Category: Parental Controls

We are happy to offer a video filtering tool at the top of our website, but what if your child or teen is searching YouTube from a regular browser or smart phone? Fortunately, free parental controls for YouTube are available using your Google account.

Even though YouTube has restrictions on what users can post, it still contains questionable material that is not appropriate for every age group.  However, there are a number of ways to make it a little safer with parental controls.  And when using YouTube Kids in a browser or via parental controls on the YouTube app, it’s much more safe.

Activating Parental Controls on YouTube

In the past, you could only turn on safe search for Google’s regular search results to ensure safe browsing. After many requests from parents and educators, YouTube now has parental controls so that you can implement YouTube filtering in your browser when searching from YouTube.com. Further action was taken to create an entirely safe YouTube for kids.  We will explore all of these options.  For instant automatic filtering of videos from a variety of screened websites, explore our safe video search.

In this article you will learn:

1. How to turn on Restricted Mode and how to lock it. This does not mean it will provide 100% safety when searching videos on YouTube, but it will help parents ensure the worst content is blocked.
2. How to set up stricter parental measures for younger kids on computers and laptops.
3. How to protect children using a special app on mobile devices, such as tablets and phones.

To fully monitor or block how family members access the entire internet, explore parental control software and apps for all devices.

How to Set Up Restricted Mode for YouTube

To implement the YouTube Restricted Mode, go to YouTube.com and scroll down to the bottom of the page….

You will see a reference to Restricted Mode: Off...

Click the drop down arrow and details about ‘restricted mode’ will appear…

Clicking On followed by the Save button will activate ‘Restricted Mode’ but will not lock it.

Locking YouTube Safe Search

As you will see, it’s very easy to turn safe search on and off. Therefore, you may want to lock it in order to ensure it is always activated for all family members.

To activate parental controls for YouTube, you will need a Google account. To open a free Google account, go to google.com and click “Sign In” in the top right hand corner of their main website. You will then see the option to create a new account.

Now return to YouTube (while signed into your account) and scroll down to the bottom of the page to the Restricted Mode link.

After selecting the “On” button, you will see an option to Save. Then log out of your account.

Restricted Mode is now activated you can now log out of your account. Unlocking restricted mode on YouTube will require you to log into your account. This guarantees that no one else can deactivate the safety setting.

Important: If you have more than one browser on your computer, you will need to follow these steps for each browser. Below is a video that walks you through the process of implementing YouTube Parental Controls that were just explained.

Remember, restricting YouTube will stop the worst content but not all videos that you personally may see as unfit for younger viewers.

Even with parental controls for YouTube activated, many parents and educators find YouTube inappropriate for their kids. Along with these measures, exploring teenage counselling online could provide teens with extra support, helping them handle any emotional challenges that arise from exposure to online content. Our safe video tab on the top of our website offers strict filtering of videos from a variety of safe sources.

Parental Controls Using YouTube Kids

Alternatively, you can restrict your younger family members from using YouTube entirely.  Go to YouTube Kids to set up a parent account.  Follow the instructions and when complete, you can direct your kids to use the same website.  Parents can choose the appropriate level of content for each child.  Your selection impacts the types of videos available within YouTube Kids.

Content Experiences Include:

• Preschool (ages 4 and under)
• Younger (ages 5-8)
• Older (age

KidzTube Videos:  Please note that the search feature tab for video at the top of our website delivers safe filtering videos from educational and filtering websites only.  However, it does not restrict children from going to other browsers to search Google.   We have an app for that as well.  Continue reading…

Parental Controls on YouTube App

When kids are using YouTube on their mobile phones, the steps to protecting your kids is similar.

1. Visit your devices app store and search for YouTube Kids
2. Download the YouTube Kids App.
3. Follow the instructions to set up your parental account with a pin number.
4. If the regular YouTube app is already installed, delete it from your child’s phone.
5. Show your child the new YouTube Kids apps on their phone and let them loose to explore safely.

To ensure safe searching for every age of kids in your family, you can also delete any installed browsers.  Then, download our safe search app for safe searching of Google and other filtered resources.  It called the KidzSearch app and provides the same filtering as seen on the top of this website.

Safe YouTube Summary

Parents put a lot of trust in safety tools and resources provided from various sources to protect their kids online.  As children age, internet filtering and monitoring by parents can be eased, but will never be totally removed until they are fully grown and move out on their own to begin life as a adult.  In the meantime, it’s also important to teach kids the value of responsible internet use. This includes searching YouTube for videos that can provide positive entertainment and educational benefits.

Watch this Video for Step By Step Instructions to Lock Safe Search with YouTube parental controls.

Learn more about online safety for kids, including privacy concerns and how to make YouTube Safe with parental controls.

