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They don't touch on screen time, real-time web filtering, blocking of specific websites or apps, recurring geofencing, or school, homework, or bedtime schedules. For kids who just need a few loose boundaries to ensure that their apps and movies are age-appropriate, the Google Play settings that limit content to your specified highest rating (like T for Teen or PG-13) could suffice.īut Google Play's options won't be comprehensive enough for a lot of people. These quick, laid back starter controls can act as a trial run for how kids will respond to parent-supervised phone or tablet usage. Android's version are in the Google Play settings.
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Most smartphones are equipped with some sort of in-house parental controls. How are parental control apps different from Google Play controls? The content of Google's RCS text messages are easier to log with an app than with iMessage, but parents can probably see iMessages if they share an Apple ID with their kid. On the same beat, some brands of parental control software that work on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices aren't able to be downloaded onto Macs (like Norton) - an obvious restriction for pro-Apple families who want to use the same parental control software on a kid's Phone and MacBook. Many parental control apps that don't play well with iOS ( like Qustodio (opens in a new tab)) have no problem running their full suite of features on Android's flexible OS, giving families who prefer Samsung and Google phones over iPhones, or Fire Tablets and Galaxy Tabs over iPads, a more robust approach device monitoring. These apps, which usually require access to a phone's location, contacts, browsing history, and call and text history, are occasionally hindered by Apple's more strict app restrictions (like a 2019 policy change that slashed functionality on a handful of apps). Apple has held the lead for years - and though the gap is expected to close with the 2020 release of Android 11 (opens in a new tab) and its heightened privacy measures, iOS 14's release (opens in a new tab) will be right on its heels.īut one aspect of cyber safety remains Android's turf: Cooperating with parental control apps. The security battle between iOS and Android tightens each time an operating system update comes out.
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