Table of Contents
About Qustodio
In the age of the internet, reducing screen time can be really challenging. Not to mention, children growing up with screens and devices can become reliant on technology, which can have negative health and social consequences. However, you can’t avoid screens altogether, so what’s the next best solution?
Qustodio bridges that gap, giving parents and caregivers a way to control their children’s screen time. The brand aims to provide parents with a way to instill healthy digital habits in their kids, while also allowing them to monitor their use and protecting them against inappropriate content and cyberbullies.
This innovative company has caught the attention of media outlets such as Chicago Tribune, Mashable, and Business Insider. Qustodio is also picking up public recognition, receiving 11k likes on Facebook.
Do you notice your child’s digital use getting a bit out of hand and want to help them develop a positive relationship with technology? Stay tuned to this Qustodio review as I take a look at the brand’s features, how they work, and what customers are saying about them.
Overview of Qustodio
Eduardo Cruz, Josh Gabel, and Josep Gaspar, three workmates who were in the cybersecurity industry, were concerned about the use of digital devices when the new iPhone 4 was released in 2010. The trio knew that technology was going to provide people with lots of opportunities but not without risks. Boy, they were onto something.
While they recognized the potential problems that devices could have on families, they were also interested in analytical tools and data tracking. After pondering this dilemma, they came up with an idea to help families manage their screen time through visual data.
They designed their prototype in 2011 and by 2012 the Qustodio brand was born. Qustodio started helping parents gain access to what their kids were up to on Windows devices before branching out over the years to different devices. They also added tons of new features along the way.
Today Qustodio has more than 4 million users across the globe. Throughout the brand’s growth, its driving force has remained the same: “Our mission is to provide a safe digital experience for every child.” The brand name comes from the Latin term for “gaurdian”, after all.
Before we hop into the brand’s impressive features and parental controls in this Quostodio review, I want to highlight some of the brand’s key features:
Highlights
- Plenty of features to help parents monitor and protect their children
- Available in over 180 countries and 8 different languages
- Available for download on many devices
- Easy-to-use platform
- Tons of positive customer reviews
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Free trial period
The Qustodio download is available for Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android, iPhone, iPad, and Kindle. Made available on so many platforms, parents can monitor practically any device their child uses. Up ahead in this Qustodio review, I will get into the details of this nifty app and see exactly how it works.
Qustodio Review
Let’s not get it twisted: screen time isn’t inherently bad. There are lots of ways in which having easy access to devices and the internet can help us connect with others and learn even more. We have all the information in the world at our fingertips, which is both scary and liberating.
Qustodio doesn’t want parents to eliminate their child’s use of technology but empower them to have a healthy association with it. Through the Qustodio family portal, you can supervise your child’s use of screens and keep them safe by filtering websites, setting time limits, and blocking apps.
Studies show that many mental health conditions are exacerbated, or even caused, by social media. Susceptible and vulnerable children can develop poor self-esteem, depression, and anxiety by being passive users of apps like Instagram and TikTok.
Also, social media often puts a lot of pressure on young people to look and act a certain way as they compare themselves to people they follow.
The Qustodio app gives you the tools to help your child avoid cyber bullies and online predators by monitoring social media posts, and allowing you to catch any negative or mean comments before your child sees them.
Not only can Qustodio prevent potential mental health conditions associated with tech use but the control features can help enhance the physical health of children. Parents can set time limits to encourage kids to do other activities that don’t require devices such as playing outside with friends, reading, or doing crafts.
So, how exactly does Qustodio do all of this? In the next section of this Qustodio review, I’ll go over the specific parental features and controls of the app.
How Does Qustodio Work?
Building a positive relationship with digital devices is very important. If you communicate with your kids early on and set boundaries around technology, then chances are they’ll carry this behavior with them in the future.
Listed below are some of the main Qustodio parental control features and how they work:
- Filter Apps and Content: As a parent, you can block inappropriate websites and provide access to child-friendly sites only. This feature will help protect your child from accessing potentially harmful media.
- Monitor Use: Concerned about what your child is getting up to when they’re online? The monitoring feature can give you your child’s browsing history so that you know exactly what they’re spending their time on. This feature will also come in handy if you find out your child has been using their tech time unwisely.
- Set Boundaries and Time Limits: Giving your child a set amount of tech time each day will encourage healthy behavior and engagement in other activities. Not only will it promote better sleep, but you can also prioritize family time by setting up consistent screen-time schedules.
- Track Phone Calls and Text Messages: This feature allows you to check who your child is messaging and calling, block numbers, and see what they are texting if you want.
- Track Location: Wondering the whereabouts of your child? Now, there are no excuses for arriving home past curfew. You can simply use the Qustodio family app to find out the location of your child.
- Set up Reports, Alerts, and Emergency Signals: If you’re a data-driven person, you can set up monthly reports of your child’s screen-time use and online activity. You can be alerted when your child tries to access prohibited websites or they’re in trouble. As well, the SOS feature can be used for emergencies when your child needs to get in touch with you ASAP.
As you can see, Qustodio offers lots of ways to ensure the safety of your child when it comes to using their phone, laptop, or any other device.
While writing this Qustodio review I found out that you can add Care Plus to your Premium Plan to gain even more support from professionals when it comes to installing the app and personalized advice on how to set guidelines around tech use for your children.
In terms of cost, the brand offers a few different options:
- Small Package: $55 a year or $5 a month for 5 devices
- Medium Package: $97 a year or $8 a month for 10 devices
- Large Package: $138 a year or $12 a month for 15 devices
To start using the brand’s features, I recommend making an account on the brand’s website. You can try the app out for free at first, and later sign up for a Premium Plan if you want access to more features and find that the app is beneficial to you and your family.
