Parents need to be very vigilant about the content that their kids view. It’s one of the reasons why parental control apps are so popular. Kaspersky Safe Kids is available for different devices, including iOS, macOS, Android, and PCs. We tested the Kaspersky Safe Kids app to determine its monitoring capabilities, app blocking, web filtering, and more. Here’s our full Kaspersky Safe Kids review.
Kaspersky Safe Kids: Short Review
Kaspersky is a Russia-based software developer known for its antivirus software. In a somewhat surprising move, they also released a parental control app. There are two subscriptions you can choose from: a free plan that offers decent protection and the premium one for $14.99 a year. One of the benefits of Kaspersky Safe Kids is that you can use it on unlimited devices. While the applications for Windows and Android are more effective than the iOS app, Kaspersky Safe Kids delivers on its promise: the web monitoring and location tracking features, in particular, work well. The software is intuitive and easy to use. It might take some time to set up everything properly, but Kaspersky Safe Kids allows you to configure different parameters for each of your children, which is an added bonus. For instance, you might allow your teenager to use Snapchat, while blocking social media apps for your younger children. If you have a free account, you can try out the premium features for a period of 7 days. You don’t even have to enter your credit card details. Want to give it a try? Visit Kaspersky Safe Kids by clicking the button below.
Kaspersky Safe Kids’ Specifications
Kaspersky Safe Kids uses a freemium model: you can get a certain amount of features for free, but if you want the full package, you’ll have to get a premium subscription. This will cost you $14.99 per year. In comparison to other parental control software, this is a great price! For the Bark parental control app, for example, you have to lay down $99.99 for a year. In the table below, you can see a comparison of features available for the paid and the free plan.
Performance: How Effective Is Kaspersky Safe Kids?
The online world is not risk-free for children. Excessive social media use has been linked to heightened anxiety, stress, insomnia, and cyberbullying. When it comes to video games, many parents worry their child might be developing a gaming addiction. Not to mention the external risks: exposing children to inappropriate content, sexual predators, or phishing scams. Parental control apps should limit these risks and offer parents greater visibility into the content that their kids are exposed to online. For this Kaspersky Safe Kids review, we’ve paid specific attention to its features, how well its filtering software works, and real-time alerts. For overall performance, we give Safe Kids a 7 out of 10. Here’s what we found:
Not all features are available on the iOS app. Internet filtering is (mostly) effective. Kaspersky Safe Kids has very limited social media monitoring. There are options for setting screen restrictions. It has good geo-tracking features, including geofencing. Notifications are in real-time and accurate.
Features
In general, Kaspersky Safe Kids offers very useful features to keep your children safe online, including:
Internet filtering (including YouTube search history) App management Social networks monitoring Device use (screen time limitations) Geo-tracking and geofencing
Unfortunately, not all operating systems support each of these features. iOS and macOS, in particular, aren’t as effective. This is because Apple’s third-party app access regulations prevent Kaspersky from OS-level monitoring. For this reason, Kaspersky Safe Kids works best on Windows or Android. Let’s take a closer look at the differences in features across platforms.
Internet filtering
For their web filtering feature, Kaspersky Safe Kids has created 14 categories that parents can block or restrict at will.
Each category can be marked as “Allowed,” “Forbidden,” or “Warning.” Forbidden websites will be completely inaccessible. If you choose to use Warning, your child will receive a pop-up message before visiting the website, which will tell them that visiting isn’t advised. They have the option to leave the website or proceed. On top of that, kids can request permission to use a website or app if it’s blocked. This is certainly a plus, since it gives kids, especially teenagers, more control over their own online behavior. It invites them to think responsibly and develop their digital literacy skills. It also opens up the conversation between parents and children about the balance between privacy and safety. When it comes to internet filtering, we’re generally very pleased with Safe Kids’ performance. The first time you log into the Parent Portal with your Kaspersky account, the categories are already set to certain age restrictions. You can choose to adapt each category manually, depending on how lenient or strict you want to be.
