Best Parental Controls For Mac
Find out what the best parental control apps, parental control software, routers & firewalls are of 2018. SafeWise reviews the best in parental control options. Mac, or mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. With so many ways to access the internet, we like that Net Nanny works on just about any platform. The Mac's Parental Controls feature is a method of controlling the applications and content a specific user may use or view. The Parental Controls feature also allows you to control incoming and outgoing email, as well as which iChat pals are allowed contact.
Configured correctly, Parental Controls are remarkably effective. But you may want to do more. Your next steps depend on how strict you want to be and how much you trust your children. Beyond talking to them, there are several ways to allow them access to the online world while retaining some control.
Keep an Eye Out
Even if you trust your children, you might feel better if you can track their activities (and, even better, if you tell them you’re doing so). Parental Controls’ logs provide some monitoring options, but you can take this even further.
If you and your child have separate Macs, you can watch his screen via Leopard’s Screen Sharing feature. First log on to his Mac as an administrator and switch on Screen Sharing in the Sharing preference pane. In Allow Access For, select Only These Users, click on the plus-sign button, and choose Administrators.
To observe, go back to your Mac and, from the Finder, choose Go: Network. Locate the name of your kid’s Mac, launch it, and click on Share Screen. You can now see what he’s doing on his machine—and even control it. Your child can try to cut you off (by choosing Disconnect, and then your Mac’s IP address, from the Screen Sharing menu in the menu bar), but you’ll still remain connected.
If your family shares a single Mac, SpectorSoft’s $150 Spector for Mac OS takes frequent snapshots of the screen and can log keystrokes without your children’s knowledge. When you want to see what your kids were doing while using the computer, launch the program, play back the snapshots as a movie, or look at the keystroke log.
Stop File Sharing
For kids, it may be hard to resist the appeal of downloading free music and videos (and just as hard to understand the legal issues). But if you’d rather not have the recording industry’s lawyers banging on your door, you’ll want to put an end to any peer-to-peer file-sharing. Leopard’s firewall can help.
Open the Security preference pane, click on the Firewall tab, and select the Allow Only Essential Services option. This will also disable screen sharing, file sharing, and other such services. If that’s too limiting, choose Set Access For Specific Services And Applications instead, which keeps all enabled sharing services running. If you’re concerned that your kids are doing illegal swapping, tell the firewall to block incoming connections from any file-sharing programs on the Mac (click on the plus sign to add the program, and from the pull-down menu to the right, select Block Incoming Connections). Better yet, remove those programs altogether.
Some BitTorrent clients use port forwarding to work around the firewall, which means you can’t stop downloads, no matter which firewall setting you choose. To see whether your kids have been downloading files using a BitTorrent client, click on the Advanced button at the bottom of the Security window and check the Enable Firewall Logging option. Select the Open Log button to view a list of activities. If you see entries for BitTorrent clients (such as Transmission, Azureus, or BitTorrent), you can uninstall them.
Users who are savvy about security may find it frustrating that Leopard’s firewall doesn’t provide an easy way to open or close specific ports. Hanynet’s free NoobProof () offers a simple interface for opening and closing ports within Leopard’s firewall.
Limit Content
Leopard’s Internet controls for parents are a vast improvement over earlier offerings, but they still may not fully meet your needs. With the help of robust filtering utilities and Web services, you can gain more control.
All-in-One If you’re looking for comprehensive control over your kids’ Mac activities, check out Intego’s $50 ContentBarrier X4 (), which can halt or filter a number of activities for each account on your Mac (including those already restricted by Parental Controls).
For instance, you can forbid access to questionable Web sites, block streaming content, filter e-mail and chats for inappropriate language, and block peer-to-peer file sharing and newsgroup access. ContentBarrier can also keep a log of your kids’ activities and e-mail it to you as often as once an hour. The program is great if you haven’t upgraded to Leopard, or if you find that Leopard’s Parental Controls don’t provide enough control over certain activities.
Web Filters Are you primarily concerned about your kids’ Web surfing habits? Several services can shield children from objectionable content. Blue Coat’s free K9 Web Protection service creates an Internet proxy on your Mac to filter and block inappropriate Web sites (as of press time, only a beta version for Mac OS X was available). The service sorts sites by category, such as pornography, illegal drugs, social networking, and gaming. You can instruct the filter to block certain categories while ignoring others. You can still allow or bar specific sites.
