Norton Family Parental Control – Is It Good Enough and How to Use It?

Norton is surely among the best antivirus and security software programs available on the market. Apart from malware protection and internet security, you can use the Norton Family feature to track your kids.

The software can help you track the location, monitor internet searches, keep a check on the apps being used, and more.

Even though there are numerous options (apps) available, I’ll tell you why Norton is a considerable one. Moreover, I’ll help you set it up and explain its features in this blog. Read on!

PARENTAL CONTROL TIPS: Norton Family Online. The free version lets you monitor every site your kids visit, examine a list of everything they search for, and track their activity across social media via any Internet connection. pic.twitter.com/dKvZUCpMSG

— Ofari Benjamin (@Vintage4lyfe) March 27, 2018

Quick Answer: To set up Norton Family on a device: Sign in on Norton’s official site, then go to Setup Family. Enter the details and link your child’s device using the activation code.

Pros and Cons of Norton Family

Before I begin to explain how to set up the Norton Family feature, you must know its pros and cons, as mentioned below:

How to Set Up Norton Family Parental Control?

I’ll be using an Android device to show you how to set up a Norton Family parental control account. But, before you go through the steps, ensure that you have access to your kid’s device as well.

• First of all, you need to create your Norton account on the platform and then add your kid’s account to it.

• Then, open the browser on your desktop and visit my.norton.com.

• Click the Sign In button.

  

• Enter your email ID and click Continue.

  

• Now, enter your password, and click Sign In.

  

• If you have purchased a subscription, you’ll see the option ‘Parental Controls’ at the bottom. Click Set Up Family present right below that. 

  

• Scroll down and click Agree & Continue.

  

• Then, enter your child’s name, choose the restriction level, and upload a photo if you like. Click Add to proceed further. 

  

• Then, proceed with clicking on the second option, i.e. ‘No, this is not (kid’s name) device.’

  

• Hover over the option that installs the program on an Android device. Then, click on CONTINUE.

  

• Then, take your child’s phone and scan the code available on the left.

  

• Install the app and sign in. Then, you’ll see an activation code under Activate Child Device.

• Now, enter this activation code under the Activate Child App option on the webpage (desktop). Click Activate.

  

• Go back to the Android device, and click Confirm & Continue.

  

• Now, you’ll receive a confirmation message on your desktop.

  

• Scroll down and click ‘Done.’

  

• Make sure that your child’s device has given some device permissions to Norton Family. These include Device Admin, App Usage Access, Location, Display over other Apps, Accessibility, Phone, and Notifications.

• Once all of these permissions are given, tap Continue.

  

• That’s it. You’ll get all the details about the child’s device, which even includes screen time.

  

Proceeding further to the next section, I’ll tell you about the features of Norton Family that can help you monitor your child’s device.

What are the Key Features of Norton Family Parental Controls?

Norton Family works efficiently when it comes to supervising your child’s online activity. It will be possible because of these features:

It is possible to restrict any inappropriate websites on your child’s device when using Norton Family. The platform provides 48 website categories that you can simply block right away. On the contrary, you can add websites to the allowed list that seem harmless and useful.

In addition, you get three options when it comes to setting website restrictions.

• Block – Your child can’t access the site, no matter what.
• Warn – Your child receives a warning that the site is not appropriate for their age.
• Supervise – Your child can access the site, but you can see the content they engaged with and for how long.

With the help of the time limit feature available on the parental dashboard, you can limit the usage based on different factors. For example, you can set a limit that only allows your child to use their phone between 2 PM and 7 PM on a few set days of the week (Mon-Fri) and even for fixed hours.

With this option, you can block any dangerous or unsafe app on your kid’s Android device. Please note that there’s no app management option for iOS devices. 

Apart from this, the Activities tab on the platform gives you details on the app usage and helps you find out which app is used the most.

Under the Search Activities tab, you’ll find a list of the search queries performed by your child. This will work for Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask, and YouTube.

Make sure you check the list regularly, as the platform will not notify you if any explicit term is searched for.

Go to the ‘Video’ tab, and there you will find the list of every video your child has watched on YouTube. You can enable the restricted mode on YouTube, but video supervision works well when you need to find out what your child is watching.

For GPS-enabled devices, Norton Family provides location alerts. As a parent, you’ll receive location updates and alerts when your child enters or leaves their “Favorite Location.”

How Much Does Norton Family Cost?

After becoming aware of these beneficial features and ease of use, it would be obvious to think about the amount you’ll have to pay for a Norton Family software subscription.

So, I paid $49.99 for its subscription (yearly), and it comes with web filtering, time-usage restrictions, and location tracking. Moreover, you get a 30-day free trial to check out the software.

Wrapping Up – Is Norton Family Worth It?

If you have a large family and need to monitor a few members, I believe Norton Family is the best option with this price tag. With all the Norton parental control features and a simple but effective dashboard, it makes supervision a piece of cake.

So, I’ll recommend this software to those parents who want to monitor their kids’ online activities but are not bothered by the messages they send or receive.

Gaurav Rathore