Testing the sensitivity of the filters
How sensitive are the filters? During our testing, we’ve found that they work well for the most part. Various search requests for forbidden categories such as “Adult” and “Alcohol” were successfully blocked, with real-time notifications sent to the Kaspersky web portal for parents. This is what a notification looks like when your child goes to a forbidden website.
We tested its filtering by running some YouTube searches for inappropriate content, which were promptly flagged. When it came to categories we had set to Warning, the results were also inconsistent. We did receive a notification when we tried to access an email program, which got flagged as “internet communication.” The Safe Kids app also monitors your child’s YouTube search history, which is viewable in-app. However, when searching for terms like “fun violent games” on Google, we received no warning and got to see regular results. We were also able to visit a website directly without receiving a warning about potentially seeing content that would be inappropriate.
SafeSearch
When it comes to browsers, Kaspersky Safe Kids offers SafeSearch mode. This covers search results on Bing, Google, Mail.ru, Yahoo!, and Yandex.
It’s important to know that SafeSearch is not functional on iOS. When using Kaspersky Safe Kids on an iPhone, the Safari browser isn’t filtered by the software. During testing, we could visit any website we wanted. Kaspersky advises that iOS users use the Kaspersky in-house browser on their iPads and iPhones, but it’s certainly a limitation. At the moment, the DuckDuckGo browser is also overlooked by the SafeSearch feature, but you can choose to add it manually. To add separate websites to the list of forbidden content, all you have to do is go to Add Exclusions, enter the website, and mark it as Forbidden.
You can also whitelist websites that you trust or deem safe enough for your children to use. Just enter them in the same bar and mark them as “Allowed.” Finally, a notable feature is that Kaspersky Safe Kids blocks proxy servers. This makes it less likely that your child will be able to use a proxy server to get around restrictions. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to filter an incognito browser with Kaspersky Safe Kids.
Application monitoring
With Kaspersky Safe Kids, app management is set up in the same way as internet filtering. Again, you’ve got category-based blocking and predetermined settings based on your child’s age. On Android, there are three ways apps can be blocked: Kids can request to use a specific app, which sends a notification to you in the Parent Portal. If you consent, the app will be unblocked. Web filtering options are also limited on iOS. All age-inappropriate apps are automatically blocked in the Apple App Store. When we activated web filtering on an iPhone for testing purposes, apps like Discord, Snapchat, Twitch, and Viber all disappeared. Unfortunately, this is your only option on iOS. You can’t manually block applications. This means there’s not much parents can do for apps that are potentially marked as appropriate, when they’re really not. For example, social networks Likee and TikTok are marked 12+, even though TikTok isn’t generally safe for kids. On Windows and macOS, it’s possible to monitor and block any desktop app or program that you like.
Social media monitoring
Social media has become an integral part of many kids’ lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a spike in social media use among young users. With Kaspersky Safe Kids, social media monitoring, however, is limited. When using the free version of Kaspersky Safe Kids, social media monitoring is not available at all. They market the premium version with the following features:
However, Kaspersky Safe Kids premium doesn’t get you much further. Because Kaspersky is a Russia-based company, not all social media networks can comply with its data retention legislation. As a result, the only social network we could actively monitor was VK, a popular social media platform based in Russia.
Should you want to monitor VK, you need to link your child’s profile. Since they have to give permission via email, this requires their active involvement. When we asked customer service about other social networks, it took a long time for them to respond. The first response came after 24 hours, asking us for a screenshot of the social media section in the portal. The second response took another 24 hours. This came from a different support agent who said that it should be possible to link Facebook and VK. Ultimately, however, we were unable to link the two.
Device use and screen time
If you want your child to be able to use certain apps, but give timed access, there are a couple of ways you can manage screen time with Kaspersky Safe Kids. In the Safe Kids Portal, you can set limitations for how long an individual app can be used per day. You can do so by setting the app to “Limited.” Once the maximum screen time is reached, the app will be blocked. Alternatively, you can choose to lock the device too. Unfortunately, there are no count-down notifications that give your child a heads-up about running out of screen time. If you want a milder approach to limitations, it is possible to only set a warning message. On the downside, this will allow your children to continue using an app, even when the limit has been reached. If you’re worried about losing touch with your child when their phone is locked, it’s also possible to whitelist apps that will always work, even during a screen time lock, for example calling or texting services. This way, screen time restrictions won’t compromise the safety of your kids.
