How To Track a Family Member’s Location With A Phone

Understanding the Need for Tracking

Every parent, spouse, or friend has had that moment of worry—where is my child, partner, or friend? While the urge to know their whereabouts can be strong, especially in unsettling situations, it’s essential to balance that need with respect for their privacy.

Before diving into the methods, let’s address a fundamental question: When is it ethical to track someone’s location? The most accepted answer is when you have their explicit consent and when the motive is for their safety. Blindly tracking someone without their knowledge can lead to feelings of betrayal and an invasion of privacy and could be unlawful.

Getting Started

When you’re considering the use of technology to keep tabs on a loved one’s whereabouts, the first and most important step is communication. A heart-to-heart discussion is crucial to clarify your motives for wanting to use tracking methods.

By sharing your concerns transparently—perhaps you’re worried about them travelling home alone or late at night or navigating a new city—you can address any questions or apprehensions they may have.

This conversation should also cover what kind of information will be shared, who will have access to it, and under what circumstances the tracking will be disabled. Only after reaching an agreement should you proceed to the technical aspects.

Understanding The Technology Behind Tracking

Location tracking is an amalgamation of complex algorithms and technologies that have been simplified for the everyday user. Your smartphone is a powerful device with multiple ways to determine its location.

The most precise is GPS (Global Positioning System), which relies on a network of satellites that circle the Earth. When activated, the GPS receiver in your smartphone communicates with at least three to four of these satellites to triangulate its exact position.

However, when a GPS signal is weak or unavailable—like indoors or in areas with tall buildings—your smartphone can still approximate its location using Wi-Fi or cellular towers.

Wi-Fi-based location uses the known positions of Wi-Fi routers to approximate your phone’s position, while cellular-based tracking relies on the distance between your phone and the nearest cell towers. Though less precise than GPS, they are better than not being able to locate the device at all.

Free Methods to Track a Loved One’s Location by Phone Number

Built-in Phone Features

• iOS: Apple devices come with a feature called “Find My.” Previously known as “Find My iPhone,” it now encompasses all Apple devices. If your loved one has an iPhone, or iPad, this feature can help locate their device. After securing their consent, ask your loved one to share their location with you using the “Share My Location” feature inside the “Find My” app.
• Android: Android devices have a similar feature called “Find My Device.” While it primarily serves to locate lost devices, with permission, it can be used to find the location of a loved one’s device. To use it, ensure that the feature is activated in the device’s settings.

Third-party Tracking Apps

There are several apps available that cater to location tracking using phone numbers. These apps generally work by installing the software on the person’s phone and linking it to yours.

While we won’t dive into specific names, many of these apps offer additional features, like geofencing (which alerts you if the person leaves a designated area) or location history.

When choosing an app, make sure you research its reviews and ensure it’s from a reputable developer.

Safety Tips While Using Location Tracking Services

With the increasing use of technology, concerns about data breaches and privacy have surged. Here are some tips to ensure your loved one’s location data remains safe:

Beware of Scams: Not every app on the store is genuine. Some can be data miners or even malware. Always download apps from trusted sources and read reviews.

Data Security: Ensure that the app or service youre using has robust encryption to prevent potential hackers from accessing location data.

Limit Access: Only share location tracking access with people you trust. The more people who can view someone’s location, the higher the risk.

Legal Implications

The legal landscape surrounding location tracking is intricate and varies widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In many places, tracking someone without their explicit consent isn’t just unethical but illegal. Such actions can be classified under stalking or unlawful surveillance, both of which can lead to criminal charges.

Moreover, collecting and storing someone’s location data might be subject to data protection laws, which mandate strict measures for data storage and sharing.

Before using any tracking technology, familiarise yourself with the laws that apply to your specific situation and always err on the side of caution by obtaining clear and documented consent from the individual you wish to track.

Communication and Trust

In our modern, hyper-connected world, technology presents both blessings and challenges. While tools for ensuring the safety of our loved ones are more advanced and accessible than ever, the responsibility tied to their usage has equally expanded.

As we harness these tools, it’s paramount to remember that at the heart of every piece of technology is the human element. Open communication, understanding, and mutual trust form the bedrock upon which responsible usage of such tools should be built.

Keeping our loved ones safe is not just about knowing where they are; it’s about creating an environment of trust, where they know their well-being is our top priority.

As we step into a future where tech integrates even more deeply into our daily lives, we must continuously reaffirm our commitment to ethical practices, respecting privacy, and fostering genuine connections with those we care about most.

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With more and more shopping being done online, it’s a timely reminder for how to keep yourself safe online.

Don’t Miss 5 Tips for Parents on Tablet and Smartphone Online Safety

Internet Safety Tips While Shopping Online

#1. Keep Your Laptop Clean

No, we don’t mean dusting… We recommend having the latest Internet security software and an up to date web browser. These are the best defences against viruses, malware and other online threats.

#2. Make Passwords Long and Strong

Always combine upper and lowercase letters along with numbers and / or symbols to create a secure password. You may be tempted to keep using the same simple password but the more effort you put in to choosing a secure password the more you protect yourself online. The longer the better as it takes criminal hackers much longer to crack longer passwords.

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#3. Unique Account, Unique Password

Yes it seems hard work but having a separate password for every account will help to protect you from cybercriminals. If you keep using the same password and they crack it, then they’ve potentially got access to all your accounts if you have used the same password!

#4. Check Out Sellers

Conduct independent research before you buy from an online seller you have never purchased from before. Cybercriminals are very clever to replicate websites and trick us into buying.

Search merchant reviews, and we recommend trustpilot.com where you can look up a website and check what other users are saying about it.

#5. When in Doubt STOP

Links in email, Tweets and online advertising are the simplest way for cybercriminals to compromise your PC.

