Important Note

Android, Kindle Fire, and Chromebook devices are currently not supported, pending the release of our new version.

Net Nanny® 10 Support

Please contact us via live chat during our customer service hours or via email

If you contact us via email, we will get back to you before the end of our next business day.

Hours:
Monday - Friday: 10am to 7pm EST
Saturday & Sunday: CLOSED

Important Note

Android, Kindle Fire, and Chromebook devices are currently not supported, pending the release of our new version in 2024.

About Net Nanny®

Q: How does Net Nanny® compare to other parental control software on the market?

Net Nanny® is the #1-rated Internet filter and the most trusted parental control solution for families since 1996. Net Nanny® supports multiple operating systems: Windows, macOS, and iOS. Net Nanny® is the most complete solution offering the following essential parental control features: Internet filtering, pornography blocking, website blocking, screen time management, location tracking, alerts & reporting, app blocking, access to a Family Feed overview and the Parent Dashboard.

Q: What operating systems are currently supported by Net Nanny®?

Net Nanny® currently supports the following operating systems:

Windows 10 and above
macOS 10.13 to macOS 11.x
iOS 11 and higher

Installation

Q: How do I install Net Nanny® on my kid's device?

To install Net Nanny® on your computer or mobile device, first make sure you have an account and then simply download the software by visiting the installation page from the device you wish to protect. Then, follow the instructions to download and setup Net Nanny®. Net Nanny® will ask you to enter your account credentials to authorize the installation.

Q: How do I reinstall Net Nanny® on a replacement mobile device or computer?

Go to the Parent Dashboard and login with your account credentials.
Select the Menu option in the top right corner
Select Manage Installs
Select Remove Device from the device you are needing to replace
On the new device go to install.netnanny.com to install

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

Q: I have installed the Net Nanny® child app for iOS but am unable to connect to the Internet

Typically this is resolved by one of the 3 actions listed below

Resolution 1 (most common) Verify that the Net Nanny child app is running. If it has stopped, please start it and check to see if the Internet is now working.

Important note: For iOS devices, the Net Nanny Child App must remain running in the background for the Internet to continue to work correctly. Do not swipe the Net Nanny Child App away or close it. Closing the App will disable Internet access until the App is re-opened. The simplest way to leave the App running in the background is to open the Net Nanny App, then simply open another App and continue using the device normally.

Resolution 2 On the iOS device protected by Net Nanny, open Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services. Scroll down to the Net Nanny Child App this is named “NN”. Tap on the App name and make sure the “Allow Location Access” is set to “Always”. Important: Disabling or changing this setting will break internet connectivity for the protected device.

Resolution 3 On the iOS device protect by Net Nanny, open Settings, then General, then VPN. Toggle the VPN to off, and the VPN will automatically re-enable to “On”.

Q: The battery life on my iOS device seems shorter after installing Net Nanny®

Along with monitoring Internet activity and Apps, Net Nanny also monitors screen time usage. To get the best performance and to avoid problems or inaccurate reports, users turn screen off when the device is not in use. If the screen stays on, Net Nanny continues counting screen time and in general more battery is consumed.

Q: I am experiencing slow internet on my Windows computer after installing Net Nanny®

Sometimes slowness with Net Nanny on Windows occurs when another 3rd party software program is monitoring your computer and is unfamiliar with Net Nanny. This conflict occasionally occurs with anti-virus or firewall programs. The most common resolution is to uninstall Net Nanny, temporarily disable the anti-virus and/or firewall software and then reinstall Net Nanny. Once the installation is complete, re-enable the disabled anti-virus and/or firewall programs. If slowness persists after following these tips, you may be required to add Net Nanny to the bypass list for your anti-virus or firewall program. For additional help with of these processes please email support@netnanny.com

Q: The content filtering does not appear to be working in Chrome

Sometimes due to a configuration change the Chrome browser may not be applying the content filtering rules correctly. This can be resolved by following these steps.

Open the Chrome browser
In the address bar type 'Chrome://flags'
Scroll down to where it say the 'Experimental QUIC protocol' and set this to Disabled.
Close the browser and re-launch and try the filter again.
This should resolve any issues in Chrome, if you are still having issues please ‘Contact Us’

Q: After installing Net Nanny the Firefox Web Browser sometimes crashes when accessing specific websites or content.