Geo-tracking
One of the better Kaspersky Safe Kids features is its GPS tracker. You can only get this feature with the premium plan, though. It updates you on your child’s location with real-time, pinpoint accuracy and works well. In the portal, Kaspersky specifies what the coordinates are based on (Wi-Fi, GPS, or cell-tower triangulation), which gives you insight into how accurate the coordinates are. A good addition to this feature is Geofencing: you can set certain areas as “safe” in the Parent Portal. This includes, for example, your child’s school, the streets their friends live on, a local mall, or a sports club. The moment your child leaves a safe area, you immediately get a notification. What’s useful, too, is the fact that Kaspersky Safe Kids shows you how much battery life is left on your child’s phone. Should you feel worried about how long it might take them to get home, you can contact them before their device runs out of charge.
Notifications and alerts
We’ve found the notification system to be very effective. You get real-time alerts via the Kaspersky Safe Kids app, but also via email.
In the portal, it’s possible to see a report of your child’s online activity that lists all the times they tried to access a blocked website.
Ease of Use: How User-Friendly is Kaspersky Safe Kids?
Overall, we’ve found the Kaspersky Safe Kids app and website to be well-organized and easy to navigate, but the installation requires some effort. Unfortunately, we’ve also found customer service to be largely unhelpful. As a result, we give Kaspersky a 6.5 out of 10 for usability. The following observations stand out:
The Safe Kids app is easy on the eyes and works well. The installation and set-up are intuitive. Setting up everything to your own preferences takes some time. It can be tricky to locate certain information on the support page. Customer service was slow to respond and gave generic responses.
Kaspersky Safe Kids website
Kaspersky uses a web-based Safe Kids Portal. This is where you can change the settings, receive notifications (though you can also choose to receive push-up notifications), and track your child’s location. The portal is relatively well-organized. There’s a menu bar at the top of the page that allows you to switch between your children’s profiles and adapt the settings based on their age.
Each of your children has their own profile with individual stats and linked devices. You can navigate to the following tabs:
Where is my child?: Access location tracking and geofencing features. Internet: This is where you find the web filtering feature, including SafeSearch. Device use: Set time limits for your children’s devices. Applications: Access to app management. Social networks: See which social media networks are linked to Safe Kids. Child’s devices: Gives an overview of connected devices, including stats and reports for each device. Profile: View your personal account information.
From our side, a great addition to the Safe Kids Portal is the Advice section. This section offers appropriate advice for parents on how to monitor activity using the app, helping you make the most of your subscription. Different advice is offered, based on the age of your kids.
For teenagers, they focus on open communication and mutual agreement.
While you might feel like you don’t need any advice, it’s great for parents who would like some talking points. Since parental control software is most successful with involvement and consent on all sides, Kaspersky’s advice is a welcome addition.
Installing Kaspersky Safe Kids
Generally, the installation process of Kaspersky Safe Kids is fast and straightforward. While it takes some time to tweak the settings to your personal preferences, the pre-set parameters are good enough that you can get started right after you’ve activated your account. To make things easier for you, we’ve created a step-by-step guide for setting up Kaspersky Safe Kids. First, you have to set up an account on your PC. For those who don’t want to commit to the premium version right away, you can download the free trial first and then buy the premium plan or try it out for seven days. Now that you’ve got the Kaspersky software on your PC, you have to create an account. Kaspersky guides you through this process. In order for you to be able to track your child’s activity on your PC, they need to have their own Windows account.