If it looks suspicious, even if you know the source STOP THINK DELETE.

I was once sucked into buying something on an iffy website because I saw a sale ad on Facebook, clicked and didn’t check the website thoroughly before I bought.

#6. Protect Your Cash

When banking and shopping online check to be sure the sites are security enabled. Look for the web addresses with https:// or shttp:// which means the sites take extra measures to help secure your information.

http:// is not secure and you should always look for the padlock in the browser bar.

#7. Never Give Too Much

No online store needs your date of birth or mother’s maiden name to complete the purchase, chances are this is a phishing scam and if you combine this information along with credit card details they are 3 steps closer to stealing your identity.

Always check the website’s privacy policy if you have any doubt. Genuine websites have real privacy policies with contact details.

#8. Use Safer Payment Options

Credit cards are generally the safest option as they allow buyers to seek a credit or chargeback from the issuer if no product is delivered or incorrect.

Also unlike debit cards, credit cards normally have a limit on the monetary amount you will be responsible for paying if your information is stolen and used by someone else. Review return policies and NEVER SEND CASH.

If you have a PayPal account then using it to pay means you are not entering credit card details directly onto the website. PayPal also offers a reclaim option where you can claim back the cost of return postage if you have to return an item.

#9. Help Authorities Fight Cybercrime

Always report stolen finances or identities and cybercrime to police. You can report to:

UK: Action Fraud

Ireland: Garda National Economic Crime Bureau

Australia: ReportCyber

USA: FBI Cybercrime

Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

or to your local police station.

Stay safe when shopping online!

Have your say! Any other tips for safe internet shopping? Any experiences to share? Tell us in the comments below.

The post Don’t Miss These Internet Safety Tips While Shopping Online appeared first on MyKidsTime.

Our Kids Are the First Fully Digital Generation

Our children are experiencing life online as the first fully digital generation – they don’t remember a time without access to the internet at the tip of their fingers. And new research from Qustodio shows that 19% of 8-year-olds have their own smartphone, jumping to 69% of 12-year-olds and 91% of 18-year-olds.

This time online can open our kids and teens to a wealth of wonderful knowledge and experience, but unfortunately also to more risk and health side effects. Headline figures from Qustodio’s research include:

• 50% of online exploitation victims are between 12 and 15 years of age
• 50% of kids admit to being addicted to their smartphones
• 42% of kids have seen porn online
• 33% of kids have experienced cyberbullying
• 73% of high school students don’t get enough sleep
• 63% of children who have more than 2 hours of daily screen time show lower academic performance than those who spend less time online

For parents, these figures are terrifying and it can feel as if you are facing an uphill battle to retain any kind of control in the situation. But tools and resources, like Qustodio, offer a whole host of parental controls that are easy to navigate and monitor from a real-time dashboard. Qustodio’s features allow you to set consistent time limits on your child’s devices, track calls and SMS, see your child’s location, block apps that are not appropriate, filter browser results and block adult websites, monitor YouTube viewing and social posts, and set downtimes before bed.

In addition, a series of advice articles help you talk to your children about how to spot and avoid data thieves, groomers, sexual predators, and stalkers.

Parental Controls Made Easy

Over 4 million parents trust Qustodio’s parental control tools to keep their kids’ screen time safe and balanced on every device — all from a single dashboard.

Available for Apple iPhone and iPad, Android, Mac, Kindle, Chromebook and Windows.

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Parental Controls on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch

Apple Family Sharing

With Family Sharing, up to six family members can share an iCloud+ subscription, apps, books, music and more, all while having different Apple IDs. You can set up an Apple ID for kids, set permissions remotely with Screen Time, and approve spending and downloads from a parent’s device with Ask to Buy.

When you share iCloud+, family members can’t see each others’ photos, files or documents. And when you share other subscriptions, such as Apple Music or Apple TV+, each person will see their own preferences and recommendations – not the whole family’s.

Ask to Buy

If you want to see and approve what your child downloads, set up Ask to Buy. Then, when they ask to buy apps, films or other content, an alert is sent to you to approve or decline it directly from your own device.

This feature is useful for many reasons – you can be ‘in the know’ as to the apps your child is looking to get, you can start a conversation about why some or all of those apps are being requested, you can decline apps you feel are not appropriate, and you can have a better idea of which apps need a time limit set.

Screen Time

Is your child spending too much time on social media, or on a game? Is their mood affected or their homework suffering? With Screen Time, you can keep an eye on how much time your kids are spending on apps, visiting websites and on their devices overall. Review your children’s activity reports and set time limits for specific apps.

One of the many additional benefits of the Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time is that you can limit your child’s ability to install or delete apps and disable in-app purchases.

You can also:

• Disable built-in features (e.g. Mail, Siri or AirDrop)
• Automatically filter website content to limit access to adult content in Safari and other apps
• Prevent explicit content and set content ratings. This will limit music with explicit content and movies, TV shows or apps with specific ratings.
• Restrict Siri functions to prevent Siri from searching the web when you ask a question or to prevent Siri from displaying explicit language
• Restrict Game Centre features such as multiplayer games, adding friends, or private messaging
• Allow changes to privacy settings (e.g. allowing an app access to your camera or microphone)

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Parental Controls for Android Phones and Devices

Google Family Link

Google Family Link is about guiding your child or teen to good content and make better decision about how they spend their online time – whether that is helping them manage their apps by approving or blocking app requests from their device or using the activity reports to see how much time they’re spending on different apps and websites.

Screen time limits allow you to set the amount you feel is right for your child, as well as a ‘bedtime’ setting. Whether it’s time to go and play outside, have dinner, or have screen-free time, you can also remotely lock your child’s device.

