What is FamiSafe? What parents need to know

FamiSafe is a parental control application that allows parents to monitor how their children use their devices and set controls on their devices to ensure they are using them safely. The app helps parents do this by providing many tools that are common on parental control apps, such as screen time limits and app blocking. However, it also includes some more unique features, like one-way audio.

FamiSafe is available on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and ChromeOS. This means it should cover most devices your child uses. The software operates using a paid subscription model, which is priced at £8.99/month or £51.99/year. This subscription gives access to all features and allows parents to monitor an unlimited number of devices. A free 3-day trial is available, so you have the chance to try out the app before committing to paying for it.

To start managing your child’s device with FamiSafe, you must download the app onto your phone and onto whichever of your child’s devices you want to monitor. This will allow you to set controls on your children’s devices from the parent’s dashboard on the FamiSafe app on your phone.

The parent’s dashboard shows all of your child’s online activity, and there is a separate ‘Notice’ section which flags the most concerning activity, such as giving an alert if your child searches the keyword ‘drugs’. This makes it easier to stay aware of any worrying searches, without having to look through every search they make.

FamiSafe lets parents set a wide range of controls on their children’s devices, while also giving them the ability to monitor for any concerning online behaviour. These features include:

• Screen time management: Parents can track how long their children spend on their devices and manage their screen time. Smart schedules can be set, which block children from using devices at times they shouldn’t, such as when they’re studying or when they should be sleeping. Kid’s have the ability to request more screen time.
• Screen viewer: The Screen viewer feature lets you set it so that screenshots are automatically taken of your child’s screen at regular intervals, ranging from every 2 minutes to every 30 minutes, and sent to your device. An alert will be sent if any of these screenshots is flagged for containing inappropriate content.
• App blocker: FamiSafe gives parents the ability to block access to apps. These can be based off of age rating, meaning a child cannot download an app that is meant for older audiences, and parents can also choose specific apps to block. Time limits can also be set on apps, and like the screen time limits, these can be scheduled so that children don’t access games or social media when they should be studying. Whenever a child uses an app it will be recorded, so that parents can see how long they use the app each day.
• Text & call monitoring: Parents can see details of any phone calls their child has made or received, including the phone number, contact name and duration of call. FamiSafe also monitors any texts that are sent or received and will send an alert if these texts contain any sensitive content or keywords.
• Content safety: FamiSafe will send an alert if a child accesses or views any inappropriate content. This includes any inappropriate pictures in their photo gallery, concerning language or terms used on social media or in their YouTube and browser search terms, and it also blocks any websites that it deems as containing inappropriate content.
• Location tracking: Using the GPS in the child’s device, parents can view their child’s real-time location on a map in the FamiSafe app. Geofences can be set, which means parents will be alerted if their child goes outside a boundary they have set on the map.
• SOS alert: Children can send an SOS alert from the FamiSafe app on their device. This will send an alert to the parent’s phone to let them know their child is in danger and will also show them where their child is using FamiSafe’s location tracking.
• One-way audio: One of the more unique features offered by FamiSafe is the ability to trigger real-time recordings on your child’s device, so that you can listen to what is going on around them. This is intended to prevent the risk of bullying and negative influences.

• Effective screen time and app management
• In-depth content monitoring
• Location tracking and geofencing capabilities
• SOS alert button
• Some unique features, such as screenshots and one-way audio

While FamiSafe does offer social media monitoring, this is only available on Android devices. If your child has an iPhone, you should consider looking at other monitoring apps instead. Alternatively, you could set controls on your child’s social media directly.

FamiSafe also has some features that could be seen as more intrusive than most parental apps. Taking screenshots of your child’s screen and listening to what’s going on around them using one-way audio might be viewed as spying by your child. Talking with your child about why you would like to put a monitoring app on their phone will help them understand why they are being monitored and will make them less likely to try and circumvent the controls. However, part of building this trust may involve agreeing to not use some features that are seen as infringing on the child’s privacy.