Software :: Finding Parental Control Software For The Mac?
Mar 28, 2007
I recently swithced my teenager's computer from windows to mac. On the windows machine I had parental control software that would let me see her keystrokes, web sites visited, etc. For the Mac, the only programs I can find are more for restricting access (restrict internet sites that can be visited) or the access to the computer (shuts off at 10:00). Does anyone know of software that will restore may ability to monitor her actions?
I use ComputerTime application for managing parental controls on my Windows machines. However, I do not know of an equivalent application on the Mac. Is there an application for the Mac that offers parental control like:
1. Specifying when a child can log in to the Mac? 2. What day a child can use the Mac? 3. How much time is allowed per day for use on the Mac and where each session totalled up will not exceed the total allowed time per day? 4. How long each session is allowed?
I'm running 10.5.7 and have a parental controlled account where I control what applications can be run. The internet isn't restricted, but it is supposed to log what websites have been visited. The problem is, nothing is being logged. There are sites that show up in Safaris history, but nothing shows up in the parental control logs. I was on the phone for over an hour with Apple, and they don't know what is going on. They said they would send the problem to the engineering department and they would get back to me in 3-5 days. The logging worked at one time. Does anybody know what could be going on, or how to fix it, or how to keep it from happening anymore.
I set up Parental Control for one user to access ALL apps except one, but when the user logs in can't access anything at all. Sometimes receives messages "you're not allow... allow once, allow always" sort of thing. Then many other apps simply can't open.
When I set parental controls to automatically prevent access to adult web content, it also seems to be causing a problem with access to gmail, ebay, and some other websites. However, instead of getting the "oops!" message you get when you try to access an adult website, the page says, "Failed to open page. Safari can't find the server." When I change parental controls to allow all web content, the problem goes away. When I change it back, it comes back, so I'm sure it's the parental control setting.
I've already tried adding ebay, gmail, etc, to the list of allowed websites in parental controls, but it has not worked. How can I fix this problem?
My mother is switching to mac soon, mostly likely an iMac to use as a family computer for her and my youger sister. She likes what sees so far especially in parental controls. However, she wants to be able to keep tabs on my younger sister to make she isn't going to places or saying things she shouldn't be on the web; she wants a second layer of security (she worries that she can get around things parental controls because she is very computer savvy). I figured a keylogger would be the best thing because we could keep track of everything she types on the mac. Does anyone know any good (free) keyloggers for mac?
I tried to set-up a parental control but set it up wrong. Now when i go to undo the changes a made system preferences crashes every time.What can i do?
Trying to set up a parent control user for my 12yr old, Safari's set homepage options all grayed out, even when go into user as "STANDARD" instead of "parental control" and with all parental controls turned off.using latest OS and Safari?
For example, i set up the time limit to 1/2 hour for both week days and weekends. But I still I can get more than 6 hours. I searched the forum, historically Apple OSX has parental control bugs in versions.
What's the fix or remedy or other apps to limit the hour? Some people point out "time limit" and "bed time" conflicts with each other, check only one on solved some people's problem. But it doesn't work for me
Info: MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012), OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)
Setting up a Macbook air for one of the kids, ready for Santa to deliver.
Everything seems fine (new Apple ID's , creation of a happy family in the cloud etc) ...until I wanted to set up the Parental Controls.
I have added myself as administrator and reduced his account to standard as with the instructions I have seen elsewhere. I can set the constraints no problem on his computer.
However, even though I checked the "manage control from another computer" box on the MBA, the "master "iMac where I want to do the control will not let me.
I go into the iMac to do the Parental control, I see the MBA in question. I select, and when it prompts me to enter the administrator details; but it will not recognise me. This is the administrator id I created on the Macbook air.
I have tried several times, and after it fails, it seems to freeze the Parental Control Preference view , and won't allow me to select that machine again. I have to go out of preferences and return, unlock and try again - each time it fails.
Of course I can wrench the Macbook from his grubby hands each time I want to change the constraints; but being able to remotely do it from my evil genius' lair was what I wanted to do.
All machines mentioned have been Yosemite'd, and are all latest versions.
Info: iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)
I have a (managed) user account set up for my 6 year old son with time limits. I limit him to 30 minutes M-F and 60 minutes Sat & Sun. Ever since I upgraded to Snow Leopard the time limits don't seem to be functioning e.g. it doesn't tell him his time is almost up and it doesn't cut off his usage. I've even gone so far as to blow away his user and set up a new one and it doesn't seem to have helped. It still doesn't recognize time limits.
I'm setting up Safari for a child, and have Parental Controls enabled and am customizing the list of sites that can be visited. I'm allowing [URL] and have multiple http and https Netflix URL's allowed. However, when I test accessing this site, Safari gives an error stating that it cannot establish a "secure connection". The same computer, with a different account, can access the same URL without the error. My assumption would be that since I specifically allowed several [URL] URL's, that this would work just fine. By granting specific access, you are bypassing Parental Controls in a controlled way.