Being able to check in on your child when they’re on the go is reassuring for parents, so the location feature is useful. There is also the option to manage in-app purchases and get teacher-recommended apps your child might like.

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Children Blogging – The Pros and Cons

Starting out, blogging is usually a hobby for your child. They may follow other kids online and want to emulate them. This hobby, like most others, can have its pros and cons. Psychologists advise not to leave a child alone with it. Ideally, the parents should help and guide their offspring.

Pros Of Children Blogging

Blogging can give your child a voice and enable them to interact with others who share similar values. Here are some of the other benefits of letting your child blog.

#1. Improving Communication Skills

Blogging is a good option for training your speaking and writing skills. It can make your child more comfortable with public speaking and enables them to learn how to present themselves to the public, gain confidence and get rid of stage fright.

#2. Encourages Creative Thinking

Blogging helps stimulate creative thinking and ideas. While many start out shooting YouTube videos or blogging by copying someone else’s good ideas, as time passes, they develop their own style and format.

Your young blogger will learn how to use light, build a frame, create an image, style and look, and master different video editing software in the process of putting together their blogs and videos.

#3. Expressing and Sharing Views

Blogs/vlogs are a way for your child to express their views and opinions, defend what they believe in and share thoughts with like minded people. This in turn can build confidence and self esteem, but does need close monitoring by parents as comments can be hurtful as well as positive.

Be sure to label any content put up by your child as for kids. On YouTube, comments are automatically disabled on videos designated for kids on the channel.

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#4. Improves Time Management

One of the key ingredients for the success of any blog is regularity and consistency. The child needs to think over a content plan, write scripts, watch out for trends, analyse the market and publish to their chosen channel(s) regularly.

Combining this with school and study, children will have to learn quickly how to manage their time and prioritise. Another important life skill for everyone to learn.

#5. Business Skills

For a small number of children, advertising offers do come in if their blog is particularly popular on certain channels. Parents need to be there to help and guide children if this happens. Although don’t be surprised if your ten-year-old child can already distinguish barter cooperation from the CPA payment model!

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#6. Building Negotiation Skills

Blogging can help build communication and collaboration skills. Bloggers often team up with other creative people to implement joint projects. Collaboration is a useful skill for every person learn. It can also help improve negotiation skills as they need to ensure their vision is aligned on any project.

Cons of Children Blogging

As you can see from the above, blogging has several advantages that can have a positive effect on your child’s development. However, as previously mentioned, all this requires parental support. Indeed, without your experience, skills, and knowledge, it will be difficult for your child to make it work.

You will have to help your offspring with much of the process, especially to start with, everything from coming up with video ideas to choosing the best screen recorder.

There are also drawbacks to children blogging and vlogging online including;

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#1. Reduces Face to Face Interaction

Spending time online can reduce face to face interaction and can affect friendships. As children devote their free time to the blog and begin to consider subscribers as friends. They could start relying on their opinions and develop unhealthy relationships online.

#2. Nasty Comments

While it is great to write about what matters to you and defend your ideals and beliefs online, people have opinions and not everyone is nice. This is even more true online, where people can hide or distort their identity.

Negative comments could distress your child and leave them feeling upset or worse. Be sure to tag your child’s blog as for kids to try and minimise these critical comments and prepare your child for receiving them before they come in.

#3. Distracts From Study

You will need to limit the time your child spends online. Blogging can distract from learning, which could contribute to a drop in academic performance.

#4. False Sense Of The World

A blog can make your child feel and act older than they are and give them a false sense of the world. Parents need to have oversight at all times to ensure their child is conducting themselves online in a safe and age appropriate way.

Ideas For A Blog for Your Child

There are an endless stream of ideas for blogs for children. Some children’s blogs tell us about a kid’s carefree everyday life. Others share their creative potential, and others ‘advertise’ children’s products. Here are some of the most popular blogging ideas.

• Lifestyle – A vlog in which parents, on behalf of the kids, talk about how their days go, what they do, where they go, what situations they are going through. These are a kind of personal diary.

• Hobbies – Not only on YouTube, but on the internet as a whole, you will find children talking about and sharing their hobbies. Some play a musical instrument, others demonstrate hand-made crafts, draw, dance, conduct science experiments, demonstrate magic tricks and recipes and so on. If your child has an interest or hobby they want to share it can be a great way for them to connect with other like minded people.

• Reviews – Your child could share reviews of toys, sweets, books, plants, recipes and much more. If your child is interested in sharing reviews, check out the different categories YouTube before they get started. Reviews as some of the most successful child blogs online. They bring their own style and personality to the reviews, and other children love to watch and read reviews from their peers.

Parental involvement is essential with any form of online activity by children. If your child really wants to give blogging a try, make sure they know the pros and the cons and how to stay safe.

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The post A Guide For Parents About The Pros And Cons Of Their Children Blogging appeared first on MyKidsTime.

What is Omegle?

Omegle is a chat website which promises to help you “Talk to strangers!”. You don’t need an app to use Omegle on your phone or tablet.

According to the Omegle website home page:

“Omegle is a great way to meet new friends. When you use Omegle, we pick someone else at random and let you talk one-on-one. To help you stay safe, chats are anonymous unless you tell someone who you are (not suggested!), and you can stop a chat at any time. Predators have been known to use Omegle, so please be careful.”

That last sentence says it all….

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How Does Omegle Work?

You just start chatting with strangers by putting in a topic and clicking either Text or Video. That will take you to a new screen where you start chatting. The website will then connect you with a stranger to start talking straight away.

I didn’t try the Video option because I was nervous myself and I had read some really awful reviews of Omegle on the Commensense Media website.

