Category: Parental Controls

Nowadays, social platforms and messenger apps play a vital role to stay in a loop with friends around the world. Kik is a well-known smartphone messenger app for teens that you may hear about. Like any other messenger app, Kik isn’t 100% safe. So, parents may worry about cyber security while teens use the Kik app.

For this reason, we recommend legal guardians know about Kik’s features, settings, privacy, safety, and other important things before allowing teens to install it.  This article will guide parents about the Kik messenger app and helpful tips to assure your teens’ safety while using Kik. So, let’s get started.

What is Kik Messenger?

Kik is a popular messenger application for pre-teens and teens to chat with each other. This smartphone application is free to download. It’s available for Android, iPhone, and Windows-supported phone devices. Anyone above 13 years old can create an account here using his/her phone number.

The Kik messenger app was developed by a group of passionate students at the University of Waterloo in 2009. Now it has more than 300 million registered users and 15 million monthly active users. Kik’s annual revenue is around 1 to 1.5 billion dollars.

This app allows sending texts, videos, pictures, GIFs, sketches, and much more. So, by installing this app, teenagers can use it for versatile purposes like education, communication, and entertainment. It also lets users go in Live. You can contact anybody having the app.

Is Kik Messenger App Safe for the Kids?

The Kik smartphone app was developed for teens ages 13 to 18 years old. So, anyone above 13 years old can use it. But, children below the age limit can’t create a Kik account here due to the age restrictions. Even for teens, getting permission from parents or legal guardians before registering an account is recommended.

Like other platforms, there are online predators who may send adult content or criminal activities without any permission which could be dangerous for kids. So, Kik messenger is not safe for children.

Why Parents Should Be Aware of Kik App

Kik messenger app has lots of stunning features, however, there are some risks. This is why parents should know the harmful things about the app before allowing teens to install Kik on their phones.

• Unauthorized chatting is common in Kik as anyone using Kik can send messages to other users without their permission. This could be dangerous as criminals may communicate with teens anonymously and could mislead them.

• Although, Kik isn’t a dating app, still, sex offenders may harass teens by sending sexual content. Even though there are different groups and people who promote nudity that isn’t safe for teens.

• Online predators might also steal users’ personal information.

Are there Parental Controls on Kik?

Actually, there isn’t any parental control explicitly in Kik. But you will find different settings and filters here to reduce the risks of teens and users from the potential dangers.

Install Parental Control App on Teen’s Smartphone

To monitor the teenagers’ activities with whom they’re chatting or communicating, parents should install a parental control app on teens’ phones. This will let you know what the older children are doing on smartphones and within the Kik app. If they do any wrong, you will get notified to take proper action.

Filter the Kik Chat App

The Kik app recommends parents do the following things to limit the activity of teens within the app.

• Usernames: When registering a Kik account, tell teens to use a hard-to-guess username. Also, tell them not to share the username with unknown persons.

• Strong password: Take access to the teen’s Kik account and secure it by putting strong passwords combining the uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, symbols, etc. You can change it from settings> my account> change password.

• Use phone contacts: This is an optional feature in Kik. If teens turn on the feature, people in their phone contact list (either saved by phone number or email address) will get a notification that they have a Kik account. Similarly, teens can recognize their known persons.

• Mute or leave a video chat: In the Kik app, there is a feature ‘New Chat’. When any user sends a message to your teen for the first time, they will get a notification and see these under ‘New Chat’. If teens don’t know the person mute or leave them.

• Reporting and blocking users or inappropriate groups: If you see any unknown user or inappropriate group in your teen’s profile block them for safety reasons. Also report the users, who send violent or sexual content.

What Can Parents Do to Prevent Their Kids from Kik?

To keep children away from the Kik app, you can do the following things.

• The first and foremost thing is to educate your children about the dangers of the Kik app and cyber security.

• Use a good parental control app to monitor and control kids’ activities on phones. If you see they’re trying to install the Kik app, disapprove it.

• If kids have already installed it using any fake birth date, uninstall the Kik app manually.

• Set restrictions on the privacy settings of the smartphone so kids can’t download the Kik app in the future.

Takeaways

Kik messenger app is a good communication platform. But there are some risks that every parent should consider before allowing teens to use it. The main thing to protect teens from its dangers is making them aware of cyberbullying.

It’s recommended to install a third-party parental control app, avoid chatting with unknowns, customize settings as mentioned above, etc to create a safer Kik platform for teens. And if teens face any harassment contact Kik’s help center soon.

Ensuring your child is safe online doesn’t just mean protecting them from other users. Apps can provide your child with tempting offers of additional features and tokens, encouraging them to spend money. Keep reading to learn how to set parental controls for in-app purchases and keep your child safe online. Don’t miss out on this crucial information.

