SmyleSafe: Web Filtering Software Review – Perfect for Paranoid Parents
App Type: Uncategorized
Our rating: 
By: Retina Software (P) Ltd.
Version #: 2.0
Date Released: 2012-07-08
Developer: Zeeshan Alam
Price: 4.99
User Rating:
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The perfect app for paranoid parents, SmyleSafe: Web Filtering Software will put a smile on your face when you know that your children can no longer access undesirable websites on their mobile devices.
Essentially an alternative web browser for iPods and iPhones, SmyleSafe gives parents an extensive array of parental controls so that they can filter out porn sites, as well as sites that they deem detrimental to the moral well-being of the kids.
Kids these days are getting smarter and smarter, and so it’s not surprising to see them find loopholes out of security systems set in place by their parents. However, SmyleSafe has such a great system that I personally could find no way to bypass. Couple this with the built in accessibility options in your device and your child can surf safely on the internet.
As previously mentioned, SmyleSafe works wonders for paranoid parents. Another feature would be the ability to geographically check the whereabouts of your children, as well as send alerts to your email should they stray out of preset physical boundaries.
SmyleSafe could do with a little sharpening in terms of its user interface though, as to be honest the red is really ugly. But if you prefer functionality over trivial aesthetics, then this app does its job marvelously.
Priced at $4.99, I must say that this app is definitely worth the download. It will allay many an anxious parent’s fears.
Quick Take
Value:High
Would I Buy Again:Yes
Learning Curve:N.A
Who Is It For:Parents who want to restrict content on their devices for their children
What I Like:The extensiveness of the app
What I Don't Like:The user interface is not visually pleasant
Final Statement:This is something that is very useful.
filter Ensure the safety of your whole family with groundbreaking real time web page analysis and filtering of each and every website visited by your children with unique parental controls.
NEW FEATURE: GEOFENCING - Create electronic boundaries on a map. Get instant email alerts if your child goes outside the boundary.
Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. You can easily turn off location tracking from inside the app.
From the makers of the 2012 Gold Award Winner for Parental Control Software for Cell Phones by TopTenReviews.com, SmyleSafe is a secure, protected and effective web browser with a cloud-based web filtering engine. Updates to the engine are added automatically without needing to update the software on the device.
Once you setup the age of your child, SmyleSafe is ready to go. SmyleSafe browser will block inappropriate and offensive websites with its built-in dynamic blacklist of thousands of categorized websites. You can blacklist any custom URL or set time restrictions to prevent your child from browsing the Internet during school hours or bedtime.
The app will also track the location of your child and also logs every website visit attempted by your child in the safe browser. You can view activity logs from anywhere by logging into the SmyleSafe website.
SmyleSafe browser is fun-filled and exciting to use for kids. The safe browser experience is very close to Safari browser allowing the native functions such as:
? Pinch & Zoom
? Landscape Mode
? Bookmarks
? History of Websites Visited
? Multiple Tabs
? Copy and Paste
? Save Images
? View PDF, Play QuickTime Media
? Persistent Cookies
? Themes (New)
? Safe Search Enforcement
SmyleSafe Browser Features:
? Age-based Filtering
Setting up SmyleSafe is very easy. Just select the age group of your child who will use the iDevice. You are then ready to give the device to your child. SmyleSafe takes care of rest by allowing only content appropriate for the selected age group.
? Time Restrictions
Perhaps your child is using the Internet during school hours or after bedtime. SmyleSafe’s built-in time restrictions allow you to set hours of the day when the browser will not open any web pages.
? Location Tracking and Geofencing
SmyleSafe tracks the location of your child and uploads it periodically to your online dashboard. You can also set electronic boundaries or fences. If your child goes outside the fence, an instant alert is sent to your email address so you can take appropriate action.
? Safe Search Enforcement
SmyleSafe imposes strict safe search enforcement to all major search engines, disallowing access to any inappropriate websites from search results such as text, images or news.
? Online Dashboard included
You are granted access to an online dashboard from where you can monitor each and every activity your child performs. You can login to the dashboard from any device’s web browser to monitor websites visited (or attempted) and locations at intervals you set. You can also make changes to the settings from within the dashboard, which are applied absolutely immediately.
? Kids’ Requests and Email Alerts
Your child is given the freedom to request access of any blocked website from you. You can grant access or deny it. You can also setup email alerts to be notified when a blocked website is accessed or when your child goes outside a geofence.
Supports 3G, 4G, EDGE and Wi-Fi Internet Connections.
Online Technical and Phone Support
https://www.smylesafe.com/support.html
Screenshots
Article By Eng Wei Jie
A water polo player from Singapore, Wei Jie devotes most of his time to training. However, when he's not occupied by water training or pushing himself in the gym, expect to see him squinting at his iPhone testing out new apps.
eng-wei-jie has written 308 awesome app reviews.