I also read a warning issued by PSNI to parents after dealing with a disturbing incident involving two girls aged nine and 11 on Omegle – a male asked them to perform sexual acts. (They immediately alerted an adult.)

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With promises that you can gain a fanbase, meet celebrities and talented artists, and earn a living, Likee is becoming a hot social media app with tweens and teens. The fact that it’s free helps with the popularity, but there are some legitimate security, privacy and content concerns that may not be initially apparent.

If your child uses Likee, read on to familiarise yourself with the app and things you should know as a parent.

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Likee: A Parent’s Guide

What is Likee?

Likee, formerly known as LIKE Video, is a free social media app available on iOS or Android, designed for creating and sharing short videos. The developers describe it as “a global video creation and sharing platform”.

Users can upload videos and add stickers, filters, music and more to their video. The app promises that you can quickly discover interesting content that you will love through their smart recommendation technology.

It also promises that you can meet “tens of millions of celebrities and talented artists from around the world, but also get to make friends with young people from your city or near you!” – it has a “Nearby” feature letting you see who is near you.

It also seems to be promising that you can grow a fan base, gain billions of video views, earn a living and more…

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How Does It Work?

When you have downloaded the free app, you can either aadd a mobile number or Facebook to sign in to set up an account. If using a phone number, you will be texted a 6-digit code to input to get access.

Once you log in you can:

• Upload your own video and add stickers, filters, add music, etc
• Browse the millions of videos on there
• Follow other people
• Search keywords or hashtags
• Watch videos selected for you – there’s a personalised video feed designed for you based on what you watch, like, and share
• Receive and send direct messages
• Earn Diamonds and Beans

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What Do Parents Need to Be Aware Of?

#1. The Minimum Age to Use Likee is 16

Likee is rated 12+ on the Apple Store and Google Play Store recommends Parental Guidance. Technically, 16 is the minimum age according to Likee’s own terms and conditions. It says that under 16s must use the app under parental supervision.

#2. Likee claims it is not for children

This is not an app for kids. If you read the Privacy Policy at the Sign Up stage you’ll see that it says it’s “not directed to children”.

#3. Strangers can message your child

Worryingly, strangers can message your tween or teen. In fact the Likee Messages Screen is actually labelled “Stranger’s Messages”!

#4. Your content could be shared

Videos can be shared onto various other apps like phone messages, Instagram, Snapchat and Whatsapp. So this means anything posted on Likee could be shared elsewhere.

#5. Deleting your account is not straightforward

To delete an account you have to describe why you want to delete it and enter your email or phone number.

#6. There are limited content restrictions

Likee is an app that is open to the world, so there’s potentially no restrictions on content posted on the app. Your tween could see content that is not age appropriate.

#7. There are in-app purchases

There is a Wallet system where you earn, and can also pay for, Diamonds and Beans so there is the potential for your tween or teen to spend on this app, but it’s unclear what these can be used for and there was no information available on the Likee website.

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Privacy on Likee

When you create an account on Likee it is public by default, but there are privacy settings available on the app that allow you to set your account to private so that other users cannot view your uploaded content. It’s important to hide location on profile as well.

Other options under the Privacy Settings allow you to disable comments on videos, select who can send you a message – you can also completely disable messages. You can also set it so that other people cannot save your videos.

There is the risk that someone who is a stranger to your child could directly contact them on the app, but the privacy default for messages is set to ‘Friends’, which means a random person cannot start messaging a user unless they are mutually following each other on the platform. It’s important to remind your child that they should only follow people they know in real life.

Likee does have a Parental Controls option. Once this is turned on, it says that it will filter out any inappropriate content from teenagers as well as disabling private messaging, cash withdrawals for paid items and it also makes you set a password to prevent your teen switching back to normal mode.

The developers also state that they will permanently ban any users who violate the community rules. And they invite people to contact them by email if this happens.

You may decide not to allow your tween or teen to use the Likee app, but if you do then here are some tips.

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Tips for Parents if Your Tween or Teen is Using Likee

#1. Try it yourself

Try it yourself and get your tween or teen to show you the basics. This is one of the best ways of learning and understanding what it’s about.

#2. Have a conversation again about internet safety

Remind your tween or teen that they should tell you if they see anything strange or receive any adverse messages. And that they should never divulge any personal information to a stranger.

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#3. Talk about posting videos and connecting with strangers online

Have a frank discussion about what posting videos means in terms of privacy and that they are showing the world something about themselves. Discuss talking to strangers online. Should you? What are the risks?

#4. Set time limits

Time limits are important for any app use. Encourage your tween or teen to be part of setting time limits so they don’t go down the proverbial rabbit hole.

#5. Remain vigilant

Even though you have talked to your child about being safe, it’s important to remain vigilant and check in regularly with your child. Keep the conversation going and stay interested and informed.

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Does your tween or teen use Likee? What are your thoughts on it? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

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As the use of smart devices and apps continues to increase, so it becomes more difficult to keep track not only of new apps arriving, but also of your tween or teen’s use of them. Here are some apps parents should be aware of so that you can understand how and what they do, and be prepared to monitor your tween or teen’s use of them.

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Apps Parents Should Be Aware Of

#1. MeetMe

MeetMe is a dating social media app that allows users to connect with people based on geographic proximity. As the name of the app suggests, users are encouraged to meet each other in person. It’s designed to help strangers, ages 17 and up, connect based on similar interests and location.

But police warn predators are using MeetMe. Users can private message each other and participate in livestreams. By default, the user’s age and location is visible on their profile.

The “Live” feature allows users to watch or stream live video on the app. Live streams can be filtered by location, so users can see people streaming nearby.