The Firefox Web Browser applies security options that might conflict with Net Nanny. This can be resolved by following these steps

First uninstall Net Nanny from your device
Next Open Firefox Web Browser
In the address bar type About:Config and hit enter on your keyboard
Accept the prompt for the risks and then search for and select Enterprise
Find the option for Ensure security.enterprise_roots.enabled and set it to True (double click the line to change the Value if needed)
Close the Firefox Web Browser and reinstall Net Nanny

Q: The content filtering does not appear to be working in Edge

Sometimes due to a configuration change the Edge browser may not be applying the content filtering rules correctly. This can be resolved by following these steps.

Open the Edge browser
In the address bar type 'Edge://flags'
Scroll down to where it say the 'Experimental QUIC protocol' and set this to Disabled.
Close the browser and re-launch and try the filter again.
This should resolve any issues in Edge, if you are still having issues please ‘Contact Us’

Q: The Parent App and/or Parent Web Dashboard shows “Device Might Be Unavailable”, what does this mean?

The message you are seeing indicates that one or more of the devices you are protecting with Net Nanny may not be communicating with the Net Nanny servers. This could be as simple as the device being turned off, or more serious suggesting that Net Nanny has been removed or disabled. The best way to check that things are working correctly is to login to the Parent App or the Net Nanny Parent Web Portal at https://parent.netnanny.com and click on the 3 dots in the upper right corner then select Manage Installs.

In this section you will see the 'Last Used' info for each device. If it is several hours old, we recommend checking that the device is still running with Net Nanny.

Internet Filter

Q: How do I block or allow specific websites?

To allow or block a specific website, follow these steps:

Go to the Parent Dashboard and login with your account credentials.
Select the Child Profile associated with the device
Select the Profile Settings
Select Block or Allow Specific Websites.
Add specific websites to the Allow or Block lists.

Q: How do I block or allow apps on iOS devices?

To block or allow apps for your child’s mobile device, follow these steps:

Go to the Parent Dashboard and login with your account credentials.
Select the Child Profile associated with the device.
Select the Profile Settings.
Select Block of Allow Specific Apps.
Select from list of apps that you wish to block.

*Apple devices support an estimated 120 of the most common apps to block and manage.

Q: How do I change filter categories?

To change the filter categories, follow these steps:

Go to Parent Dashboard and login with your account credentials.
Select the Child Profile associated with the device.
Select the Profile Settings.
Select Net Nanny Content Filters/Categories.
Select from Categories those that you would like to get Alerts for or those you want Blocked.
Select the arrow next to each category to Allow, Alert or Block.
- Allow – Allows sites with this content to be accessed.
- Alert – Alerts the parent in the Family Feed and a notification will be sent to the parent.
- Block – The user will receive a message that the website they are attempting to access is blocked. The Block will be present in the Family Feed and a notification will be sent to parent.

Screen Time Management

Q: How do I create a screen time schedule?

To create a screen time schedule, follow these steps:

Go to the Parent Dashboard and login with your account credentials.
Select the Child Profile associated with the device.
Select the arrow next to Internet and Device Availability
Select the option to Create Schedule.
Tap one of the days of the week on your screen and select the option for No Internet or Device Paused
Tap within the colored box and then drag the arrows up and down to cover the desired time – do this for each day.
Select the Back to (Child’s) Profile and hit Save Changes

Alerts and Reporting

Q: How do I view reports?

Net Nanny® does not automatically email reports, however you can access reporting data and notifications are sent to the Parent Device.

Go to the Parent Dashboard and login with your account credentials.
Select the Child Profile associated with the device.
Tap on the Searches icon to see search terms made through web browsers.
Tap on the Screen Time icon to see the amount of screen time your child has used by day, week or month.
Tap on the Blocks/Alerts icon to see what sites your child has been blocked from or that have been alerted on.
Tap on the Location icon to see the current location of your child and tap Location History to see a 60-day history.

Settings

Q: How do I access the Net Nanny® Parent Dashboard?

Access this feature by visiting the Net Nanny® Parent Dashboard and logging in with your account credentials from any computer with Internet access.

Q: How do I change my Net Nanny® password?

