Safe family (opens in new tab) is the product of McAfee Corp, a cybersecurity software giant. It was founded by the late entrepreneur John McAfee. Currently, McAfee is owned by private equity investors.
Safe Family enables parents to monitor their children’s digital activities to prevent screen addiction and access to inappropriate information (opens in new tab)or inappropriate contact. You can create flexible rules for your child’s screen time and receive notifications if they break them. It is a useful tool for teaching your children healthy appliance habits.
We’ve tested Safe Family to give you a detailed, unbiased review. We evaluated the app based on specific criteria including features, pricing, customer support, ease of use, etc.
Subscriptions and Prices
McAfee charges $8 per month for a Safe Family subscription. It gives a hefty discount if you pay yearly in one lump sum, bringing the price down to $50 per year, compared to $96 on the regular schedule. You can pay directly on the website via PayPal or credit/debit cards (opens in new tab)†
McAfee offers potential customers a 30-day free trial to test the Safe Family app before subscribing. After subscribing, you can request a refund within 30 days of the initial purchase or 60 days of auto-renewal.
Functions
Filter website
Safe Family allows you to block specific websites from your child’s device. You can use this feature to block inappropriate content such as gambling and adult sites. Children can be exposed to an unlimited amount of inappropriate online contact, and it is the parent’s responsibility to minimize this, making this feature useful.
Block app
Safe Family allows you to block specific apps (opens in new tab) from your children’s devices.
Screen Time Limits
Safe Family allows you to set limits on your child’s screen time. You can set screen time rules around your child’s routine, such as blocking during school hours or bedtime. You can also create flexible rules to motivate your kids by giving them extra screen time as they complete specific tasks.
Track location
You can track the location of your kids with Safe Family so you know where they are at any time. You can also set the app to send notifications when your kids arrive or leave important locations like school or home.
Safe Family allows you to locate your kids on an interactive map, which is not only convenient but also visually appealing.
Block in-app purchases
Safe Family allows you to block in-app purchases only on the iOS platform. Many apps use sloppy tactics to entice kids to buy in-app items, and they are vulnerable to such tactics. This function allows you to prevent such events.
Web/App Usage Activity
Safe Family allows parents to monitor their neighborhood’s web browsing and app usage. It gives you reports on how much time your kids spend on each app. Likewise, you can check their web browsing history to make sure they are surfing the web safely.
Digital timeout
You can set a “digital timeout” by pausing all activities on your child’s device at certain times. This feature is useful if you want them to be able to focus on family time without distraction.
Rule Break Notifications
Safe Family can notify you every time your child tries to break a rule you set, for example when they visit a blocked website.
Interface and in use
You can install McAfee’s Safe Family on iOS, Android, or a Windows desktop. The apps are readily available on Apple’s App Store, Google’s Play Store, and Microsoft’s Store. After you download the app, you need to create and set up family profiles and add the devices you want to monitor. The app has quite a cumbersome interface, which represents a major complaint from customers.
Customer service
McAfee is a large company with customer support personnel located all over the world, so customer service is available 24/7. The company offers direct customer support via live chat, telephone or social media. You can always contact McAfee support staff if you have any problems using the Safe Family app.
McAfee also has an online Help Center and FAQ page with comprehensive tutorials on using its apps. Likewise, there is a support forum where McAfee users answer each other’s questions.
The competition
There are many parental control apps (opens in new tab) rival McAfee’s Safe Family, such as OurPact, Qustodio, and Screen Time. Safe Family’s competitive advantage is its ability to monitor unlimited devices, while most rival apps limit the number of devices you can monitor. McAfee is also a premium brand with more weight and consumer confidence.
Final verdict
Safe Family is a comprehensive parental control app. It is a useful tool to ensure the safety of your children when they surf the web or learn healthy screen time habits. Technology has its pros and cons for kids, and Safe Family helps you minimize the latter.
The internet continues to expand and children are exposed to a lot of online content. Safe Family helps prevent your children from accessing inappropriate or distracting content. The app is relatively affordable and lets you monitor an unlimited number of devices. We found some shortcomings, such as the complex user interface.
Buying guide
Safe Family is a parental control app sold by McAfee Corp, a cybersecurity software giant. It allows you to set screen time limits for your kids, block specific websites and apps, get usage reports, and track their locations. The app is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows.
McAfee’s Safe Family costs $8 per month. But the company cuts the price by a hefty margin if you pay annually, cutting it down to $50 a year.
The main benefits of Safe Family are affordability and support for an unlimited number of devices (opens in new tab)† The downsides include a cumbersome user interface and a slow Windows app.