Read this parents guide about understanding AI generated YouTube content.

All software based internet filters block content to prevents kids from viewing harmful websites or downloading apps their parents don’t approve of.  Covenant Eyes does this as well, but has added features that encourages a culture of accountability through email reports disclosing internet use and sending them to an accountability partner.

This accountability relationship may include kids and their parents, or may strictly be among adult friends who are struggling with porn on the internet.  Therefore, Covenant Eyes is not just marketed to parents who want to protect younger internet users.

How Does Covenant Eyes Work?

Unlike the history in your browser that can be deleted, Covenant Eyes keeps track of all user activity within the subscriber’s account.  It teaches safe browsing habits.  Just knowing that an extra set of eyes will see the search history on a daily or weekly basis help keeps family and friends responsible when surfing the internet, including Google.

It is these two facets that makes Covenant Eyes unique.  While most parental control software programs are set up to give parents all the control, Covenant Eyes can also be for adult users with accountability partners.  These adults have control of their own account and their accountability partners are sent reports of online activity, as well as changes made to restrictions and app downloads.  To further clarify, let’s recap that which may be confusing to those who are new to internet filtering, parental control apps, and monitoring software;

Covenant Eyes has Two Distinct Features depending on the End User

• It is just like your standard parental control software used by parents to monitor and restrict internet access for younger kids.  Age limits can be set according to age to give teens more freedom to make good choices online, but a certain level filtering and blocking is still implemented. This is controlled by the parent.

• It is monitoring software for adults who want accountability with a friend or spouse*.  The account is opened by the adult user.   An accountability partner is added (or multiple partners) and email reports are sent to this partner or multiple partners of their internet activity.  The frequent of email reports is determined by the account holder.

The creation of the Covenant Eyes software program was based on the word covenant, which is basically an agreement one makes with another person about particular issue. In regards to internet safety, the agreement made with what people see online (covenant eyes).  The commitment is to stay away from harmful content online.  Later, Covenant Eyes was expanded to also provide complete internet blocking for kids.

Accountability for You

Both internet blocking and screen accountability are included in the full software download.  The difference is who owns the account.  For families with kids, the parents have the control.  For adults, they hold the account and have full access to the internet. They simply want to be accountable to others. It may be to fight a porn addiction or they are struggling with control issues over internet use.

*It has been recommended by many counselors of couples who are struggling with porn that your Covenant Eyes accountability partner is someone other than your spouse.  This sets up inequitable parental roles within the relationship.  All couples, married or not, should be focusing on open and honest communication about all aspects of their relationship without condescension.  It can work better for each individual to set up accountability with a friend that both people in the relationship respect and trust.

If you are an adult seeking control over the internet within your own life, you still have freedom online.  For example, a site like YouTube may automatically be blocked.  This is a standard setting for parents who may want to prevent their younger kids from being on YouTube.  Therefore, you can change the settings to allow YouTube.  Your accountability partner(s) will see these changes in their email report but it won’t be something they would question since YouTube is not a pornographic website.

Internet Blocking

If you are a parent with older teens, you may not even decide to block content.  You may want to teach self control.  Your teens actions will be greatly controlled by the strength of their accountability relationship with you as a parent.  When they are aware that the parent will be receiving email reports about online activity, it will teach good decision making and self control.

Accountability can also go both ways.  Friends may want to be accountable to each other, or a support group of friends.  Each member would have their own account and add multiple partners.

Email reports are not cumbersome. Bad websites are highlighted to produce an easy to view history report of where a user has been online. Those keeping an eye on a users internet habits can also log in with limited access to see a recent history.  Of course, this is not ideal for younger kids because you don’t want them stumbling on explicit material even by accident.  This is where you would want to employ complete parental controls.

Beyond the accountability option, Covenant Eyes still allows parents to block websites based on the age. This protects kids from being exposed to explicit material by mistake.  It comes preloaded with at set of obvious sites that should be blocked but may decide you don’t want a person to access a particular social media site and only access safe apps.

Basic Covenant Eyes Account Set Up

• Covenant Eyes downloaded to a computer or smart phone.
• Covenant Eyes keeps a complete and accurate record of all web usage.
• Filtering, blocking  and Monitoring can be set up according to age.
• Accountability Partners, selected by the user, receive reports by email about internet activity.
• Unique dynamic scoring system highlights questionable sites, making the report easy to read.
• When an accountability partner is removed, that partner previously set up to receive activity reports is notified.
• Create Your Covenant Eyes Account

Screen Accountability

Covenant Eyes has responded to the growing need to their software to work as the internet privacy and security protocols evolve.  Therefore, they have redefined accountability as screen accountability.  Basically, it’s not as easy now to determine the content of a website based only on the url or written content on the page.

