How to Set Up Mac Parental Controls| Ultimate Guide for Parents

As a responsible parent, you need to make sure that your family members won't get exposed to any inappropriate content at an early age. With Mac parental controls, you can certainly make it happen and create a nurturing environment for your kids.

In this comprehensive post, we will help you learn how to manage parental controls on Mac with its inbuilt features and by using various third-party apps as well.

Part 1. Understanding Mac Parental Controls

1.1. Key features of Mac parental controls

Mac parental controls offer a robust set of features designed to safeguard children's online experiences. These features include:

App Restrictions: Parents can limit access to specific applications deemed inappropriate or excessive for their child's age.

Website Blocking: Control over which websites your child can visit, preventing access to adult content, gambling sites, or other inappropriate material.

Time Limits: Set restrictions on the amount of time your child can spend on their Mac, promoting healthy screen time habits.

Privacy Settings: Manage privacy settings to control what data your child can share online, protecting their personal information.

1.2. Why you need to set parental controls on Mac

Setting up parental controls on Mac is essential for several reasons:

Online Safety: Protect your child from accessing inappropriate content such as violence, adult material, or cyberbullying.

Screen Time Management: Ensure a balanced approach to screen time, preventing excessive use that can impact sleep and overall well-being.

Monitoring Online Activities: Track and monitor what your child is doing online to identify any potential risks or issues early on.

Promoting Responsible Behavior: Teach your child responsible digital habits and reinforce family rules regarding internet usage.

Part 2. How to Set Up Mac Parental Controls [Step-by-Step Guide]

Apple provides a comprehensive way to create parental control user accounts on Mac and manage privacy settings easily.

Start by creating a new user account for parental controls Mac before setting up various features. You need to log in to the administrator account and create a separate account for your kids to manage their activity. Here is the step-by-step guide to help you set parental controls successfully.

Step 1. Set up parental controls on Mac

1. Go to the Apple icon, which is located at the left corner of the screen. From the dropdown menu, select the “System Preferences” option.

2. This will open a new window, giving various options to you. Select the feature of Parental Control. Now, select the option of “Create a new account with parental control” and click on Continue.

3. A new window will pop up. Here, you need to enter your administrator username and password. Click on "Unlock" once you are done.

4. Now, you can create a new user account for your child. Start by selecting the age, preference, name, password, etc.

5. Once you are done verifying the password (and the optional password hint), click on the “Create User” button.

Great! Now that you have created a new user account with Mac parental controls, you can just set various restrictions on it related to its app usage, website restrictions, and more. Follow these easy steps to manage the newly created user account.

Step 2. Customizing your parental controls

(1) Block access to apps on Mac

• Open System Preferences from the Apple menu or Dock.
• Click on Parental Controls (or Screen Time in newer macOS versions).
• Choose the user account you want to manage controls for (likely your child's account).
• Navigate to the Apps tab or section within Parental Controls.
• Check the box next to Limit Applications or similar option.
• Click on the + button to browse and select applications you want to restrict.
• Alternatively, drag and drop applications from the Applications folder or desktop into the restricted apps list.
• For more granular control, adjust settings to allow access to specific apps deemed appropriate.
• Click OK or Save to apply the app restrictions.

(2) Block websites on Mac

• Open System Preferences from the Apple menu or Dock.
• Click on Parental Controls (or Screen Time in newer macOS versions).
• Choose the user account you want to manage controls for (likely your child's account).
• Navigate to the Web or Content tab within Parental Controls.
• Look for options related to website restrictions or filtering.
• Click on the + button to add websites to the blocked list.
• Enter the URL of the website you want to block (e.g., www.example.com).
• Fine-tune settings to allow access to specific websites while blocking others.
• Use built-in categories (e.g., adult content, social media) for easier filtering.
• Click OK or Save to apply the website restrictions.

(3) Set time limits on Mac

• Open System Preferences from the Apple menu or Dock.
• Click on Parental Controls (or Screen Time in newer macOS versions).
• Choose the user account you want to manage controls for (likely your child's account).
• Navigate to the Time Limits or Screen Time tab within Parental Controls.
• Look for options related to setting time restrictions.
• Use sliders or input fields to specify the maximum amount of time your child can use the Mac each day.
• Adjust settings for weekdays and weekends separately if needed.
• Configure bedtime settings to automatically restrict computer usage during specified hours, promoting healthier sleep habits.
• Set downtime periods to enforce breaks from screen time throughout the day.
• Click OK or Save to apply the time limits and schedule restrictions.

