A Safer Internet on Apple Devices

*Updated March 2016

What a difference a year makes! In 2015, I posted an article highlighting several options that could help ensure that pornography would stay off of the screens of your Apple mobile devices. In updating it for 2016, I quickly noticed that many of the apps had changed quite drastically, even changing from low-cost options to more expensive subscription-based services, so I had to re-write a lot of the content. If you or your family uses an iPod, iPhone, or iPad, then this is a must-read.

I could likely spend an entire post talking about how incredibly ridiculous it would be for parents not to do what they can to monitor the Internet activity of their kids and teens. Statistically, 9 out of 10 children between the ages of 8 and 16 have viewed pornography on the Internet, and my assumption is that the one child who says he/she hasn't is probably lying about it. Here's the deal, if you have a device (computer, phone, tablet, TV, video game system) that connects to the Internet and is unprotected, and you have a kid over 8, you've likely got a porn addict under your roof. Porn is pervasive and can be freely viewed either on purpose or by accident with just one click. While it, sadly, might be foolish to believe that we can sanitize the Internet and completely prevent our kids from viewing pornographic content, as parents, we need to do everything we can to protect the innocence of our kids and have an accountability relationship with them. You can read more about the importance of accountability from a biblical perspective (both as kids and adults) in this article I wrote.

If you are an adult who wants to be accountable to someone for your online viewing habits, or if you're a parent who is more interested in having that kind of relationship with your kids (as opposed to simply blocking pornographic websites), an Apple device probably isn't your best choice.

On a computer or Android device, there are a ton of great low-cost options that monitor your online viewing and report inappropriate websites to a trusted friend or parent, but on an iPhone or iPad, choosing to be accountable often means giving up some of the ease of Internet browsing. For the most part, this is because you'll need to shut down "Safari" in order to use a browser that has safe searching or accountability built into it. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't allow other browsers to operate the way that Safari does. Alternate browsers don't have all of the bells and whistles you'll find in Safari, and can sometimes be a tad buggy and less intuitive. For one example, outside of Safari, you'll be unable to click on a hyperlink in an email and have it automatically open in your browser. When using an alternate browser you would have to "long-tap" on the link to copy it and then paste it in the browser app's address bar. For a lot of people this limitation would be a deal breaker, so it might be reason enough to look at an Android device.

In this post, I've endeavored to let Apple users know about some options to create a safer Internet for themselves and their kids specifically on iPods, iPhones and iPads. While there are many safe browsers available out there, they are largely unnecessary if you're using an Apple device running IOS 7 or newer as the Apple web filtering is great and covers the use of any browser on the device. While I do highlight Apple's built-in web filter to help you know how to activate it, this article is meant to highlight the browsers that offer accountability options. This means that while some might block explicit sites, all of these apps have an option to email a report of questionable Internet activity to accountability partners that the user has chosen.

As someone who has used accountability apps for years (my wife actually gets email reports if I view any website that's flagged as inappropriate on my Android device and PC), I have researched and used many of the options I list below. I really want to encourage you to ensure that devices that your kids use have some degree of monitoring set up on them. I also want to encourage you, as adults, to find someone you trust who you can be accountable to. It's as easy as approaching a friend (or spouse) and telling them that you've made a commitment to be accountable for all of your online viewing, asking them to be your accountability partner. You can have email reports sent to them so that if they spot something that looks questionable, they can challenge you on it and encourage you towards purity.

Apple's Web Filtering

If you are using an Apple device that has IOS 7 or newer on it, you CAN restrict pornographic content. If you want to continue using Safari on your device, this is the only option available to you.

Go to Settings > General > Restrictions > Allowed Content > Websites and then select "Limit Adult Content". It is important that you set a Restrictions password that your kids don't have access to and can't easily guess. If you're an adult who wishes to have your access to adult sites blocked, it means having an accountability partner set the Restrictions password on your device so that you can't easily deactivate the filter. Under the Restrictions settings, you can disable the Restrictions password and then have your accountability partner re-enable it with a new one.

Cons: Apple's built-in settings only filter pornographic content, they don't include any kind of accountability feature that would email a parent or accountability partner with a list of questionable sites that were viewed. This is a great option if you have kids, but if you're an adult, a web filter may block things that aren't inappropriate (for example, a filter might block this blog because I talk about pornography, even though it doesn't contain any questionable content).

A Note About Setting Up Accountability Apps:

If you want to use any of the following accountability apps listed below (either for yourself or for your children), it's important to mention that a parent or accountability partner will NEED to set the Restrictions password and have Safari disabled. Also, in order to prevent another browser from being downloaded to circumvent safe browsers or accountability, the parent or accountability partner must also go to General > Restrictions > and then under "Allowed Content" select "12+" (Browsers are always rated as 17+ in the app store). This means that the "user" of the device will not have the ability to download apps rated over 12+ or be able to enable Safari without speaking to their parent/accountability partner (unless they happen to guess the password).