To change your Net Nanny® password, follow these steps:

Go to the Parent Dashboard and login with your account credentials.
Select the Menu icon in the upper right-hand corner.
Select General Settings.
Select Change Password, enter a new password and confirm.

Q: How quickly will changes take place after I make an update in the Parent Dashboard?

Changes made in the Parent Dashboard should take effect immediately, but if you need to you can synchronize with the servers to initiate a sync:

On mobile devices, open the Net Nanny® Child App and select the menu option in the upper right corner and select Synchronize with Servers.
On Windows, click on the Net Nanny® icon in the task bar, select Administration, select Synchronize with Servers.

Q: What happens to my Windows computer when I run out of screen time?

When a Net Nanny user exceeds their allocated screen time or their device is paused the Windows computer will stop all access to the Internet and immediately minimize any windows that are open. Anytime user attempts to open a window a message will appear letting the user that the device has been paused or that screen time has been exceeded.

Q: How does Net Nanny calculate screen time if I am using more than one device?

Net Nanny calculates screen time based on the exact time the device or devices associated with a single Net Nanny profile are used, and accumulates the calculation across all devices. For example: If a user named Billy is being protected on an iPhone and Windows computer and uses both devices simultaneously from 1-2 PM, only 1 hour of total screen time is calculated. If the user uses one device from 1-2 PM and then a different device from 2-3 PM this would count as 2 hours of screen time. When screen time is exceeded al devices associate with the Net Nanny profile are blocked or paused based on the parent’s setting.

Q: How can I get unique Net Nanny settings for each Windows Account?

Net Nanny associates a single Net Nanny profile with each Windows profile. This is automatic during the setup. Parents can change the user at anytime by clicking on the Net Nanny icon in the bottom right taskbar and then selecting “Switch User”. When a user is changed it stays associated with the Windows Account permanently even after a computer restart. To associate different users with different Windows accounts simply login to the new Windows Account, select the Net Nanny icon on the taskbar and select “Switch User”. This will let you create a new Net Nanny profile for the Windows account or selecting an existing. Net Nanny will remember which Net Nanny Profile to apply to each Windows account.

Q: What settings are applied to my Windows computer if I create a new Windows Account?

When you create a new Windows Account, Net Nanny will apply the same Net Nanny profile that applied to the Windows Account being used to the new Windows Account. This prevents kids from creating a new Windows Account to get around settings or limits. Parent can change the Net Nanny profile for each Windows Accounts at any time by selecting the Net Nanny icon from the task bar and selecting Switch User.

Q: How can I temporarily disable Net Nanny?

You can disable Net Nanny by selecting the Net Nanny icon from the Windows tab bar and selecting “Disable Net Nanny”. This will require the Parent password.

Q: Can I have screen time settings setup per device instead of per Net Nanny profile?

Yes, you can have unique time settings per device. To do this create a unique Net Nanny profile for each device and associate that profile with the device during the setup process. Parent can create an unlimited number of Net Nanny profiles for their devices or family.

Q: How do I change a profile image?

To change a user’s profile picture, follow these steps:

Go to the Parent Dashboard and login with your account credentials.
Select the Child Profile associated with the device.
Select Profile Settings
Select Avatar/Profile Picture
Select on an existing Avatar or select the Camera icon
If you select the Camera icon, choose to take a picture or select and existing image from those on your device.

Q: How do I create a new user?

New Users are created thru the install process. During the installation, you will be asked to Select Existing user or Create New User.

If Net Nanny is already installed on a PC or Mac you can add New Users by:

Windows - Click/Right click on the Net Nanny icon in the lower right by the time of day and select Switch User. Enter in your Admin Password and click on Create New User or Select from Existing
Mac – Select the Net Nanny icon in the Finder Bar and select Switch User. Enter in your Admin Password and click on Create New User or Select from Existing

Q: How to Create a Custom Filter

To setup a Custom Filter Category:

Login to https://parent.netnanny.com
Select the Child Profile associated with the device
Select Profile Settings
In the menu select Custom Content Filters
Click on Add Filter
Give the category a name
Then click on the + sign to add the keywords and phrases to the list then hit Create Filter
Then go back and set it to Block
This will need to be set to Block on each Child Profile you wish to apply it to.

Contact Us

Net Nanny® technical support and customer service is available by filling out the contact form below, via email at Support@netnanny.com or via live chat.