Screen Monitoring:  The software periodically captures screenshots of screen activity and stores them securely.

Screenshot Analysis:  Advanced artificial intelligence analyzes those screenshots, on your device, for explicit imagery.

Screenshot Processing:  The software rates the images, blurs them to protect your privacy, then prioritizes them based on content.

Activity Reporting:   A report of concerning activity, circumvention attempts and other activity is sent to you and your ally.

Safe Search

Safe Search Kids recommends the use of parental control software to implement internet filtering. If you decide not to subscribe to internet filtering and blocking via software, we still encourage families to use Google Safe Search.  Just know that while filtered search engines such as ours do a great job of blocking offensive and dangerous websites, they only work while the child is using the safe search website to conduct searches.  A program such as Covenant Eyes is a tool that combines greater restrictions to internet access.  In either case, parental guidance on safe browsing behavior is always best to teach kids safe browsing habits.

If you have a computer gamer in the house, a parental control program is not the same as anti-virus software.  Many gamers complain of reduced speed while running anti-virus for protection and now there is a new solution to that problem.  It’s Performance + Security in One for gamer security.

Covenant Eyes Accountability Reporting

Covenant Eyes analyzes each website visited and blocks or allows them according to each user’s sensitivity settings. The parental control filter requires an ‘uninstall code’ in order to remove it from the computer. If the program is uninstalled, all users and accountability partners receive an email that the Covenant Eyes is no longer tracking usage.

As mentioned, you can choose to not have a lower level of filtering for older family members. At it’s most basic level, the software program instills positive browsing habits through accountability and reduces the risk of developing addictive behavior. Parents should also consider controls for very young children spending time online.

Simply create an Covenant Eyes account and download.  The software provides an economical solution to internet filtering for the entire family.  For adults, it offers freedom with the ability to set up accountability with trusted friends.   Typical adult users are those who choose to resist temptation on the internet by remaining accountable to a friend or spouse.

Give it a try and if you are not completely satisfied with how the program is working for you, simply request a refund within 30 days for a guaranteed 100% refund.

Families!  Take the Covenant Eyes 7 Day Digital Detox for Free!

Discord has been gaining popularity as one of the most popular free audio, video, calling, and chatting services.  It initially gained popularity as a gaming and chat platform, but is now trying to reinvent itself as a place where like-minded people can socialize and discuss. Discord usage for business has even been increasing.

Parents often ask this relevant question about Discord since teens are the app’s intended audience. If your child uses Discord, should you be worried? How can you protect your kids from cyberbullying and harassment on Discord?

Even though Discord can be used safely with adequate precautions, it still comes with risks, just like every other open-chat program.

Read this article to get all the necessary information about Discord and to know Is Discord safe for kids?

What Is Discord?

Discord is a free application for PC and mobile that allows people to chat via text, voice, or video.

By combining Skype’s internet call features with Reddit-like discussion boards, it has diversified from a forum for gamers only to one for communities with a wide variety of interests, including anime, TV series, music, and more. Also, it can be used to chat with friends in a group.

Discord, which was founded in 2015, is a platform that brings individuals together with similar likes and interests. Video game players use it to communicate and develop a sense of community outside of the games themselves.

Over the years, it has expanded into an entire social network with over 140 million active monthly users. Gamers are no longer their only users.

Working of Discord

It is essential to have a clear understanding of the word ‘server’ to grasp how Discord works. Servers are like groups of users that can discuss a topic or game together, and users can also create a server to play with friends and other players.

Users can make servers public or private, depending on their choice. If the users choose to make the server public, everyone can join the server. And if the user makes the server private, only people with links can join. Whenever users invite their friends to the private server, they will get a link to join the server.

You can also divide existing servers into voice and text channels for specific discussion topics. The server owner can also set their own rules regarding what content to allow and how many people they can join their server.

Is Discord Safe?

Discord can be used safely with the correct privacy settings and monitoring. Nevertheless, open chat on sites and apps always poses a risk. Use Discord safely by accepting only friend requests from people you already know and joining private servers.

There have been instances when predators have used Discord’s public servers to send direct messages to children, although it’s rare. Despite the fact that server moderators are typically quick to intervene, kids and parents should learn how to spot creeps and online predators.

Discord is an open-chat platform, and like every other open-chat platform, it is also unveiled to different cyber threats if necessary precautions are not taken. Discord users are at risk of data breaches and undesired content.

The safety of Discord depends upon the intensity of security measures adopted by users. The only way to ensure the safety of users on Discord is to adopt safe practices while using this application.

Risks of Using Discord

Discord can be a beneficial app, but it is also dangerous and harmful for kids if necessary precautions are not taken while using this app. Discord is an open-chat platform, and like every other open-chat platform, it is also unveiled to different cyber threats if necessary precautions are not taken.