Qustodio

This app acts as a content filter AND accountability app on iOS, and best of all, it has a FREE version that covers one user. On the website, you can set up a free account with a username and password and then install the safe browser on your Apple device. On the website you can select and name your device, choose an avatar, and select the extent of filtering you would like. You can choose for content to be blocked, you can choose an "alert" feature so that a list of questionable sites would be emailed to your accountability partner, or you can opt for both features. You can also choose to receive daily or weekly reports.

 If you're an adult wanting to use it for yourself, after it's set up, you would need to get your accountability partner to change the account email address and password so that only they have access to your browsing history and can receive reports. This app also has the ability to track the location of your device (on the Premium version), which might be handy if you have young kids, but you can also turn this option off. I've used this app on an old iPod running IOS 6, and it does a pretty great job of monitoring and reporting (most safe browsers and accountability apps won't work on devices with older versions of IOS). While Qustodio is free for one user on one device, you can upgrade to Premium for an annual cost (at the time of writing, a 1-year license for 5 devices was $33.95).

Cons:
The Qustodio browser doesn't have the ability to open up multiple browser tabs and while you can bookmark pages, it doesn't have any option within the app to access or browse your history. Another issue is that when you select and name your device, you have to choose from several cartoon child avatars. It's fine if you're setting it up for a child, but if you're setting it up as an adult to be accountable to another adult, it's unnecessarily childish. The avatar is only listed beside your device in the Qustodio settings, so only your accountability partner could view it, and to be honest, the app works so well, that it's only a minor hassle. Still, Qustodio is missing a great opportunity to market their app to adults who desire accountability as well.

Mobicip

Mobicip has made some great improvements to their look over the years. Both their website and app have a real professional feel to them. The free version only provides web filtering through their "safe browser" app. To get accountability options, you would need to pay $40/year for the premium version which covers up to 5 devices. With the premium version, you have the option to turn off the safe browser and only use the accountability features. Instead of having your web history sent via email to accountability partners, it will be reported on the Mobicip website or through their mobile app. The service is quite affordable, being the cost of a cup of coffee per month, and the browser lets you open multiple tabs. The app also seems to work well on older Apple devices running iOS 6 (which is great news if you're still using that old iPod Touch).

Cons:
If you're just wanting a safe browser, using the iOS built-in web filtering would be a better option. If you're interested in accountability, it's quite affordable, but I would recommend trying out the free version to see if you like the app before purchasing the annual subscription.

Lion Accountability Browser

New to 2016 is the Lion Accountability Browser. Currently it's only available for iPhones or iPods running IOS 8 and up, but will also be available on iPads in Spring, 2016. The app is currently on sale on the App Store at a very reasonable one-time cost of $5.99 per device, although there is no free trial to test it out for yourself before buying. They are promoting the app as being extremely simple to set up and use with no subscription fees, upgrades, or in-app purchases, and no sign-up forms or registration. Simply purchase and download the app and set up as many accountability partners as you wish. The reason the developers created this browser was because they saw a need in the market for an accountability app that didn't suffer from poor performance. I have not given it a try myself, so only time (and reviews) will tell if they have succeeded in this regard.

Cons: 
This app currently doesn't alert accountability partners if the app is disabled, but in Spring 2016, it will be updated to notify accountability partners if they have been removed from receiving notifications by the device user.

X3Watch

X3watch (created by xxxChurch) is an accountability app for PC, iOS and Android devices that has been around for years.  A subscription will cost  $6.99/month or $64.99/year, but will block pornographic sites and send out instant email alerts to accountability partners if you try to access a questionable site. While not advertised very readily on their website, they DO still offer a free version of the app that's limited to one accountability partner. You can give that a try here. One of the great features of X3Watch is that if you deactivate the program, it will send an alert to your accountability partner.

Cons:
I used to plug X3Watch a lot with my students and friends. As a pastor, I always found it hard to "sell" the importance of accountability when it meant subscribing monthly or annually at a hefty price. While the free version is still available (although not advertised on their site), if you read their App Store reviews, you'll see a string of disappointed users who complain of problems with the built-in browser crashing and not getting responses from tech support. In my experience, the free version works well on PC's running Windows 8 and under, but it doesn't yet work right with Windows 10. Because I haven't used this app on an IOS device for a couple of years, I haven't had any experience with it on a device running iOS 7 or higher, but the browser doesn't work all that well on older devices.

Covenant Eyes

Covenant Eyes has a pretty awesome reputation for providing web filtering and accountability. They also have a great twitter feed that offers resources and blog posts that I've followed for years.

Cons:
Because of the high cost, I've never used the browser and can't really speak to how well it works as an alternate to Safari. Currently, subscription prices are $9/month for a single user or $13.99/month for a family, with additional costs depending on the number of devices covered. That's right, you would be looking at a minimum of $120/year to cover just one device. For families that can't afford the expenditure or students who don't have an income of their own, this service is a hard sell.

