Do you trust your kids to responsibly use a phone, tablet, or computer at all times, without supervision? Do you trust them to responsibly use the Internet with no restrictions? If you’re like most parents I talk to, you answered “No” to one or both of these questions. Did you? If so, you’re interested in parental controls and monitoring.
KidLogger is monitoring software with some parental controls. In this Kidlogger review, I’ll tell you how KidLogger can help you protect your kids online.
In a hurry? In summary, KidLogger is monitoring software for Windows, Mac, and Android. It also includes limited parental controls for Windows and Mac, and greater controls for Android. The free plan is quite limited, and the paid plans include many more features. Read on for more details.
KidLogger helps you observe what your kids are doing when they are using their devices. You can monitor their web history, keystrokes, messages, emails, and application usage.
The Threats
When kids have their own devices, especially those with Internet access, there’s a good chance they’ll try to use them in ways that are against your wishes, or are outright dangerous. Here are just a few of the challenges you face:
- Your kids may visit websites that contain malware that could harm their device and even other connected devices.
- Your kids may access illegal content, such as pirated music and movies, and illegal forms of porn.
- Your kids may communicate with people who mean them harm, such as cyber bullies and Internet predators.
- Your kids may use apps you don’t approve of.
- Your kids may view websites, images, videos, and other content you don’t approve of, such as porn.
- Your kids may send and receive messages you don’t approve of, such as sexual or hateful messages.
- Your kids may spend more time using their devices than you want them to.
- Your kids may use their devices without your supervision, whether at home or outside it.
- The parental controls built into devices and apps may not limit your kids as much as you’d like.
For these reasons, you should consider parental monitoring software such as KidLogger.
How to Protect Your Kids
KidLogger is better described as monitoring software than parental control software, because it doesn’t offer nearly as many controls as other parental control software.
There’s a free version of KidLogger, but most of the features I’ll cover are only in the paid versions. Later I’ll explain what’s missing from the free version, and the pricing for the paid versions.
1. What devices does KidLogger work with?
It works on Windows, Android, and Mac, though it does more on Android than Windows or Mac.
It’s not available for iPhone or iPad. For those Apple devices, you’ll need to use iOS’ Screen Time, Kaspersky Safe Kids, Norton Family Premier, or other parental control software.
2. What apps can KidLogger monitor or control?
On Windows and Mac, you can monitor, but not block, the use of installed software. On Android, you can monitor and block the use of installed apps.
Pay special attention to social media, messaging, and dating apps.
It’s important to note that when your kid installs an app, it will be allowed until you block it. So I recommend that you use the parental controls built into Android to prevent your child from installing apps. If you choose to allow your kid to install apps, you’ll want to keep an eye on new app installations so you can block any that you don’t approve of.
For devices that don’t run Android, you’ll need to use Kaspersky Safe Kids, Norton Family Premier, or other parental control software.
3. Will KidLogger work outside my home network?
Yes. The software runs locally on the device, monitoring regardless of the network that’s used (whether your kids are on your home Wi-Fi, someone else’s Wi-Fi, or cellular data).
4. How granularly can KidLogger filter content?
It doesn’t filter content; it simply records what websites your child visits. You can set keywords and URLs for it to watch for, and it will notify you if your child accesses them. You can also have it take a screenshot periodically, or if your child types in a word or phrase you specify.
5. What website categories can KidLogger filter?
See the previous answer.
6. How will I monitor my kids’ activity with KidLogger?
You log into your KidLogger online account from any browser on any device. You can also receive email notifications. On Windows or Mac, you can also view the log files stored locally on the computer.
7. Does KidLogger use a whitelist or a blacklist?
First, a couple of definitions (which you can also find in the Glossary):
- Whitelist: A list of approved items. A system that uses a whitelist blocks all items that are not on the whitelist.
- Blacklist: A list of disapproved items. A system that uses a blacklist allows all items that are not on the blacklist.
KidLogger uses a blacklist approach for apps.
8. Does KidLogger control screen time? How granularly?
Yes, but only on Android. You can set the amount of time the device can be used on weekdays and weekend days. You can also set a start and end time for School time, a time frame during which only apps you specify may be used. You can also set a Bedtime, during which no apps may be used.
KidLogger helps you observe what your kids are doing when they are using their devices. You can monitor their web history, keystrokes, messages, emails, and application usage.
9. What browsers does KidLogger work with?
It works with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Internet Explorer.
You don’t want your kids to be tempted to use a different browser, so I recommend that you uninstall any browsers other than those that are supported. To prevent your child from installing other browsers, use the parental controls built into Android to prevent your child from installing apps, and have them use a non-Administrator user account on Windows and Mac.
10. Can KidLogger filter HTTPS traffic?
No, it doesn’t filter content; it simply records what websites your child visits. See question 4.
