# Parental controls??



## kabs996 (Jun 1, 2012)

Just got a Fire for my 11 year old son.  Is there a way to block inappropriate book titles and material from him on this?  When I got the "free books" app there were some adult titles that came up that I would prefer he not be subjected to.  Is there anything I can do to make it more age appropriate?
Thanks


----------



## jsh1120 (Jun 1, 2012)

The short answer is no. You can block all books with a parental control password but you cannot pick and choose which titles your child is "subjected to". Likewise with apps, music, video, etc. You can, of course, control purchasing and downloading of books but Amazon is like a very large bookstore. There is no means to block certain "aisles" from your son.


----------



## KM Logan (Jun 2, 2012)

It was my understanding that with a fire though you can completely turn off the wireless.  Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't own one.  My husband and I want to buy one if this can be done otherwise we'll just keep using the Kindle app on our computers.


----------



## wavesprite (Apr 27, 2009)

There are parental controls (since the last update) that I believe blocks purchases, all books, wifi, etc.  I blocked purchases for my 11 year old, and I cleared out his carousel of all the books that my husband and I have on our accounts.  I guess he can search the Amazon store, but he can't purchase anything without our knowledge.....


----------



## DawnB (Sep 10, 2010)

Eventho I don't have kids I turned on Parental Controls in the hopes of stopping new books from showing up on the Carousel (I don't read om the Fire), but I found out that when you buy a book the cover will show up on every Fire in your account even with Parental Controls on (the password will be needed to download the book tho).

I really wish Books would work like Apps etc....if I buy an app via the computer it will show up on in the app tab on the Fire but not on the Carousel until I download it. As it stands now when you buy a book the cover will appear on your Carousel within 24hrs (even if you don't send the book to the fire). I spoke to Amazon via chat & sent them feedback. Hopefully they will change the auto-on Carousel soon.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't have a problem with the Carousel and how it works now. . .. but I do see the concern for parents.  There are alternate interfaces you can use. . . . so the carousel isn't there at all.  I don't recall if they're available through Amazon, but I know folks have used them. . Might have to allow 'unknown sources' and get them from mobile1 or something.  I'm sure someone else will come along and be more specific. . . . . .


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

There is hope that Amazon will address this. In the latest update for the basic Kindle, there are parental controls for the Archive.  Hopefully, this will eventually be added to all the Kindles.

Betsy


----------



## KM Logan (Jun 2, 2012)

I found a thread on another forum that said if the Kindle is deactivated the wireless can be turned on again.  Is this true?  I really would like a Kindle Fire but do not want unfiltered internet in any form for a Host of reasons.  Any owners know?


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

KM Logan said:


> I found a thread on another forum that said if the Kindle is deactivated the wireless can be turned on again. Is this true? I really would like a Kindle Fire but do not want unfiltered internet in any form for a Host of reasons. Any owners know?


I don't know. . .and I'm not going to deregister my Fire just to find out, sorry.  But if you truly don't want any chance of the kid getting on the internet, maybe they shouldn't be given a tablet of any sort -- or a smart phone. 

For me, my position would be this: Kid, I'm giving this to you and you are not to do this, that, and the other thing. Until I am comfortable that you can be trusted, you may not use it except when I'm with you. You may not take it to school or your friends house or any place else unless and until I say so. I am allowed to check _at any time and without warning_ and look to see what you've been doing. If I have even an _inkling_ that you've been doing something I told you not to, I'll take it away for an extended period. OTOH, the longer you conform to these rules -- without whines and complaints -- the less restrictive they will become. . .but as long as you're a minor in my house, I'm allowed to see what you're doing and stop you from doing something I feel is inappropriate. Feel free to blame me for anything you want if your friends complain. You'll thank me later.


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_k6new_restrictions?nodeId=200729250#restrictions

It appears from the information on the page above that WiFi access is needed in order to deregister a Fire. That implies that if WiFi access is restricted via parental controls that the Fire could not be deregistered without the parental password.

However, in the section for parental controls, it also states that if the parental password is forgotten then it is necessary to Reset to Factory Settings. This would return the Fire to its original state with access to WiFi. What I don't know is if there is access to the Internet before a Fire is registered.

ETA: I agree with Ann. If you cannot allow any possibility of access, then maybe no electronic device is suitable. I would go with ground rules such as Ann listed. When our daughter was young, we discussed what was and was not appropriate. She has had similar discussions and ground rules with her children.


