Family Safety Apps Archives

The new parental controls on the latest iOS 13.3 update are what you might have been waiting for.

by Liz Gumbinner | Family Safety Apps, Internet Safety

If you’ve got a kid on an iPhone or an iPad, this week’s iOS 13.3 update (as well as iPad OS 13.3)has some serious parental controls that we think you’ll be happy to know about. Introducing Communication Limits Starting his week, there’s a new...

What are the best services and tools to monitor my kids screen time? 5 top picks | Guide to Digital Parenting

by Cool Mom Staff | Family Safety Apps, Guide to Digital Parenting, Internet Safety, Tips and Tricks

As part of our Ultimate Guide to Digital Parenting, answering parents’ top questions about family technology, we’re sharing the best services and tools to help you monitor your kids on their gadgets. While most routers, phones, tablets and computers have...

Why the notOK app is crucial for teens (and adults) struggling with depression

by Kate Etue | Family Safety Apps

Have you ever typed up a message to a friend, asking them to send some good vibes your way because you’re really struggling at the moment, only to delete it before sending? (Hand raised!) I don’t know if it’s the fear of vulnerability that holds me...

5 free online parental controls you can put to use right now to keep kids safer.

by Cool Mom Staff | Family Safety Apps, Internet Safety

As parents, we try to keep an eye on what our kids are doing online to help keep them safe, but we can’t be over their shoulders all the time. Nor should we be! That’s why we’re always grateful for online parental controls of all kinds, and why...

4 must-download medical apps for families during cold and flu season

by Kate Etue | Family Safety Apps

Cold and flu season is on us, and wow, this is a bear. We’ve seen you stressing out on Facebook and Instagram, and we’re right there with you. To help, we’ve found some medical apps for families that might bring a little peace of mind. These apps can...

This app freezes kids’ phones until they answer your texts. Awesome or intrusive?

by Lexi Petronis | Family Safety Apps

Does this situation sound familiar, parents? You’re trying to get in touch with your tween or teen, but they’re ignoring your texts because they’re busy playing games on their phone, which also happens to be set on silent. Well, that’s what was...

All your personal info, all in one handy place online. Well, this is scary!

by Kristen Chase | Family Safety Apps

As much as we love the Internet, and the helpful information it makes available to us, there are definitely some downsides, like the Family Tree Now site which aggregates all your personal info, including addresses, relatives, possible associates, all in one place....

KidGuard monitors your kids’ online activity so you can keep them safer | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Staff | Family Safety Apps

This is a sponsored message from KidGuard Even the most vigilant parents can have a hard time keeping track of their child’s online activity, which is why so many are looking to KidGuard for help to ensure they’re safe and making good digital choices. The...

SudoPay is revolutionizing how you can shop safely and privately online | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Staff | Family Safety Apps

This is a sponsored message from SudoPay If you love shopping online but don’t love the idea of giving out your credit card number and personal information for every purchase, then SudoPay might just be exactly what you’ve been looking for. This free app...

Bark makes monitoring your kid’s digital usage (and keeping them safe) so much easier

by Jeana | Family Safety Apps

Now that my son has a phone, as do all his friends, it’s a whole new world of parenting. For now, he is content texting his friends yo, bruh, what’s up and watching sports clips, but there will soon be a time when social networks come more predominantly...

Sponsored Message: Meet Curbi, the screen time management solution parents have been looking for.

The Companion app keeps you safer when you’re walking home alone

by Nicole Blades | Family Safety Apps

As the days start to get shorter (sob) and we realize some of us will soon be heading home from work or walking around a college campus in the dark at just 5PM, it’s nice to know that walking home alone just got a lot less nerve-wracking. Thanks...

NEW: The podcast that helps you be a savvier digital parent in under 15 minutes a week

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Tech in 2010 to help make our increasingly digital lives easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun, however old your kids may be.

We love that it's grown to become the go-to source for millions of parents who want commonsense info about tech delivered with a smile.

We even have the privilege of sharing our tips + tricks with The TODAY Show, CNN, HLN, GMA, Nightline, newspapers and magazines around the country, and our favorite -- regular parents who stop us at PTA meetings and ask us how old kids need to be to get a smartphone, and whether they really need to panic about Snapchat.

(Answer: It's complicated.)

We're so glad you're here! And we hope we can help you too.