Who Is Qustodio For?
Qustodio is ideal for parents or caregivers who have young children and/or teens and want to help their child have a balanced relationship with technology. The brand’s features can be used by any parent, especially in today’s day and age, where the internet is such a prominent force in our society.
If you notice that your child is withdrawing from social activities, spending more of their time online or gaming, or may have an addiction to digital devices, then Qustodio features and parental controls mentioned here will be incredibly useful.
An important point to mention in this Qustodio review: you can slowly implement screen-time limits and make sure your kid isn’t being inundated with inappropriate content or media.
Qustodio Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
So, do you think Qustodio can be useful for your children? Before you go ahead and download the app now, I suggest reading the rest of this Qustodio review as we gain insight from customers of the brand.
Overall, the brand has a pretty high rating on Trustpilot, Google Play, and the App Store. Before I get into some detailed responses from customers, let’s get a breakdown of the ratings I found:
- Trustpilot: 3.9/5 stars from 241 ratings
- Google Play: 4.6/5 stars from 8.86k ratings
- App Store: 4/5 stars from 1.8k ratings
As you can see, Qustodio is a top-rated brand on multiple platforms. I found lots of glowing comments about the brand’s safety features and functions.
One 5-star reviewer on Trustpilot said: “We have used this for our daughter’s Samsung phone for a couple of years now and it does exactly what we were looking for. I can see where she is when she forgets to tell me her plans! The best thing is that at bedtime the schedule shuts down the access.”
Another reviewer shared a personal anecdote about how the Qustodio app helped save their computer from viruses:
“This app was recommended to me by our local computer repair person after my fourth visit there. Turns out that my kid had visited sites he shouldn’t have and thus getting our computer infected with malware… they offered me to install Qustodio and we haven’t had a single problem since!”
Over on Google Play, many parents expressed being very grateful for the app’s features. Several people said their kids disliked the app, but in terms of safety and instilling healthy long-term behavior, Qustodio made it easy.
One reviewer here said: “Just what we needed. We had used a different app before but one of our kids was able to get around it. This app we can block the bad stuff, set rules for each of our kids, see what apps/sites they’ve been on, set time limits…the list goes on. I’m very happy with the options this app gives parents.”
Parents on the App Store once again raved about the easy interface and how easy the app was to use. One 4-star reviewer wrote:
“We have utilized Q for a few years now on both of our teens (13 & 15 years) phones. My husband & I both have the parent end of the app on our phones, it’s nice for both of us to be able to oversee their activity & set controls as needed.”
They went on: “Overall we have been very satisfied with the ability to monitor, steer & hold our kids accountable, which would be near impossible to do otherwise.”
During my research for this Qustodio review, I was shocked by the number of customer testimonials on the web. I noticed a few minor complaints, mainly parents stating that their child was able to bypass some of the features, which definitely isn’t ideal. However, for the most part, when it comes to younger kids, lots of reviewers were very satisfied with the Qustodio app.
Is Qustodio Worth It?
Qustodio offers a ton of incredible analytical tools for parents to use to monitor their children’s use of devices and keep it under control. Many customers said that they felt more relaxed once they started using the app as they had more control over what their child was seeing online and how they were spending their screen time.
Although the app is slightly expensive, Qustodio offers a free version which parents can use. They also have plenty of resources on their website to get parents talking to their children about digital well-being and appropriate use of technology. Screen time is rising astronomically; to conclude this Qustodio review, I’d highly recommend the brand to parents and guardians.
Qustodio Promotions & Discounts
At the time of this review, I couldn’t find any promotions or discounts being offered by the brand. However, it’s worth noting that Qustodio offers a free trial for the app and a 100% satisfaction guarantee so you can get a feel for the brand’s features before deciding to commit to a premium plan.
Also make sure to sign up to the brand’s emails for any upcoming promotion news and to potentially receive a Qustodio discount code in the future.
Where to Buy Qustodio
Are you content with the brand’s free version of the app, or are you ready to upgrade? You can buy one of the three premium Qustodio plans by visiting the brand’s website or by purchasing the app through Google Play or the App Store.
FAQ
Who owns Qustodio?
Qustodio was recently acquired by Family Zone. The brand’s headquarters are located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
What is YouTube Monitoring and what does it do?
YouTube Monitoring is a premium feature from Qustodio that allows you to see what videos your child is watching. Mac and Windows users can find out detailed information about their child’s YouTube search history with this feature.
This feature also allows you to set time limits on YouTube viewing and block videos you don’t want your child to watch. This is an incredibly helpful tool to help prevent children from accessing age-inappropriate content.
What does Lock Navigation and Lock Device mean for time limits in each platform?
Lock Navigation prevents your child from accessing the internet through web browsers or phone applications. Meanwhile, Lock Device prevents your child from logging into their user account and using their device completely.
You can manage your kids’ daily time limits for screen time, and once your child reaches their set limit, Lock Navigation or Lock Device as you see fit.
You also have the option of being alerted once your child reaches the maximum amount of time you set. Beware, you may hear moans and groans coming from your child once they reach their limit anyway.
How to Contact Qustodio
Are you inspired to take control of your screen time and your child’s? If you still have questions about the app after reading this Qustodio review, I highly encourage you to reach out to the company. You can get in touch using one of these methods:
- Help Center: Here
- Email: [email protected]
- Mail: 2110 Artesia Blvd, Suite 713, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
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