Google is a terrific resource, but even if you turn on its filtering features, it’s easy to get lost in all the search results—and distinguishing bad information from good is difficult even for adults. For $5 a month or $50 a year, Thinkronize’s netTrekker home () acts as a search portal, directing kids to teacher-approved Web sites that contain the knowledge they need to complete their schoolwork.
These filters promise to protect kids from unseemly content. How effective are they? To find out, I put propriety aside and went spelunking in the darker corners of the Web.
I started by searching for every naughty word I could think of. Combined with Google’s filtering powers, OS X’s Parental Controls’ Web-site filtering option largely thwarted my Web searches. The scientific names for body parts and sexual acts turned up appropriately clinical results without sleaze. Coarser words produced an “Oops! You Can’t See Pages on This Website” message. And Parental Controls’ logs enumerated my every search. I was, however, able to sneak past Parental Controls when I plugged in some innocent-sounding adult Web sites.
I had mixed results with third-party programs and services that filter content. The best was Blue Coat’s K9 Web Protection service. It blocked any adult sites I attempted to visit. Intego’s ContentBarrier X4 startled me more than once with its loud buzzing alarm when I attempted to access verboten URLs. Like Parental Controls, though, it didn’t block innocent-sounding test Web sites. I was, however, able to add these sites to the program’s block list.
Augmenting the Age of Innocence
The Mac is a wonderful resource for children: not only is it an expansive educational resource, but it’s also an art and movie studio, a killer jukebox, and a sophisticated communications device. Sure, all that power can become a problem if left in inexperienced, unguided hands. But with these tips and the proper parental oversight, you can control the Mac’s power so that it enhances your children’s growth and development.
Kid-Friendly Add-Ons
A Mac can do wonders for kids. With the following additions, you can enhance the experience even more.
Scribble Pads Wacom’s $99 Bamboo Fun small tablet () includes an easy-to-grip stylus and copies of Adobe Photoshop Elements () and Corel Painter Essentials (). If those are too advanced, try Software MacKiev’s $40 KidPix Deluxe 3X (), Ambient Design’s $25 ArtRage (), or plasq’s $25 Doozla ().
Easy Snapper Fisher-Price’s $50 Kid-Tough Digital Camera has a built-in flash, stores up to 60 640-by-480-pixel images (it also has an SD memory card slot), and is packed in a case sturdy enough to withstand playground drops; it’s a great gateway into photography for kids three and up.
Protective Armor Children under the age of nine have a supernatural knack for getting jam and crumbs into every nook and cranny. Get a screen-cleaning system, such as RadTech’s $7 to $15 OmniCleanz or Meridrew Enterprises’ $25 iKlear Apple Polish Cleaning Kit. To protect your keyboard, consider a plastic overlay from iSkin or zCover.
[Christopher Breen may be a Macworld senior editor to some, but he’s “Mr. Dada” to his seven-year-old daughter.]
Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.
Parental Controls For Mac Os
You don't have to hover over your children's shoulders, watching their every move, in order to keep them safe. Apple has a number of parental control features for the Mac to help protect them as they browse the internet, use apps, and play games. You can even set time limits for your little ones' computer activities so they don't overuse their allotted screen time. Here's how to set up and manage Parental controls on your Mac.
If you are looking for how to use parental controls on iOS, check out our ultimate guide to parental controls on iPhone and iPad.
How to create a new user account with parental controls on the Mac
If you currently only have one user account (your administrator account), you'll need to create a new account that you can add parental controls to. This secondary app can be your children's separate log in.
- Click on the Apple icon in the far left corner of your Mac's screen.
Select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Parental Controls.
- Select Create a new account with parental controls.
Click on Continue.
- Enter your administrative username and password.
Click unlock.
- When the new user account window appears, select an age group.
Enter the name of the child that will be using the new account.
- Enter a username for the account.
- Create a password for the account.
Verify the password.
- Add a password hint in case you forget it (remember, you won't use this password as often as your child, since it is not going to be your main account).