11. Can KidLogger track my kid’s location?
Yes, on Android, it records movements using GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular towers. It displays locations on a map in the parental web portal.
12. How can I manage the settings of KidLogger?
You can configure some settings within the software when you install it on a device. You configure some of the same settings, plus other settings, from your KidLogger online account, which you can access from any browser on any device.
13. How frequently is KidLogger updated?
Looking at the release notes for the Windows and Mac software, I see that the software is updated a few times each year. I can’t tell how frequently the Android version is updated.
14. How easily can my kid get around KidLogger?
On Windows, Mac, and Android you set a password for the program, which is required to change its settings or delete it. On Android, follow these steps to prevent your kid from stopping or uninstalling the app.
To ensure web browsing is monitored, as I mentioned earlier, use only the browsers that KidLogger supports, and uninstall or prevent the use of others. To prevent your child from installing other browsers, use the parental controls built into Android to prevent your child from installing apps, and have them use a non-Administrator user account on Windows and Mac.
Also, as I mentioned earlier, when your kid installs an Android app, it will be allowed until you forbid it. So I recommend that you use the parental controls built into Android to prevent your child from installing apps. If you choose to allow your kid to install apps, you’ll want to keep an eye on new app installations so you can block any that you don’t approve of.
15. How many devices or accounts does KidLogger cover?
The Free and Standard plans monitor up to 5 devices. The Professional plan monitors up to 10 devices. I’ll tell you about the pricing later.
16. What else do I need to know about KidLogger?
There are a few other miscellaneous things I’d like you to know about KidLogger.
It’s really a keylogger; software that monitors everything typed on the device. So, it will record what’s typed, even if it’s into software that KidLogger doesn’t list as software it can monitor. It can even record text copied into the clipboard (if your child does a copy and paste).
Because it’s a keylogger, some security software will flag KidLogger as malware. That’s because keyloggers can be abused and used for secretly spying on people. KidLogger isn’t intended to be used this way; it’s meant for parents to monitor their kids, with their kids knowing about it. If your security software flags KidLogger, you’ll need to mark it as safe, or tell the security software to ignore it.
Because it’s a keylogger, KidLogger can record text chats in a variety of messengers (Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype, etc.).
KidLogger can copy the pictures from a device into the parental web portal, for you to view.
KidLogger can record audio using a device’s microphone.
KidLogger can record incoming and outgoing phone calls, and can tell you the most often used contacts. It can also record audio Skype calls.
KidLogger stores data in your KidLogger.net account, but, according to the company, doesn’t share that data with third parties. The free version of the software is open-source software, meaning that anyone can look at its code to see how it works. Presumably, if it were doing anything suspicious, people would report it.
The KidLogger software that you install on Windows, Mac, or Android uses a dated design, even though the software itself isn’t old. The parental web portal, KidLogger.net, looks more modern, though it’s not the most usable.
KidLogger is developed by SafeJKA S.R.L., headquartered in the Republic of Moldova. The website is available in 11 languages. The English translation of the website has many spelling and grammar errors.
17. What does KidLogger cost?
There’s a free KidLogger plan, and 2 paid plans:
- Free: limited to 5 devices, 9 days of logging, and 9 MB of storage
- Standard ($9 for 3 months): limited to 5 devices, 30 days of logging, and 100 MB of storage
- Professional plan ($29 for 3 months): limited to 10 devices, 60 days of logging, and 500 MB of storage
The Free plan is quite limited in functionality; it only lets you view the activity log and up to 10 screenshots per day. The paid plans include the following:
- Web history
- Time limits
- Record of text typed or copied
- Unlimited screenshots
- Record of opened files and folders
- Record of messenger conversations
- Record of software used, and the ability to block software
- Record of audio
- Location tracking and map
- Email reports
To see the full list of differences, see the Features page and Comparison matrix.
KidLogger Review – Final Thoughts
KidLogger is most useful if your kids use Android phones and tablets. Because it doesn’t filter the Web, doesn’t block software on Windows or Mac, and isn’t available for iPhones or iPads, it’s not very helpful if your kids use any of those. In that case, you probably want more full-featured parental controls, such as Kaspersky Safe Kids, Norton Family Premier, or other parental control software. And even if your kids only use Android, you’ll probably be happier using one of those options than KidLogger.
What You Should Do
- Define what you want parental control and Internet filtering software to do. Start with what you’ve learned in this review.
- Decide if KidLogger will work for you and your kids.
- If you choose KidLogger, install and configure it. As you do, consider my advice throughout this review.
- Talk to your kids about the settings you configure. Talk when you first set up KidLogger, as well as regularly after that. Technology is no substitute for parenting.
- Regularly evaluate how well the software is working for your family. Adjust the software, and your settings, as necessary.
KidLogger helps you observe what your kids are doing when they are using their devices. You can monitor their web history, keystrokes, messages, emails, and application usage.