App Age Rating: 17+

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#2. Badoo

Badoo is a dating and social networking app where users can chat, share photos, videos and connect based on location. A user’s location is identified by tracking his or her device’s location and then matching the profile and pictures of people the user could contact within the surrounding area. Although Badoo is free, there are many options for paid subscriptions and other in-app purchases.

While the app is intended for adults only, and the terms of use of the app do clearly state that Badoo is not for teens, it’s easy for under 18s to create a profile. Photos of anyone who is not an adult cannot be posted, including photos of any adult users with a child.
Users are able to block other users. However users can’t hide their profile completely. Someone they’ve blocked is still able to see their profile.

App Age Rating: 17+

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#3. TikTok

TikTok is a free social media app available on iOS or Android, designed for creating and sharing short videos. TikTok merged with Musical.ly in 2018 to create a larger community, with existing accounts and data consolidated into one app, keeping the title TikTok.

With more than 100 million users, TikTok is very popular. Similar to YouTube, you can access an interactive world of videos that lets you connect with friends, follow people, and interact through likes, comments, and even do duets with other accounts on TikTok.

Tiktok is really popular with kids and teens for creating and sharing short videos with very limited privacy controls. Users can be vulnerable to bullying and explicit content.

Read our full parent’s guide to TikTok.

App Age Rating: 12+

#4. WhatsApp

You may be surprised to see that WhatsApp is one of the apps parents should be aware of. While many parents would be familiar with Whatsapp and use it themselves, just in case you aren’t, it’s a popular messaging app that allows users to send texts, vidoes, photos, and make calls and have video chats worldwide.

WhatsApp is a great way for young people to socialise with their friends, and while your tween or teen can only talk to existing contacts on their phone, some content can be shared that might not be age appropriate. This is particularly an issue if they are added to group conversations by other friends, so they can end up having contacts on their phone who they have never met face to face. Therefore, it’s possible they could see or be contacted by someone they don’t know and could be vulnerable to content posted by this person.

Although a user cannot control who adds them to a group chat, they can always control their own participation within it – they can leave whenever they want to.

It’s a good idea to advise your child that if they are in a group chat with someone they don’t know and are uncomfortable with, they should exit the group and speak to you about it.

App Age Rating: 12+

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#5. Skout

Skout is a location-based dating app and website. Skout describes itself as the world’s largest app for meeting new people. It uses your phone’s GPS to put you in touch with people who are nearby, letting you chat with strangers, send virtual gifts and share photos – provided you’re over 18.

When you’re near a fellow user, you can check out their profile before you decide whether or not to get in touch. But Skout also offers other ways to meet new people. The app has a feature called “shake to chat” which puts you in touch with a nearby person at random.

While users under 17 are unable to share private photos, kids can create an account using a fake age. Users aged between 13 and 17 will automatically be placed in a teen section of the app, which bans private photo sharing and prevents chatting with people less than 100 miles away. But there is no way the app can verify users’ real ages. This means that adults can enter the teenage section, and kids can stumble into the adult section just by signing up with a different age.

App Age Rating: 17+

#6. Bumble

Bumble is similar to the popular dating app Tinder, however it requires women to make the first contact. Kids have been known to use Bumble to create fake accounts, giving a false age. Users are required to sign up with their Facebook account to verify their age (but someone can lie about their age on their Facebook account).

The Bumble app makes it easy for predators to target victims. Connections expire every 24 hours which encourages users to check the app daily. The private message feature can mean inappropriate messages, or cyberbullying can be done easily through the app.

App Age Rating: 17+

#7. Kik

Kik is a popular mobile messaging app which is free to use. It is similar to Viber and WhatsApp but has some additional functions that differentiate it. For example, it has an internal browser, meaning users are encouraged to spend more time within the app.

Kik allows anyone to contact and direct message your child. Kids can bypass traditional text messaging features. Kik gives users unlimited access to anyone, anywhere, any time.

There was a news announcement in September 2019 that the company who had developed Kik were not going to continue with it as they wanted to focus on cryptocurrency, however they then announced in October that “Kik is here to stay”.

In September 2018, BBC reported that the Kik chat app had been involved in more than 1,100 child abuse cases. So this is definitely an app to be monitored.

App Age Rating: 17+

#8. Snapchat

Snapchat is one of the most popular apps in recent years. While the app promises users can take a photo/video and it will disappear, features including stories allow users to view content for up to 24 hours, allowing ample time to screenshot and share.

It also has a private message and group chat feature, so again as with any app that offers group chat, there’s the possibility of being shown inappropriate content.

Read our full parent’s guide to Snapchat.

App Age Rating: 12+

#9. YOLO

YOLO is a free social media app available on iOS or Android, which is basically linked to Snapchat. So if your teen or tween uses Snapchat, they may well be using YOLO.

It’s basically like a free add-on feature for Snapchat. When you connect YOLO to your account, you can add an “ask me anything” sticker to your Snapchat Story that invites your followers to just swipe up and give you feedback or ask questions anonymously. Then, you can decide whether to respond to those questions in Stories.

YOLO is rated 17+ on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store recommends Parental Guidance. However, there is no date of birth input when signing up (not that that would stop a tween or teen), because it just uses your Snapchat log in to get going.

Because of the anonymous aspect of the way YOLO poses questions, this can lead to potential problems and is what merits it being added to our list of apps that parents should be aware of. Remember that anonymous apps often bring out the worst in users because people feel they can say anything anonymously without accountability. This could in turn lead to instances of bullying, inappropriate messages, and so on.

Read our full parent’s guide to YOLO.

App Age Rating: 17+

#10. Live.me

Live.me is a live streaming video app that uses geolocation to share videos so users can find out a broadcaster’s exact location. Broadcasters can receive live responses which can potentially mean that inappropriate content is sent to children. Users can make money by encouraging ‘viewers’ to buy gifts/coins to turn into cash.