What Are In-App Purchases?

In-app purchases are a clever marketing strategy for app creators. They allow you to purchase additional features within an app that make using the app more accessible. In-app purchases come in different forms:

• Subscriptions – an example of an in-app subscription purchase would apply to services like Netflix, Spotify, and Amazon prime. For an additional fee, you can subscribe to a premium service by adding to your monthly payments. If you use these applications in your home, your child might subscribe to a premium service and add to your monthly bill without your knowledge.

• Unlocking permanent non-consumable features – some apps allow you to upgrade the features and access more in your plan with a paid upgrade, like unlocking the whole game after a free trial.

• Consumable purchases – many consumable purchases include tokens and lives or spendable in-game currencies. Consumable purchases can rack up a hefty bill if you’re not on top of your in-app purchase controls.

Now that you know some in-app purchases to look out for, you can begin listing all of the apps and games your child accesses and setting parental controls for these applications.

The Dangers Of In-App Purchases

In-app purchases can be tricky to resist. Often, you purchase an app for a specific purpose and download it only to find that you can’t use it properly without making an in-app purchase.

For children, in-app purchases are tricky to resist, such as purchasing a premium pass to access more of their favorite films and games. Or, your child might purchase lives or tokens to make a game more accessible and lose track of how many lives or tokens they have purchased.

Children are especially vulnerable to in-app purchases, as many do not yet know the actual value of money and can intentionally rack up a hefty bill without your consent.

How To Set Parental Controls For In-App Purchases

Disabling in-app purchases work differently depending on which app or device your child uses. Below you’ll find a list of different platforms and how to disable in-app purchases.

iOS Apple

In the settings menu, there will be an option called ‘screen time’. Here, you can specify that this phone is your child’s phone. This will allow you to set a parental password and place your child’s content and privacy restrictions. You will also have the option to restrict iPhone and Apple Store purchases in this section.

Android

Android primarily operates using Google Play for app purchases. To restrict in-app purchases on an Android phone, you should enter the Google Play settings and select the ‘user controls’ option. Then, you can set a pin for purchases. So long as you do not share this pin with your child, this will mean that they need your consent for any purchases they make on their phone.

As a side note, Android TV Boxes also feature options for parental controls and anti-virus options, so if your children are using them for streaming to a big screen, be sure to set them up correctly.

Games Consoles

Whether your kids are glued to their Xbox, Nintendo, playstation, or one of the lesser known consoles such as the Evercade, or the Atari VCS, you’ll want to rest in the knowledge that they’re enjoying their games safely.

For additional controls for your child’s games consoles you should be able to amend this via the Account Settings menu to set more advanced permissions for your child’s activity.

Educating Your Child About In-App Purchases

In addition to setting parental controls, educating your child about the dangers of in-app purchases and why they must avoid them could be beneficial. Teaching your child the value of money will help them take online spending seriously. In-app purchases can be highly compelling and manipulative, and even older adults can succumb to their appeal. Teaching your child that these kinds of purchases are dangerous will go a long way in establishing their financial awareness for the future.

Implement Parental Control Software

There are hidden dangers even in the most friendly games, so it’s always best to error on the side of caution.  Many parental control tools can help you keep your child safe online and monitor their activity. You can block your child from specific applications and see what they’re accessing on the internet. Of course, you should not use this kind of software to invade your child’s privacy, only to ensure that they are not cyberbullied and that they are not spending money on in-app purchases or revealing personal information to strangers.

Summary

Allowing your child to access the internet can be highly frightening for parents. Not only is your child vulnerable to online predators, but they can be preyed upon by companies offering persuasive in-app purchases.

By implementing parental controls, you can be confident that your child cannot spend money online without your permission – which will be a massive weight off your back. You might consider using parental control software if you want to monitor your child’s online activity and set parental controls across all applications.

Many children are now obsessed with online games. One of the trendiest games that you may be hearing about is Roblox. Tens of millions of users around the world have fun with this digital platform.  No doubt, Roblox multiplayer game is helpful for kids to build a community, learn creative things, and get entertained.

However, there are some risks involved that every parent should be aware of, such as cyberbullying, exposing inappropriate content and online predators.  Roblox is yet another platform that parent must be serious about to keep kids safe from imminent dangers while they play the game. Luckily, you can limit their activity and monitor whom they are chatting or playing with by activating Roblox parental control.

So, let’s review why and how to activate parental control features on Roblox.  We’ll also explore the potential benefits and dangers of the Roblox game.

Roblox Basic Explained

Roblox is an online platform for children and teenagers where they can play games and create anything they imagine using Roblox Studio. This blocky, cartoon game is developed and released in the years 2004 and 2006 respectively. David Baszucki and Erik Cassel are the founders of this game.