I'm using Snow Leopard 10.6.8 on a MacMini Server. Just set up the computer up and am trying to get user accounts for all of my family members. I have set up two Admin accounts, and want to set up a standard account for my child utilizing Parental Controls. When I set up the user, there is no box to check that says "Enable Parental Controls" and there is not Parental Control Icon in the System Preferences>System tab next to the "Accounts" icon. I have updated the system software using "Software Update" and have no programs or apps installed that did not come with my server from Apple.
could not be sure whether the Admin user - password reset with the CD would be the solution to my question as suggested in previous threads I searched - and have no idea where my start up install CD is
So my question-
I was trying to put parental control to ask for password when my computer starts up. I did something I guess and messed up the info.
I can log in with my own account when I restart my apple - which says now it is a standard account (must have messed that up)- but can not make any changes on system preferences or anything else that requires login and password. It requires Admin info. My own login that I use now used to be my admin so do not have any other info set.
now on system pref - accounts - an account titled "test" seems to be admin but can not even access that and reverse myself to be the admin since I can not unlock system pref. Or cant click on "Login Options" for the same reason.
There are no other users on this computer than me.
I just noticed Logitech Control Center was updated to 3.1 earlier this week. This version is supposed to be compatible with Snow Leopard. Has anyone tried it out yet?
I tuned on parental control to limit my kids to an hour per day. Works great except when they play music (iTunes). I don't want playing music to against their allowed time. I would like to let them play (music) as long as they want w/o it timing out
Wondering if anyone has used any add-on parental controls software for their mac. I have a new desktop mac after moving from a PC with MacFee controls that I liked, especially the internet access time controls. apple store sells "content barrier", but do others do a better/easier job for less money!
I have my daughter's accounts setup with parental controls (she's 9). I use the Parental Controls to limit the apps that she has access to so she does not get into trouble with applications that she should not be using.
I was working in my daughter's accounts the other day and I accessed the "System Preferences" application. Because this was one of the applications that I blocked, I was prompted (something to the effect of): This application is blocked by parental controls do you want to "Always Allow access", "Allow Access One Time", "Cancel"
I selected "Always allow" by accident. Now, when I go into parental controls, the "System Preferences" box is still unchecked, indicating that it should not be accessible by my daughter - but, when I go into my daughter's account, she has free/clear access to system preferences. I've tried checking and unchecking the Systems Preferences in parental controls, but it does not block access.
I noticed that my in-laws 13-year old kid spends all his time glued to their iMac. I know that his user-account has parental controls enabled, and his computer-time is limited. I talked with him about it, and he mentioned that "Those time-limits are useless, since I can easily bypass them". He wouldn't tell me how he does it, though.
So, how could he bypass the controls? I'm asking because I would like to be able to plug that hole (if possible), so he would do something else than sit by the computer all the time.
"Discussing" the matter with a frigging 13-year old who thinks he knows everything is next to useless.
Alternatively: is there a third-party parenting-app that would offer more robust features that the OS X built-in toold do?
I have a 13-year old son on an iBook running 10.4. Due to various internet and chat room issues which I won't go into here, I've had to add myself as an administrator on his computer and activate parental controls on his user account. His new goal in life now is to figure out how to circumvent them.
It seems like it shouldn't be possible . . . but then again, nothing is impossible. How concerned do I need to be?
I am trying to set up parental controls on my OS 10.5 operating system, on a Mac I have owned for quite a few years. I set up my own account name when first bought the computer. I want to make sure that my computer cannot be used by anyone else. How do I go about doing that? (I made another account name today because my computer said I had to make another account name, that I could not make the administrator name into the account name using parental control. I didn't do anything with the new account name because the instructions on the screen got to confusing.)
Is there a wireless router out there that could have the admin computer control the software and select parental controls, etc. and have it control the content of pc or apple laptops in my home without installing software on those computers?
For instance, a friend of my child comes over with a laptop and spends the night. Could the wireless content be filtered on his computer as well as my familys?
I'm trying to reuse an old imac (800 mhz G4 PPC 512 mb). It has 10.3.9 installed. I had hoped to install Leopard so I could use its built-in parental controls. Unfortunately the machine is 67 mhz too slow, and Leopard won't install. Anyone have ideas about how to obtain the same type of parental controls (auto logout at a certain time, no access during specified hours, etc) with a software solution?
We use both an iMac w/snow leopard and a mac mini with Lion. Whenever I configure parental controls to allow certain applications by checking the boxes, also the Dashboard widget (tea timer particularly to have kids keep track of time allowed), I have had issues with Firefox not working for them, although checked, as well as Safari which also was checked. The widget also checked would not allow it. All the apps they want to use has a warning sign that the administrator does not allow use (though it was previously allowed). Then when we enter the administrator password to allow use all the time, the same box keeps popping up despite using the correct login and password and never gets to the parental control window. So I check use just once and it allows it but never allows it to use always. It also would allow Safari after having to sign into parental controls again (even though it was checked in the first place) but it would not allow Firefox at all. There was a point in time (during earliest use) when it was working, and though the parental controls were thereafter modified, once you modify 1 user, it seems to uncheck some apps for the other so we have to recheck the other acct. Basically, parental controls do not work.
