How to protect children from the internet

FamiSafe is aparental control app designed by Wondershare, a software developer based in Shenzhen, China (also dr.fone, Recoverit and Filmora in its portfolio). Like other parental control apps, it aims to protect the online safety of the little ones. To do this, it offers parents all the tools they need to help their children browse the Internet responsibly.

FamiSafe was born in 2018, and in a short time it becomes one of the most popular solutions for parental control, both on smartphones Android than on iPhone. Some numbers: over 5 million protected children worldwide, 10 thousand sites with adult content and gambling excluded from the search, 20 thousand apps blocked, 5 million texts related to cyberbullying, suicide and child pornography identified.

FamiSafe has a free trial on Google Play and the App Store. These below are all compatible platforms: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Kindle Fire.

Confirming the excellent work done, FamiSafe receives every year important international awards, including first place at the National Parenting Product Awards 2020. The average rating obtained from user reviews also testifies to its effectiveness, with over 1 million downloads and a score of 4.5 out of 20 thousand votes for the Android app. Below is our review.

How FamiSafe works

The FamiSafe parental control app allows parents to monitor their children’s online activity and at the same time protects the navigation of the latter by excluding sites and apps that have sensitive content. To work, the app must be installed on both children’s and parents’ devices, and it is also important that both profiles are connected. Only in this way, in fact, can adults keep the Internet use of their children under control.

Control of the child’s online activities

The FamiSafe parental control app allows parents to fully monitor their little one’s online activity. Below the tools available to adults:

• Activity Report (activity report): control of which apps and sites are used;
• Browser History (search history): the list of sites visited;
• Web Filter (web filter): option to block one or more websites;
• Screen Time (screen time): allows you to set a time limit for using a particular app;
• YouTube App Control function to monitor the use of YouTube, as well as block videos or channels deemed inappropriate;
• Safe Search (safe search): content blocking with explicit words or materials in search results;
• Real-time Location (real-time location): Check the location of the phone
• Location History (location history): the list of places “intercepted” by the smartphone;
• Geofences (virtual perimeter): allows you to identify a specific area beyond which the child is not allowed to go;
• Explicit Content Detection (detection of explicit content): monitoring of any explicit content in SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Messenger Lite, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Kik;
• Suspicious Photos (suspicious photos): allows you to detect adult images in your child’s online photo album;
• Driving Report (driving report): useful function to check how the child, by now of age, behaves driving the car.

On the same topic, you might also be interested in reading our guide on how to control and limit the time spent on Facebook.

Account registration and installation

To start using FamiSafe it is essential first of all register a new account via the website or from the app. Here is the procedure to follow on Android smartphones:

1. Download the app “Parental Control & Time Limits – FamiSafe” da Google Play Store
2. Launch the app, make two consecutive swipes from right to left to view the main ones; functions, select the identity “Parents“, Then click on”It begins“To continue with the installation;
3. Enter a valid email address, choose your password, then confirm it and tap the “Sign in“To complete the registration;
4. Copy the 6-digit numeric code included in the new screen that opens once the registration is successfully completed, you will need it to pair the device with that of your child;
5. Repeat the steps above, this time using the child’s smartphone or computer and installing the application “Famisafe Junior“. Once the registration is complete, enter the 6-digit code copied previously to connect both devices;
6. Do tap su “Activate now”In the following screens, in order to issue the necessary permissions for FamiSafe to function correctly.

Once the application is installed on both devices, we are spoiled for choice among the many available functions, which we described in the previous paragraph. Among those most used when our child is away from home, there is certainly the real-time localization, with which to know precisely the movements that our son makes.

For those who want to avoid intensive use of our child’s device, we have the “Navigation time“, With which we can block all applications manually or set times and time limits for use. We can also choose which apps to allow.

Web filter instead it allows you to block sites based on the categories they belong to, a very useful function for those who do not want to have worries while our child is browsing.

Recommended reading: How to spy on Telegram and how to defend yourself

FamiSafe subscription prices

We have come to the conclusion of our guide, so we just have to present the prices of the various subscription plans made available by FamiSafe. In total, the parental control app for Android and iPhone provides three floors: monthly, quarterly and yearly.

Here, in detail, how much they cost and what guarantees they offer:

• Monthly at 9.99 euros: protection of up to 5 devices, all functions available
• Quarterly at € 19.99: protection up to 10 devices, all functions available
• Annual at 59.99 euros: protection up to 10 devices, all functions available

In terms of costs, the most convenient plan is the annual one, which allows you to save up to 50% in twelve months compared to the monthly plan. There is also the possibility of try it for free the functionality of FamiSafe for a limited period of time equal to Three days, after which the user can choose whether to continue using the paid parental control app or cancel the automatic renewal at no additional cost.