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Parental control software has been around for quite some time but how many people actually use it and will it really protect your child/children from explicit content?

Parental control is a feature built in to just about every electronic device such as computers, tv recorders, mobile phones, laptops, game consoles and tablet devices.

Parental controls fall into roughly four categories, content filters, which limit access to age appropriate content, usage controls, which constrain the usage of these devices such as placing time-limits on usage or forbidding certain types of usage, computer usage management tools, which allow parents to enforce learning time into child computing time, and monitoring, which can track location and activity when using the devices.

Content filters were the first popular type of parental controls to limit access to Internet content. Also television stations began introducing V-Chip technology to limit access to television content. Controls are now being applied to content ranging from explicit songs to objectionable movies available for purchase online. Usage controls are increasing in sophistication; examples include turning devices off during specific times of day, limiting the volume of the music playing in the car, and with GPS technology becoming affordable, it is now possible to know where a child is at curfew.

Devices that are compatible with parental controls:

PlayStation 3
PlayStation 2 (only for DVDs)
PlayStation Portable
Xbox
Xbox 360
Wii
Nintendo DSi
Nintendo 3DS
Apple iPod touch
Apple iPhone
Various mobile phones
Computers

Top 9 picks - Parental control & monitoring software for PC

SecureIT Plus
PC Pandora 7.0
Spector Pro
McAfee Family Protection
Qustodio
uKnowKids
Social Shield
ZillaMail
Nearparent

Parental control for iPhones / iPod / iPad

SETTINGS

Ok, you will want to begin to go into the settings.

GENERAL

Once you are in the settings, go directly to the general tab.

RESTRICTIONS

Tap the restrictions tab and once on that screen choose enable restrictions.

You will now be asked to enter a 4 digit passcode. Do not forget this passcode, there is no way to retrieve it, and a full restore (re-installation) of the iPhone is needed to reset it.

Restriction Options

After you have entered your passcode, you will now have the ability to restrict any of the functions you see on the screen. Without going through each and every option, lets just take a look at Safari. If you turn off Safari and head back to your home screen you will see that the icon is removed and there is no way possible to reach that application any more.

To re-enable a function like Safari, return to the restriction page, authorize with the 4 digit passcode you entered above, and turn it back on.

So there you have it folks, if there is any reason you need to restrict certain apps or features on your (or your child's) iPhone, this is how you do it.