Discord comes with a number of risks. A few of them are mentioned below:

●     Discord makes Cyberbullying easier

Discord is an open-chat platform that allows users to chat with their friends, families, and strangers. It is more prevalent among teens and kids as a social network for gaming chatting, and streaming.

However, Kids and teens are also using this app for bullying. Discord provides a feature in which audio and video streams disappear, making it easier for bullies to bully others without leaving any evidence on Discord.

●     Easy for predators to contact children using Discord

Discord allows its users to meet and chat with strangers, and like other open-chat platforms, people on Discord can also lie about their identity or who they are? Predators can manipulate and stalk your kids via Discord.

Predators can send inappropriate content, images, videos, audios, etc., to your kids, or they can blackmail your kids. They can even groom your kids to perform some unbefitting tasks, which can be harmful to your kids.

●     Difficult to Moderate

Like many others, open-chat and private communication app discord is dangerous as it is challenging to control real-time communication. Audio and video streams disappear in Discord.

An individual server carries out the content moderation process. Hence the groups have servers of different standards, and some of the servers are administered better than others.

Users can report issues to Discord directly, but this is a time-consuming process, and your child may gain access to or be exposed to improper content.

●     Kids may get access to pornography and Exploitation

Discord has lots of private groups, including groups of criminal activity, child pornography, etc. These groups can trap your kids and expose these types of adult content to your kids.

However, Discord is trying to solve this problem by breaking down pornography and criminal activities groups.  It is still a better alternative than Mastodon, which is offers more freedom without restrictions.

What’s Good About Discord?

Despite the risks of Discord, it has some positive aspects. There are a lot of chat apps out there, but Discord stands out because of its simple UI. It doesn’t take up too much space on the device and allows youngsters to communicate with their real-life pals while playing a virtual game.

Discord has been a social savior for many teenagers and kids during the pandemic. They use Discord to stream movies and games with friends to kill time and get over boredom.

Another advantage is secrecy. Teenagers can use Discord to avoid public conversation in games where strangers disparage others or share inappropriate stuff.

Discord’s concentration on interest groups also helps kids connect with others who share their passions without sifting through unnecessary postings or ads they might see on other social media platforms.

The Bottom Line

If your kid can safely use Discord, it can be a way to interact with their real-life pals via gaming when they can’t be together in person. They might be able to find a group interested in discussing their common interests.

On the other hand, Discord will always be a riskier software to use due to the lack of parental controls. Consider whether the benefits of Discord outweigh the risks. If you decide to let your children use this app, make sure they have an internal filter installed to keep them safe while they’re online.

The use of a parental control app and is our preferred recommendation for parents seeking complete protection for children on their phones and tablets.  It provides monitoring for both IOS Apple and Android devices.  It goes to work immediately to filter and block access to bad websites, as well as monitor social media.

Much more than a phone location tracker, the right parental control app download provides a variety of features to monitor and restrict internet usage and control the use of apps being downloaded. Parents can easily customize settings according to each family member’s age.

With parental controls installed on mobile devices (including iPads) parents will be notified of potential harm to their child online  24/7:  Download Here

For parental control solutions for desktop computers and laptops (as well as mobile devices) explore parental control software

The Need for Parental Controls

Today, parents have a lot of keep track of online.  Kids are active on gaming platforms, social media, multiple search engines, YouTube and chat rooms many parents don’t know about.   On the other side of a child’s online access are potentially secret friends, cyberbullies, viruses, malware, ransomware and child predators.

Thankfully, the app does the work for parents so that they don’t have to relentlessly monitor their child’s online activity 24/7.  It works right away to filter and block access to bad websites.  Still, within the parental control dashboard parents have complete control to customize settings according to each family member’s age.

The Power of Parental Control Apps

Gone of the days of a single computer in the family room where kids go online under the watchful eyes of mom and dad after dinner.  Couples and single parents still needed to be extra invigilate but control was still achievable. Then came mobiles phones that put the world wide web in everyone’s pocket.

These days, the internet is readily available to young finger tips on bedroom computers, lap tops, tablets and smart phones. Within the last decade social media has only multiplied the challenges of what kids see and hear online, including exposure to toxic friendships and the risk of cyberbullying.

Schools can set up internet controls and blocking on their servers but for homes it’s not possible to implement a blanket approach to online safety without an app installations.  For home use, it is relatively simple to install parental controls on multiple devices for instant protection against explicit web content.

Parental Control Features:

From it’s creation, phone monitoring apps have evolved to handle all of today’s obstacles to safety. It continues to be updated to respond to new technology and trends that kids gravitate to.  Unless automatic monitoring and restrictions are in place, these hot spots expose young children and teens to new and unwanted content before most parents even know about them.