Click on Create User to create a new account.
Repeat this process for each child you would like to create a separate account for. When you create a new log in account, you will be asked to follow the steps to signing into iCloud. If your child does not have his or her own iCloud account, you can skip this process.
How to enable remote access to parental controls on a different Mac
Once you've created separate accounts with parental controls for your children, you can restrict and change access and privileges from another computer as long as you know the administrator name and password of the account of the computer they are using and both computers must be on the same network.
- Click on the Apple icon in the far left corner of your Mac's screen.
Select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Parental Controls.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window.
- Enter the administrator username and password for your Mac.
Click Unlock
- Tick the box for Manage parental controls from another computer.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window to prevent further changes.
To access this account's parental controls from another Mac:
- On the remote Mac, click on the Apple icon in the far left corner of your screen.
Select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Parental Controls.
- Click on Manage parental controls on another Mac.
Click Continue.
You will be able to manage app use, limit website access, restrict usage, set up privacy preferences, and all other parental controls you normally access from the same Mac.
How to manage app usage with parental controls on the Mac
Once your children's accounts are created, you can manage what apps they can use, including whether they can use the camera, play multiplayer games with Game Center, access the Mail app, and more.
- Click on the Apple icon in the far left corner of your Mac's screen.
Select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Parental Controls.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window.
- Enter the administrator username and password for your Mac.
Click Unlock.
- Select an account that has parental controls enabled.
Click on the Apps tab at the top of the Parental Controls window.
- Untick the box for Allow use of camera if you don't want your child using any camera on this Mac.
Tick the box for Allow joining Game Center multiplayer games if you want your child to be able to play games online with friends and strangers.
Tick the box for Limit Mail to allowed accounts to allow your child to use the Mail app.
- Click Manage to add email contacts to the approved sender list.
Tick the box for Send request to: and enter your email address to receive a notification whenever your child tries to email a person that is not on the approved sender list.
Tick the box for Limit Applications on the Mac to manually select which apps and games your child can access.
- Select the apps you want your child to have access to. Apps not on the approved list will need your administrator name and password.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window before closing it to prevent further changes.
How to restrict website access with parental controls on the Mac
The internet can be a dangerous place for an unsupervised child, but it isn't practical to stand over your little one's shoulder while he or she surfs the web. The most important thing to do is teach your children how to use the internet safely, but you can also help protect them by restricting access to only certain websites.
- Click on the Apple icon in the far left corner of your Mac's screen.
Select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Parental Controls.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window.
- Enter the administrator username and password for your Mac.
Click Unlock.
- Select an account that has parental controls enabled.
Click on the Web tab at the top of the Parental Controls window.
- Click Allow unrestricted access to websites if you want your child to have access to all websites.
Click Try to limit access to adult websites.
- Click Customize to specify websites that your child can access and ones that they cannot.
- Enter web addresses that your child can always access and ones your child can never access. This method is difficult and time-consuming, but if you know what to look for, it can give your kids more freedom to explore the internet.
Click Allow access to only these websites to limit your children's use of the internet to only specific websites.
- Click the add (+) button to add a specific website.
Click the remove (-) button to remove a specific website.
- Click Logs... to see what websites your child has visited and what apps your child has accessed.
- You can view activity from today, through an entire year, or all data saved.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window before closing it to prevent further changes.
How to disable and restrict access to iTunes content with parental controls on the Mac
You may not want your little one downloading apps, games, music, and ebooks without your knowledge. You can disable downloads and restrict access to content with parental controls on the Mac.
- Click on the Apple icon in the far left corner of your Mac's screen.
Select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Parental Controls.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window.
- Enter the administrator username and password for your Mac.
Click Unlock
- Select an account that has parental controls enabled.
Click on the Stores tab at the top of the Parental Controls window.
Tick the box for iTunes Store to disable iTunes on your child's account.
- You can customize whether you want you child to be able to have access to iTunes U and the iBook Store.
Tick the box for Music with explicit content to hide all music rated as explicit.
Tick the box for Movies to: to restrict what type of movies your child can watch in iTunes.
You can select G, PG, PG-13, R, or NC-17.
Tick the box for TV shows to: to restrict what type of television shows your child can watch in iTunes.
