental controls. There are good gateway filtering systems available that we recommend turning on. This will protect your kids when they’re outside of your home network. First, if your children have their own mobile phones, make sure that you use the mobile provider’s filter. For this reason, we don’t recommend using most ISP’s filtering controls. Turn on BT’s internet filter, for example, and even adults won’t be able to access the sites that they want. This is powerful but can come with its own issues. The most obvious choice here is with the filtering provided by your ISP, which will block access to adult sites for all devices.
But what about other devices? If your kids have games consoles, smart TVs or even non-supported computers, such as a Raspberry Pi?įor these cases, it’s best to look at filtering that works at a higher level and doesn’t require software to be installed.
Parental control software usually has to be installed, which means that it will only work with supported devices: typically Windows and Mac computers, and iOS and Android smartphones. It’s important to note that most filtering software uses very similar lists of websites to allow or block, so the most important thing is to choose the software or service that works best for you. We’ll cover both types of control in this guide. The latter controls when your kids can use the internet and/or which apps they can use. The former controls what your kids can see, using filter lists of websites to either allow or block, typically configured by category. There are two aspects to protecting your children: web filtering and time-based access controls. In our guide to the best parental control apps and tools, we’ll show you the best ways to protect your kids both inside and outside your home.Īs well as worrying about controlling laptops and phones, kids have access to a wider range of devices that should be protected, including smart TVs and games consoles. Keeping your kids safe online is a far tougher job than it used to be.