The Live.me terms of use specify that users be at least 18 years old or have parental permission to use the tool, but tweens and young teens are broadcasting via the app. Live streaming can be problematic, especially if a young person is influenced to share too much personal information or inappropriate content to gain more viewers or likes.

App Age Rating: 17+

#11. Holla

Holla is a video chat app that allows users to meet people all over the world in seconds. Although the Holla terms of service state that users must be 13 to create an account and that anyone under 18 needs parental permission due to the opportunity to view unknown content, in reality there are no age verification methods so it’s easy for tweens or teens to create an account.

All of this means that adults can connect easily with minors, and the app’s ability to stay connected as ‘Friends’ allows predators to use this app. The other issue is access to explicit content. While Holla’s terms of service state they can monitor for nudity, weapons, etc but they don’t have to – so you cannot be sure what’s being vetted and what isn’t.

One review on iTunes says “This is a paedophile’s heaven…the amount of perverted old creeps and children that use this is insane.”

App Age Rating: 17+

#12. Whisper

Whisper is an anonymous social network that promotes sharing secrets with strangers. It also reveals a user’s location so people can meet up. Whisper is unlike other social networking apps because users don’t have an identity when using the service. You don’t have a profile, friends or followers. However the app does use your location and allows other users to add a school or group but it doesn’t ask for photos or email addresses.

The main way of communicating with someone on Whisper is by responding to their Whispers. This can be done by sending your own Whisper or through the chat function. As with any app that allows chat or private messaging, it’s difficult to preserve your anonymity when you start giving away information that way.

App Age Rating: 17+

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#13. Ask.fm

Ask.fm is already known for cyber bullying. The app encourages users to allow anonymous people to ask them questions and other users can answer. It allows anyone to post anonymous comments and questions to a person’s profile and is increasingly being used as a means to communicate abusive, bullying and sexualised content.

The site doesn’t monitor content, which opens the door for content that’s inappropriate – and that’s very, very easy to find. Users can report questions or answers that are violent or pornographic or that contain hate speech.

App Age Rating: 17+

#14. Grindr

Grindr is a dating app for men looking to connect with other men for friendship, companionship or sexual encounters. The app gives users options to chat, share photos and meet based on GPS location. Grindr is not appropriate for children or teens.

The app uses the user’s device geolocation services to show men that are in their area. Users can also send private messages to each other using text or images. Anyone can set up an account and share any information on the app that they want.

App Age Rating: 17+

#15. Photo Calculator Apps

There are several so-called “secret” apps parents should be aware of that are used to hide photos, videos, files and browser history. These “Photo Calculator” apps are designed to help users hide photos and videos behind an innocent looking calculator app.

In 2018, Apple removed the Calculator% app from the App Store amid a police investigation, but several similar apps have taken its place. These apps look like a calculator but entering a passcode opens a private area.

App Age Rating: 4+

#16. Hot or Not

The Game by Hot or Not app is designed to rate your popularity based on how others rate your profile (which includes a picture). The Apple App Store description reads: “The Game by Hot or Not is the original way to find the coolest people near you and let them find you too!”.

Hot or Not encourages users to rate your profile, check out people in your area and chat with strangers – all problematic features from the point of view of online safety for young people.

App Age Rating: 17+

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Tips for Parents If Your Tween Or Teen Is Using Any Of These Apps

#1. Try the apps yourself

Try out the apps yourself and get your tween or teen to show you the basics. This is one of the best ways of learning and understanding what it’s about.

#2. Have a conversation again about internet safety

Remind your tween or teen that they should tell you if they see anything strange or receive any adverse messages. And that they should never divulge any personal information to a stranger.

#3. Talk about internet use and what that can mean

Have a frank discussion about using apps, the Internet and about talking to strangers online. Discuss what you post online and how people could potentially misuse that or indeed misunderstand. What are the risks?

#4. Talk about cyber bullying and peer pressure

What does Advice for Parents on Cyber Bullying mean to your tween or teen? How would they feel if they got this type of message online, and what would they do? Similarly, remind them about the importance of how their own messages and comments can be perceived. Discuss how peer pressure can lead to people doing and saying (both in person and online) mean, hurtful, dangerous or untrue things.

#5. Ask your child why they are using a particular app?

Is it for validation? Is it to avoid embarrassment? The answers to these may be the start of more conversations you need to have.

#6. Remain vigilant

Even though you have talked to your child about being safe, it’s important to remain vigilant and check in regularly with your child. Keep the conversation going and stay interested and informed.

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Does your tween or teen use any of these 15 apps? Are there any other apps parents should be aware of? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

The post 16 Risky Apps Parents Should Be Aware Of (and Why!) appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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If your tween or teen uses TikTok, read on to familiarise yourself with the app and things you should know as a parent.

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These 16 apps parents should be aware of aren’t quite as innocent as they appear – it’s essential reading!

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What is TikTok?

TikTok is a free social media app available on iOS or Android, designed for creating and sharing short videos. TikTok merged with Musical.ly in 2018 to create a larger community, with existing accounts and data consolidated into one app, keeping the title TikTok.

With more than 100 million users, TikTok is very popular. Similar to YouTube, you can access an interactive world of videos that lets you connect with friends, follow people, and interact through likes, comments, and even do duets with other accounts on TikTok.

According to the TikTok app: “Use music and effects to make your own awesome videos by capturing funny and memorable moments to share with the world. Take your videos to the next level with special effects filters, fun stickers, music, and more. Life’s moving fast, so make every second count and show the world what you got!”

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How Does It Work?