Roblox is a free and open-source game that you can download instantly for any type of device. Users can choose their favorite avatar (player), as well as shop outfits and accessories by spending the ‘Robux’ virtual currency. And Roblox Premium is available with more features.

According to a Roblox report published on February 22, they have more than 55.1 million daily active users mostly children and teenagers. And their estimated revenue is between $204 million to $207 million per year.

What Are The Benefits Of Roblox?

Here are some of the benefits that kids acquire from playing Roblox games.

• Makes children imaginative and creative
• Develops problem-solving skills
• Improves social skills
• Develops designing, programming, and many other skills
• Provides lots of entertainment

What Are The Potential Dangers Of Roblox?

Besides lots of benefits, there are some disadvantages of the Roblox game that you should take into consideration.

• Spending lots of time on screen make kids addicted
• Have cyber security risks
• Some content features violence
• User-generated games may contain adult content, inappropriate languages
• Players buy game items using the virtual currency ‘Robux’. If kids get a chance to spend money online to purchase things, they might misuse it.

Are Parental Controls for Roblox Necessary?

Roblox game has some risks for children, especially cyberbullying. Many parents complain about inappropriate content. So, parental control is a must to keep kids protected from online predators while they play Roblox games.

It features a parental control menu that helps to limit the activity of kids’ online games. This also allows monitoring of what the kids are doing in Roblox. The next section will explain the way to activate parental controls on Roblox.

How To Set Roblox Parental Controls

The process of activating parental controls on Roblox on the web and smart devices is quite different but the main thing is almost the same in both cases.

The steps are as follows:

Step 1: Set Up Account Properly

The first thing parents should do is set up the account correctly. Be sure you register with the right date of birth and name of your child. According to the age of the kids, privacy and security are designed in the game. When users play games online, the level of the games will also be offered depending on their maturity.

If your child has already registered a Roblox account, you need to log in there. If you don’t know the password, hit the forget the password button. Now correct the information if kids open the account with the wrong name and age.

You can change it by entering ‘My Settings’ and then the ‘Account Info’ section. Both web and phone will allow doing that. Put a verified email address and select the right gender. Also, choose a strong password combination of numbers, and symbols with capital and small letters.

Step 2: Activate Parental Control

You will find the ‘Parental Control’ menu under ‘Settings’. Here you have to set a parental control pin ‘Parent Pin’ first. Put a 4-digit pin and enable it. Also, select the age limit from the ‘Allowed Experiences’ option. There are 3 different age selection options:

• 13+ (Suitable for ages 13 and older)
• 9+ (Suitable for ages 9 and older)
• All Ages (Suitable for everyone)

So, choose the right age according to your kids’ age.

Step 3: Set Roblox Privacy Settings

From the privacy setting option enable the ‘Account Restriction’ option. After that turn off the ‘Communication’ option. And from the ‘Other Settings’ select ‘No one’ for all available sections as shown in the image. So, the parental control on Roblox is now activated in the game.

Summary

Roblox is a popular interactive game for children and teenagers.  Still, cyber security and privacy concerns is a major concern for parents. However, if you activate the Roblox parental controls with proper online privacy settings, your kids will be able to enjoy the benefits of any gaming app with the most harm reduction possible.

Of course, parents should continue to be diligent to remain active in monitoring and limiting their activities. This can be done by checking in with you child regularly.  However, installing third  parental controls   Whenever you get any notifications, review them soon and act accordingly.  Also, limit their play time so they don’t get addicted to the game. And educate your children about online bullying.

• Explore parental controls for Android devices
• Review the best parental control apps for iPhone

Did you know that Android smartphones are considered to be far less secure than iPhones?  There are obvious reasons this is true but you may be surprised to hear that these very reasons also make it the safest phone for your child.  Let’s explore what’s behind what appears to be a major contradiction.

Android users make up 71.52% of all smart phone users, compared with 27.83% iPhone users*.  It’s often been said that hackers focus on Android phones because of the sheer number of them.  While this is one motivation, the main reason that Android lacks security against hackers is how they are made.

Quite simply, the operating system of Android is open source. Androids have few restrictions when software programs and apps are being created for them.  This open source platform means that when parental control apps are developed for Android, there is more freedom for apps to allow parents to fully control and monitor a child’s phone.

iPhones are closed source, and therefore, they have built in security features that make them more safe against malware and virus.  The downside is that parental control apps made for iPhone mean less monitoring features for parents.

The good news for Android users is that the power to fully limit what websites kids visit will also keep them off and website that infect mobile phones and tablet.

Safe Search Kids as partnered Qustodio for those seeking Android parental controls. Download Here

If your child has an iPhone, it is still important to install a parental control app on your iPhone. Every parent should do their best to make it as safe as possible when it comes to filtering the internet, blocking apps and keeping an eye on what your child is up to online.