(4) Define privacy settings for data sharing on Mac

• Open System Preferences from the Apple menu or Dock.
• Click on Parental Controls (or Screen Time in newer macOS versions).
• Choose the user account you want to manage controls for (likely your child's account).
• Navigate to the Privacy or Data Sharing tab within Parental Controls.
• Look for options related to managing data sharing and privacy settings.
• Disable location services or limit which apps can access location data.
• Prevent apps from accessing the microphone and camera without explicit permission.
• Limit access to contacts, calendars, and reminders to only essential applications.
• Review and manage permissions for each app, ensuring that apps have only the necessary access to data.
• Remove permissions for apps that do not need access to sensitive information.
• Configure settings to block websites from tracking your child’s online activity.
• Set restrictions on sending and receiving emails from unknown contacts.
• Click OK or Save to apply the privacy settings and restrictions.

Part 3. Using Professional Mac Parental Control Apps to Protect Your Child

If Mac's inbuilt features are not enough, then you can also take the assistance of other third-party apps that can act as a perfect substitute for Mac parental controls. We have handpicked some of the best applications for you.

1. k9 Web Protection

K9 Web Protection is one of the oldest and most extensive parental control software available for Windows and Mac. You can download it for free from its official website right here.

It provides a lot of advanced features like time restrictions, blocking of inappropriate content and websites, overriding of content with password, real-time segregation of content, safe search, and a lot more.

It also generates visual reports, giving you a timely breakdown of your kid's activity on the internet.

The best thing about the application is that it is available for free. Though it has been around for a while and with time, a lot of users have found loopholes to overpass the protection.

2. Norton

Norton Family is undoubtedly one of the best parental control applications out there. It is compatible with Mac and can further strengthen the native features of parental controls on Mac.

You can either get its 30-day free trial or get its premium version for as little as $15 from its official website right here.

It can help you keep a strict eye on their online activity with its social media integration. Additionally, you can just filter the kind of content you want your kids to access so that you can create a nurturing environment for them online.

It supports cross-device integration and provides a lot of advanced features like location supervision, identity protection, mobile app supervision, and a lot more.

3. Qustodio

Qustodio is another popular parental control tool that will make it easier for you to create a productive space for your kids online.

Its major features include blocking websites, social media activity surveillance, web search monitoring, etc.

It is known as one of the best free Mac parental controls out there. You can also get its premium plan for as less as $50 a year from its website here.

In today's digital age, smartphones are integral to our daily lives, offering endless opportunities for communication, entertainment, and education. However, this constant connectivity also brings potential risks, especially for children. So monitoring your child's cell phone activity becomes essential!

Part 4. Using Professional Parental Control Apps to Monitor Your Child's Phone

1. Msafely

If you want to track your children’s iPhone/iPad or Android devices, never miss out Msafely. It is compatible with both iPhone and Android. You can also log in to your Msafely account on Mac or Windows to start tracking target iPhone/Android.

Msafely has robust monitoring features, with Msafely, you can monitor more than 40 types of data, such as text messages, call logs, contacts, emails, GPS locations, social apps, browser history, bookmarks, etc.

Advantages of Msafely

•  Simplify the process. Jailbreak or root is not required.
•  Don't waste time installing an app on the target device.
•  Track live GPS locations as well as the movement history of children.
•  Access conversation and contact list of social media apps, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tinder, Kik, ect.
•  Work in stealth mode without being caught.
•  100% reliable and safe. Only you can access the data on the target device. Data leakage will never happen.
•  Feel relaxed to start remote monitoring anywhere, anytime.

How to Use Msafely for Parental Control

Msafely is user-friendly with only 3 steps. You just follow the operation steps to set up parental control on your child’s phone with Msafely.

Step 1. Register a free account

Type in your email address(a valid one) to make a new Msafely account. It is entirely free.

Step 2. Choose the device you want to monitor

Step 3. Start tracking child’s phone

Go to the online control panel using your Msafely account. From the interface, click the menu button, and choose the item you want to track. Every possible detail on the child’s phone will be available here!

Part 5. FAQs about Mac Parental Controls

Q1. Can you put parental controls on a Mac?

Of course you can. Mac has built-in parental control settings that you can activate following the steps mentioned above to monitor your child's Mac remotely. However, these parental controls can be turned off by the child. Therefore, if you want to completely monitor all activities on your child's Mac, you can try professional monitoring software like K9 Web Protection, Norton, or Qustodio. If you want to monitor your child's phone activities, Msafely is your best option.

Q2. What happened to parental controls on Mac?

Apple's latest desktop operating system, Catalina (10.15), was released in October 2019. With Catalina, Apple replaces the traditional parental controls on previous versions of macOS, which are now included in Screen Time settings.

Part 6. Conclusion

Alright, this concludes the article! I hope it helps resolve your questions. Your child's online safety is of utmost importance. Whether you use Mac's built-in parental controls or professional monitoring software, both can help you protect your child and avoid potential dangers.