When you have downloaded the app, you can either use an email or social media sign in to set up an account. If using email, you will be asked for date of birth and phone number, then a 4-digit code will be sent to your account to verify it.

Once you get in you can:

• upload your own video and add stickers, filters, add music, etc
• browse the millions of videos on there
• you can follow people
• search keywords or hashtags
• watch videos selected for you – there’s a personalised video feed designed for you based on what you watch, like, and share
• receive and send direct messages.

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What Do Parents Need to Be Aware Of?

There are some things parents need to be aware of about TikTok.

Firstly it is rated 12+ on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store recommends Parental Guidance. Technically, 13 is the minimum age according to TikTok’s terms and conditions. There is a date of birth input when signing up (not that that would stop a tween or teen), but it doesn’t seem to make any difference what date of birth you put in, so they are not screening it by age.

Secondly, when you download the app you can see all the content without creating an account – although you cannot post, like or share anything until you have set up an account. So you could potentially see things that are not appropriate even before you have set anything up.

TikTok is an app that is open to the world, so there’s no restrictions on content posted on the app. Your tween could see content that is not age appropriate.

This is not an app for younger kids because there is no restriction to inappropriate content (and, don’t forget, many songs nowadays have explicit language in them as well).

Reactions to posted videos include a heart symbol, but there is also a comment section which could open the person up to negative comments.

Videos can be shared onto various other apps like phone messages, Instagram, Snapchat and Whatsapp. So this means anything posted on TikTok could be shared elsewhere.

To delete an account you have to request a code from the app using a phone number.

Privacy and Digital Wellbeing on TikTok

When you create an account on TikTok it is public by default, but there are privacy settings available on the app that allow you to set your account to private so that other users cannot view your uploaded content.

You can also decide if you allow others to find you. Other options under the Privacy Settings allow you to select who can post comments, duet, react, send messages, view videos you liked, filter comments, allow downloads, and there is a Block list function too.

There is the risk that someone who is a stranger to your child could directly contact them on the app, but the privacy settings for the messenger are either OFF or FRIENDS, which means a random person cannot start messaging a user unless they are mutually following each other on the platform. It’s important to remind your child that they should only follow people they know in real life.

One good thing about the TikTok app is its “Digital Wellbeing” setting. It limits users to a two-hour limit on the app per day once it is enabled, and you would then need a pass code to continue using the app past the time limit.

You may decide not to allow your tween or teen to use the TikTok app, but if you do then here are some tips.

Tips for Parents if Your Tween or Teen is using TikTok

#1. Try it yourself

Try it yourself and get your tween or teen to show you the basics. This is one of the best ways of learning and understanding what it’s about.

#2. Have a conversation again about internet safety

Remind your tween or teen that they should tell you if they see anything strange or receive any adverse messages. And that they should never divulge any personal information to a stranger.

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#3. Talk about connecting with strangers online

Have a frank discussion about if there is any merit to talking to strangers online? Should you? What are the risks?

#4. Set time limits

While the digital wellbeing aspect is a welcome addition, it isn’t definitive and time limits are important.

#5. Remain vigilant

Even though you have talked to your child about being safe, it’s important to remain vigilant and check in regularly with your child. Keep the conversation going and stay interested and informed.

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Does your tween or teen use TikTok? What are your thoughts on it? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

The post TikTok: A Parent’s Guide appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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Currently Top 5 of the Social Networking apps on the App Store, YOLO has become a viral hit with tweens and teens. As a parent, read on to familiarise yourself with the YOLO app so you will know just what to expect.

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These 16 apps parents should be aware of aren’t quite as innocent as they appear – it’s essential reading!

TELL ME MORE!

What is the YOLO App?

YOLO is a free social media app available on iOS or Android, which is basically linked to Snapchat. So if your teen or tween uses Snapchat, they may well be using YOLO.

According to the YOLO website: “YOLO app is an application which lets you receive anonymous questions from your Snapchat followers. After connecting on YOLO App with Snapchat, you will start receiving the anonymous questions from your Snapchat followers. You can answer those YOLO anonymous messages or questions by opening On YOLO messages app.”

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How Does YOLO Work?

It’s basically like a free add-on feature for Snapchat. When you connect YOLO to your account, you can add an “ask me anything” sticker to your Snapchat Story that invites your followers to just swipe up and give you feedback or ask questions anonymously. Then, you can decide whether to respond to those questions in Stories.

When you have downloaded the YOLO app, you use your Snapchat username and password to log in. Once you get in, you can create an anonymous message and send it to your Snapchat friends. You can customise it with stickers and also reply to messages you receive in your Story.

After downloading the YOLO app and connect it with your Snapchat account you have to agree to the app’s policies that prohibit abusive behaviour in the app. This notice says “By using YOLO App you agree to the terms of service (EULA) and privacy policy. YOLO has no tolerance for objectionable content of abusive users. You will be banned for any inappropriate usage”.

What Do Parents Need to Be Aware Of?

There are definitely some things parents need to be aware of about the YOLO app:

YOLO is rated 17+ on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store recommends Parental Guidance. Technically, 13 is the minimum age according to YOLO’s own terms and conditions. However, there is no date of birth input when signing up (not that that would stop a tween or teen), because it just uses your Snapchat log in to get going.

Because of the anonymous aspect of the way YOLO poses questions, this can lead to potential problems. Any social network that lets you send and receive messages anonymously can be problematic. For example, you may be aware of Yik Yak, another anonymous messaging app, this would be similar.

The developers of YOLO seem to have created it to add fun features to Snapchat, but as with many apps, the original idea can become misused.

Remember that anonymous apps often bring out the worst in users because people feel they can say anything anonymously without accountability. This could in turn lead to instances of bullying, inappropriate messages, and so on.