----------



## KM Logan (Jun 2, 2012)

That makes me feel a little better.  We just don't do unfiltered internet in our house.  There's too much stuff out there even I don't want to see.  I'm a little bit Prudish in that way, okay a lot


----------



## TraceyC/FL (Mar 23, 2011)

KM Logan said:


> That makes me feel a little better. We just don't do unfiltered internet in our house. There's too much stuff out there even I don't want to see. I'm a little bit Prudish in that way, okay a lot


Do you run OpenDNS? That lets you filter coming into the house and all gadgets on your wifi. It won't take care of it when you leave the house obviously. I haven't checked into it, but on our iOS devices for the kids I run Mobicip Browser, which filters, and I know there is an android version (or it might still be in beta - i don't pay a lot of attention since I don't have anything it will run on) so that might be worth checking out.

I'm happy to see Amazon being proactive in this area - the price point makes it good for kids, but some parts don't jive with family choices.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

KM Logan said:


> That makes me feel a little better. We just don't do unfiltered internet in our house. There's too much stuff out there even I don't want to see. I'm a little bit Prudish in that way, okay a lot


Here's a couple of free apps that you may find useful.

This well-reviewed app puts parental controls on the apps visible to your kids and can restrict wireless:


This is a browser with filters. Only a few reviews (3) so who knows? Perhaps others can recommend a browser they've actually tried. No reason for me to have one--hubby doesn't go on the Internet --so I don't know.



Betsy


----------



## KM Logan (Jun 2, 2012)

Thanks so much for the recommendations.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Mind you, I haven't tried either of them...  

Betsy


----------



## Darren Perman Author (Jun 11, 2012)

I don't have a Kindle Fire yet...but don't they require a password before you can purchase on Kindle? Right now if my kids want to purchase an app, book, or movie on Amazon, I have to enter the password before they can make a purchase. I hope that is the case for Kindles?


----------



## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

I have a Fire and got one for my grandson, which is on my account. When they upgraded the last time and added parental controls, I added that to his. It requires a password to turn on wireless, get on the 'net and do any purchasing. He's young, so I installed GO Launcher, and put all of his games/apps on the desktop for easy access. He loves it, and I like knowing that he can't really do anything else with it.


----------



## jsh1120 (Jun 1, 2012)

Folks, 

A few comments that others may find useful.  

First, "parental controls" is a complicated topic. The controls that are adequate for one parent/family are not nearly sufficient for others. Some parents are concerned only with unauthorized purchases; others want to control internet access, the ability to read particular books or view particular videos, etc. There's no magic bullet that meets everyone's needs. What does exist is a set of tools that with a bit of experimentation and imagination can be used to meet most users' requirements. 

() Parental controls in OS version 6.3.1.  The expanded parental control features in the latest OS update will meet many parents' requirements. They enable password protected access to wifi, to purchases from the Amazon Appstore, and to entire categories of content (i.e. books, videos, etc.) Go to Settings>Parental Controls to select the kind of controls you want to implement. Combined with setting a passcode on the device, itself, you can make the KF fairly secure even if it's lost or stolen. What is NOT supported is access to specific books and other content. If you're reading '50 Shades of Gray' and don't want your kid to know, buy another device and put it on a separate Amazon Account. 

() One click purchasing. Even without activating parental controls you can prevent someone from purchasing NON-DIGITAL products (e.g. dvd's, cd's, real books, lawn furniture, etc.) simply by turning off one-click purchasing on your Amazon Account. Go to the Amazon website and turn it off. That does NOT turn off one-click purchases for DIGITAL items downloaded to the Kindle Fire.  For that functionality  see the category above.  

() Give your kid their own "launcher." The free app "Kids Place with Child Lock" cited in another post above is a great app for those with young children. Combined with the parental control features of 6.3.1, it enables you to set up a unique launcher that limits your child to particular apps and access to features like settings, email, etc. Not only does it work well, it gives a child a sense of control over the apps that are specifically authorized for their use. A companion app available from the same developers enables you to give a child access to videos you've purchased (though not to particular streaming videos) for them. 

() Limiting internet access.  If your concern is access to the internet, an app like "Net Nanny" (also cited in a post above) or the "Maxthon" Kid-safe browser may fit your needs. The latter enables you to identify particular authorized websites while blocking access to others.  Used in conjunction with "Kids Place," you can limit access to the internet  as much as you would like. 

() Limiting 

()


----------