You can select TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14, or TV-MA.
Tick the box for Apps to: to restrict the rating of apps and games in the App Store.
You can select 4+, 9+, 12+, or 17+.
Tick the box for Books with explicit sexual content to hide ebooks and iTunes U books that are rated as explicit.
- Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window before closing it to prevent further changes.
How to set time limits for computer use with parental controls on the Mac
Just like playing video games or watching TV, we have to enforce limits on how much time our kids spend on the computer. You can set up time limits for your children's account for weekdays, weekends, and bedtime with parental controls.
- Click on the Apple icon in the far left corner of your Mac's screen.
Select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Parental Controls.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window.
- Enter the administrator username and password for your Mac.
Click Unlock.
- Select an account that has parental controls enabled.
Click on the Time tab at the top of the Parental Controls window.
Tick the box for Limit weekday use to: to set up how many hours per day during the week your child can access his or her account.
You can select between 30 minutes and 8 hours.
Tick the box for Limit weekend use to: to set up how many hours on each weekend day your child can access his or her account.
You can select between 30 minutes and 8 hours.
Tick the box for School nights to prevent access to a parental controlled account on weeknights.
You can set the block for any time of day and any length of time.
Tick the box for Weekends to prevent access to a parental controlled account on the weekend.
You can set the block for any time of day and any length of time.
- Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window before closing it to prevent further changes.
How to manage your child's privacy with parental controls on the Mac
Apps and games will sometimes ask for access to certain data, like location, photos, contacts, and more. Though access to this data is very helpful for grown-ups with productivity needs, it is not necessary, and better left hidden for some age groups.
- Click on the Apple icon in the far left corner of your Mac's screen.
Select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Parental Controls.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window.
- Enter the administrator username and password for your Mac.
Click Unlock.
- Select an account that has parental controls enabled.
Click on the Privacy tab at the top of the Parental Controls window.
- Click on Manage Privacy to manually select apps and games that will be able to access data from your child.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window.
- Enter the administrator username and password for your Mac.
Click Unlock.
- Select Location Services.
Select or deselect the apps you want to determine the location of your child's computer.
You can also disable Location Services entirely, but it will disable Find My Mac.
Go down the list of app types, (Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, etc.) and select or deselect specific apps that can access your child's data.
Click Advanced and select Log out after [X] minutes of inactivity to secure your computer if your child leaves it for a certain amount of time.
Select Require an administrator password to prevent anyone from being able to change locked system preferences on your child's account without an administrator's password.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window before closing it to prevent further changes.
Click the back arrow in the upper left corner of the Parental Controls window to go back to parental controls.
- Uncheck the boxes for Location Services, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Twitter, Facebook, and Diagnostics to lock the data to their current settings and prevent new apps from accessing it.
- Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window before closing it to prevent further changes.
How to disable Siri and lock down certain utilities with parental controls on the Mac
Siri can make a lot of things easier to find on the Mac, but exposing your child to possible privacy and security risks may not be worth it. You can disable Siri and lock down certain computer utilities, like printer settings and Dock modifications, with parental controls.
- Click on the Apple icon in the far left corner of your Mac's screen.
Select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Parental Controls.
Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window.
- Enter the administrator username and password for your Mac.
Click Unlock.
- Select an account that has parental controls enabled.
Click on the Other tab at the top of the Parental Controls window.
- Tick the box for Turn off Siri & Dictation to disable Siri and Dictation, and blocking your child from accessing the features in Preferences.
Tick the box for Disable editing of printers and scanners to block your child's access to printer and scanner settings.
- Tick the box for Block CD and DVD burning in the Finder to disable disc burning options via Finder.
Tick the box for Restrict explicit language in Dictionary to hide certain words when your child uses the Look Up feature.
- Tick the box for Prevent the Dock from being modified to keep all apps in the Dock and stop new apps from being added to it.
Tick the box for Use Simple Finder to change the available desktop features to be more friendly to young and inexperienced computer users.
- Click the lock in the bottom left of the Parental Controls window before closing it to prevent further changes.
Any questions?
Do you have any questions about setting up and customizing parental controls or enabling remote access to parental controls on a different computer? Let us know in the comments and we'll help you out.