The only way to report inappropriate messages or threats is to send an email to the app developers. It’s not clear how quickly they would reply or what that response would be.

And even though they ask you accept their terms and condition it doesn’t say what happens if you don’t abide by them.

You may decide not to allow your teen to use the YOLO app, but if you do then here are some tips.

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Tips for Parents if Your Tween or Teen is Using the YOLO App

#1. Try it yourself

Try it yourself and get your tween or teen to show you the basics. This is one of the best ways of learning and understanding what it’s about.

#2. Have a conversation again about internet safety

Remind your tween or teen that they should tell you if they see anything strange or receive any adverse messages. And that they should never divulge any personal information to a stranger.

You May Also Enjoy Online Safety for Kids: 5 Simple Lessons to Teach Your Kids Today

#3. Talk about anonymous and what that can mean

Have a frank discussion about posing anonymous questions and how people could potentially misuse that or indeed misunderstand. What are the risks?

#4. Talk about cyberbullying and peer pressure

What does cyberbullying mean to your tween or teen? How would they feel if they got this type of message online, and what would they do? Similarly, remind them about the importance of how their own messages and comments can be perceived. Discuss how peer pressure can lead to people doing and saying (both in person and online) mean, hurtful, dangerous or untrue things.

#5. Ask your child why they are using YOLO?

Is it for validation? Is it to avoid embarrassment? The answers to these may be the start of more conversations you need to have.

#6. Remain vigilant

Even though you have talked to your child about being safe, it’s important to remain vigilant and check in regularly with your child. Keep the conversation going and stay interested and informed.

You May Also Enjoy One for the Fridge – 10 Tips for Practical Internet Safety

Does your tween or teen use YOLO? What are your thoughts on it? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

The post The YOLO App and Anonymous Messaging: What Parents Need to Know appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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In many surveys conducted globally, parents admit that they often have little oversight of what their children are viewing and doing online. As a parent, it’s important to get familiar with all the hidden online dangers and cybersecurity risks children can face in a bid to educate our children to keep them safe online.

What are the Most Popular Websites for Kids?

Video is one of the most popular mediums for both adults and children to consume content.  In repeated surveys, YouTube shows up as the most popular website used by children. This is followed closely by video game websites, and subsequently, TV shows and movies.

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What are the Potential Online Threats for Children?

There are millions of websites that children view that are perfectly safe for watching video content, playing games or researching and learning about the world. However, the openness of the internet means that there is also a vast amount of unsafe and unregulated material to be found online that any child could stumble across.

As parents here are a few potential threats to consider and look out for. These should be discussed with your children to ensure that they browse the internet as safely as possible.

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Lack of Authenticity

Your child needs to understand that not everything they read is correct. Absolutely anyone is capable of writing things on the internet. Therefore, if your child is using the internet to research information for a school project, it’s important that they cross-reference the information with a trustworthy source to ensure the information is valid.

Anonymity

On the internet, it’s easy to lie. So, it can be extremely difficult to tell if a person is actually who they say they are. There have been countless cases in the past where malicious people use the internet to “make friends” with children.

You need to make your child aware that they should be wary of talking to strangers, even if they seem nice. And that they should never, ever arrange to meet anyone they have met on the internet.

Make sure they know they can come to you if they feel unsafe or unsure of anything they read or messages they receive online.

Harassment

Social media, messaging apps, email and text can be used as extremely powerful harassment tools. They can be used to intimidate or bully others with messages. Images and videos posted by your child can be shared inappropriately with others, causing embarrassment, hurt and worse.

Talk to your child about what they share, how they comment and how others can use this to harass and harm.

Health Issues

Studies have shown that too much screen time can contribute to a variety of health-related conditions. This includes eyestrain, obesity, as well as social isolation.

Addictive Behaviours

It’s easy for anyone, kids and adults alike, to get addicted to using the internet.
Whether your child is simply chatting online with their friends from around the world, or playing online video games, they might become so deeply absorbed into cyberspace that the other, real people in their life tend to fade away into the background.

So, if you find your child displaying any of the following symptoms, they could be developing an addiction to the internet.

• Moody or withdrawn behaviour
• Spends more time online than with real-life friends
• Prioritises internet use over other things such as eating, sleep, or schoolwork

Look out for potential online dangers and keep the lines of communication open with your child.

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How Can Parents Educate Kids About Online Safety?

As it is with other types of safety, it’s important to start discussing online safety with your child at an early age.

As soon as they start learning about or using the internet, it’s a good idea to sit them down and talk with them about some of the safety concerns that surround internet usage.

They might still be too young to be using the computer on their own, however, this age is an excellent opportunity to teach them that just like the real world, there are both safe and unsafe things to be found online.

It’s also important to discuss the ways that they can protect themselves when using the internet. They might still be too young to learn about using VPNs or proxy websites, but it’s a good idea to teach them to only visiting websites that they know.

Teach them the importance of using a password. And how to create a strong, sensible password, as well as explaining to them why they need to be using different passwords for each one of their accounts and of course, they must never share these passwords, even with their friends.

As your child gets older and begins using the internet independently, ensure they understand the dangers and that you are always there for them to discuss anything that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

Online Safety For Kids – 6 Essentials

1. Never post anything online you wouldn’t want everyone to see, even your parents!
2. Don’t talk to strangers
3. Set privacy settings (you could do this with your children)
4. Be suspicious of public Wi-Fi
5. Use Secure Passwords
6. It’s okay to ask for help

You need to trust your children, they will make mistakes online but be there for them when they do.

Over to you now. What’s your experience of teaching your child about online safety for kids? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

The post Do You Really Know if Your Child is Safe Online? appeared first on MyKidsTime.