Android Parental Controls

Bottom line, Android gives parents more monitoring control of their child’s phone.  This offers parents more options to monitor and restrict usage.  Let’s explore Android parental controls for your family.  The first step is to find an app that works for the type of device you want to filter and monitor.  Does the software or app have a version for Android only or for other platforms as well?

Let’s say your has a Windows PC, a Mac Laptop and both Android and Apple (iOS) smartphones.  It makes sense to choose a parental control platform that allows you to set up controls for all devices that you can manage from one account.  Therefore, you need to read the fine print of any parental control sales page.  Ensure there are downloads for all devices in each of the app stores on your devices.

Ability to Monitor Many Apps

Parental control apps allows monitoring of numerous social media apps and activities remotely without letting them know. You can check what the kids are viewing, chatting with, posting, and sharing with others.

The apps that you can monitor through our parental control app are Snapchat, Facebook, Facebook Lite, Messenger, Messenger Lite, Instagram, WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, Viber, Telegram, Wechat, LINE, LINE Lite, QQ, Kik Messenger, Tinder, etc

Tracking the Target Device Location

One of the must-have features that every parent wants to get from the parental control app is tracking their kids’ current location

These Android monitoring apps have built-in advanced Wi-Fi and GPS position tracking technology that will provide the real-time location of your children using the device. You can also set a geo-fence in the app that will give you an alert when the target gets in or out of the selected zone.

Parents love the geo-fence feature especially when they are concerned about toddlers or special needs children’s movement.

The app allows doing the following task:

• Track GPS location
• Wi-Fi location tracking
• View location history
• Set up geo-fence

Access Phone File

Parental monitoring apps permits to access contacts, call logs, messages, web browsers, and other apps. So, getting the authority, you can view your children’s online actions at any time. You can also record any operation of the target device and save them for future use.

Protect Privacy and Data

Research shows that Android apps are riff with piracy risks due to data collection.  Parents need to be concerned but not worried if they take the proper steps towards data protection and personal safety. A quality parental control app will encrypt your data and won’t sell your information to any third party. It’s also a bug-free app and 100% safe so you can use it without any worries.

Syncs Real-Time Data

The app syncs real-time data no matter whether you’re using a cellular network or Wi-Fi. And these data will be automatically synced instantly. It will be really helpful to know what your kids are doing and what they are contracting with.

Control Target Phones Remotely

Not only does viewing the activity of the target device, but this also permits you to fully control the target phones. The remote-control feature is a smart way to monitor the activity secretly in incognito mode.

So, you can record real-time phone calls on both sides, take photos, or capture screen photos secretly.

Invisible Tracking

The app will work in the background of the target device. Thus whether you’re tracking it or not, kids can’t understand it. In that way, you’ll get the actual browsing history or call history easily.

Compatible with Most Phones

Don’t be worried about the compatibility of the app with your smartphone. It is compatible with the available phones in the market such as Google, Samsung, LG, Huawei, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and more. It’s actually matched with any phone having android updates 4.0 to 13.

Supports Multiple Languages

The android parental control app has great demand nowadays throughout the world. Considering this, the app is designed to support multiple languages including English. So apart from English-speaking people, other people in the world can also use it, if they don’t know English well.

Latest Updates

It’s always recommended to use the updated version of any app. Regular releases provide updates to improve user experience.

When the app developer releases any new version of the product, you will be notified. Just click on update to install the latest version of the app. You don’t pay extra for the newest version.

Reliable Customer Support

Customer support is always an important consideration, especially for after-sales service. Our customer support team is available 24/7. And, whatever support like installation, renewing the package, changing any option, and so on you need, you’ll get from us.

Quick Set up and User-Friendly Interface

There is no ambiguity in the setup of the app. It needs only 3 steps to install the app on the target android phone. The interface is user-friendly and lets you start operating the app within 5 minutes.

The installation steps are-

• Sign Up: In this step, sign up with a valid email address. To create your account, select the Try Now to customize settings that suit your family.
• Install App on the Target Device: Follow the app developer’s guidelines to set up the app on the target devices.
• Start Monitoring: Now, you can begin filtering the internet, monitoring apps, and keeping your children’s phone activities on track.

Download Android Parental Monitoring

Summary

So, considering all the features it’s clear that an android parental control app that monitors and controls a child’s device is essential protective to provide online safety and security. By installing, you can ensure protect your children are safe from online predators, cyber-bullying, unsafe websites, and personal data priracy. How to disable safe mode on your child’s android device .

Besides monitoring kids’ online activity, you can also track their locations easily using this app. And it’s also possible to use the app to track elderly people or special needs children.
* Source: StatCounter Global Stats – OS Market Share

Android Resources:

How to disable safe mode on your child’s android device .