Once you have your account, you have to verify your email address. After that, you can log into the Kaspersky Safe Kids app. To get everything running, follow these steps: Your child’s device is now linked and will be monitored. If you want to change any settings, you have to do so via the portal. It can take a little while to configure Safe Kids, but the suggested settings for different age groups are a great start. We do recommend you assess them and adapt them where necessary.
Customer service
Kaspersky Safe Kids doesn’t have its own support page, which is a bit of a disadvantage. You have to use the general website’s support page. There, you have various options at your disposal.
If you’d like to talk to someone directly, scroll down on the support page to see the different options for your location. Most likely, you’re able to reach out to remote assistance, email support, use the chat function, or phone someone. We tried submitting a question via e-mail. Unfortunately, Kaspersky uses pre-set categories to determine how they can best help you. You can’t just send them a direct email. Since not all questions are easily labeled, this can be a bit of a frustrating experience. In general, when we sent a support request, it took Kaspersky a while to get back to us. We got our first response after 24 hours, which didn’t help our issue. We were asked to elaborate on the question and send supporting screenshots. The second response took another 24 hours and came from a different support agent. We were provided with generic information but nothing that help us along with our request.
Data Privacy: How Does Kaspersky Safe Kids Use Your Data?
Kaspersky is not known for its privacy-sensitive approach to data. For Kaspersky Safe Kids, in particular, there’s not a lot of information about data and privacy available. For this reason, we also take Kaspersky’s general policy into account. Overall, we give Kaspersky Safe Kids a score of 6 out of 10 for data privacy. Here are our main conclusions:
A lot of personal information is gathered. Safe Kids is COPPA compliant. It’s unclear what happens to your data. Kaspersky is subject to Russian data retention laws.
Privacy policy
In its Global Privacy Policy, Kaspersky states that it logs the following information: “In case of using Safe Kids Products — child’s profile (name, birth year), device location information, information about visited websites, messages posted by children on social networks, numbers of incoming or outgoing calls and SMS.” This is a lot of sensitive information. Since parents provide permission when accepting the license agreement, Kaspersky Safe Kids is technically COPPA compliant. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act is a U.S. law that requires companies to obtain parental consent when collecting data belonging to children under the age of 13. It’s been criticized as being outdated. Moreover, it’s unclear for how long this data is stored and where. A different point of potential concern is the fact that Kaspersky was founded and is still based in Russia, a country known for strict censorship and surveillance practices. If so requested, Kaspersky could be bound by law to aid Russian intelligence services.
Room for Improvement?
Like any software program, Kaspersky Safe Kids has some room for improvement. In contrast to other parental control solutions, it doesn’t allow parents to monitor texts, photos, videos, notes, or voice memos. On top of that, it doesn’t filter private browsers and is not equally compatible with all major operating systems. However, the fact that the app is not as invasive as its competitors, also has some benefits, depending on your personal views. You may incur some backlash from your kids as a result of using such apps. Research shows that children’s online safety generally improves when they have a degree of privacy that allows them to develop independent digital literacy skills. Seen from this angle, Kaspersky offers a great deal: it provides effective protection when it comes to location tracking and web filtering, but doesn’t completely rob your children of their privacy.
Final Thoughts: Is Kaspersky Safe Kids Worth It?
Kaspersky Safe Kids is a product that certainly offers value for a reasonable price. In comparison to other parental software programs, the annual price of $14.99 allows you to improve your children’s online security at a low cost. Even the free version performs well and can certainly make a difference. But there are some drawbacks, too. Kaspersky’s software doesn’t work very well on iOS. On Apple devices, like the iPad and iPhone, you won’t get as many features as you would on PCs. This really makes it more suited for Windows or Android. We also have some doubts when it comes to Kaspersky’s privacy policy, as well as its customer service. They were not able to answer a relatively easy question and the response times were overly long. Still, if you’re looking for well-designed parental controls for a good price, it’s worth giving Kaspersky Safe Kids a try! For more resources on kids’ online safety, read our other reviews on parental control apps like Norton Family and Bark. While the software is less effective on iOS, Kaspersky Safe Kids is worth it if you’re looking for basic but effective parental control software for Windows or Android.