Accountable 2 You

This app doesn't feature any web filtering, but reports all of your online activity to an accountability partner. On the plus side, the price is definitely more reasonable than Covenant Eyes with a subscription cost of $5/month which covers up to 6 devices (a family subscription for unlimited devices will come to $9/month . "Accountable 2 You" offers a 10 day free trial so that you can test the browser to see if it's worth paying for.

Cons:
The iOS browser doesn't have great customer reviews on iTunes (to be honest, I don't think I've seen any safe browser or accountability app on iTunes with a 5 star rating). Also, for a tech company, they don't have much of a social media presence (which might be a possible warning sign).

Net Nanny

Net Nanny offers both filtering and accountability options for devices running IOS 8 or higher and has a pretty solid reputation, having been around for years. The cheapest subscription options costs $60/year and covers 5 computers/devices.

Cons:
Net Nanny used to offer make their IOS app available for a one-time cost of $5, but has since adopted a subscription model. I also can't see adults who want to stay accountable for their online activity to want to use an app called "Net Nanny".

Your Feedback

If you use one of these, or a different accountability app or safe browser for your Apple device, I would love to hear your experience with it. Please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Also, if you found this post to be helpful, it would be great to hear from you. I will periodically make updates to this post so that it's an ongoing resource to you.

ON A ROOFTOP: What We Can Learn From David's Greatest Moment of Moral Failure.

Does the Bible say anything about pornography, the necessity of accountability, and the importance of safeguarding Internet access for ourselves, our kids, and teens? I believe it does.

“On one lazy afternoon, when David had nothing to do, he hopped onto the Internet and got himself into a bit of trouble”.

That’s not a direct quote from the Bible, but it could have been. 2 Samuel 11 records David’s greatest moment of moral failure, a moment where he found himself on the biblical equivalent of the Internet: a rooftop.

You see, David could have looked anywhere from the rooftop of his palace. He could have watched some chariot racing. If the wind was blowing just right, he could have caught some kind of philosophical debate on the street or overheard what was being taught at Jerusalem University. He could have focused his attention on a jam session featuring some of the top harpists in the city. But instead, his eyes fell upon a woman taking a bath...and rather than looking away or retreating back inside his home, he kept watching.

Does David’s predicament sound familiar? It should. David was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was alone. He was supposed to be on the battlefield, but he ended up calling in sick. He was bored. So, he decided to “surf the rooftop” where one click of the mouse led to another.

What do you do when nobody else is around? When you have extra time on your hands? What do you do late at night when the family is asleep? Are you browsing the net? If so, David’s story reminds us that it can be a recipe for disaster.
 

Pornography has never been more accessible than it is today. It’s just one click away. It’s so pervasive that it can be viewed just as easily by accident as it can on purpose. So, what’s a Christian to do? How can we appropriately navigate this minefield of media? How can we guard our integrity and safeguard ourselves against temptation when we’re online?

Ecclesiastes 4:12-13 says, “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken”. (NLT)

One wonders how David’s story might have played out if he had gone up on that rooftop with a close friend--someone who had his back-- someone he could have been accountable to?

 How does a Christian keep one’s head above the waters in our over-sexualized culture? By being accountable. By refusing to battle temptation alone.

One of the best ways you can do this is through the use of accountability software. There are a number of programs and mobile apps available (mostly for PC, chromebook, or Android devices) which ensure that you’re never on a “rooftop” alone. They work rather simply: You choose one or two friends that you can be accountable to and they’ll receive a notification if you visit a questionable website or if you attempt to disengage the software. Best of all, installing an accountability app on a mobile device means that a friend has your back wherever you go! Not only is the temptation greatly reduced when you know that all of your Internet activity is an open book, but if you stumble, you have friends who can challenge you, pray for you and encourage you to honour God when you’re online. If you're using an Apple Device, you can also have an accountability partner set up the Screen Time Passcode to enable the free, built-in content and privacy restrictions.

While that kind of openness and honesty might sound uncomfortable, it’s very biblical.

James 5:16a says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (NLT).

We need to foster relationships built on openness and honesty with other Jesus-followers, relationships where we can confess our sins and pray for one another without judgment. While, for many, this might sound a lot like ‘Big Brother’, accountability isn’t something being forced upon you, but it’s an act of your own volition. It’s choosing to never be on the “rooftop” alone. It means allowing a friend to, metaphorically, look over your shoulder.

If you’re someone who struggles with pornography or simply wishes to safeguard your “rooftop” from even the promise of temptation, allowing yourself to be accountable to someone else for your online behaviour is one of the best ways to protect yourself from the pervasiveness and bondage of sexual imagery. Simply tell a friend that you’ve made a commitment to being a person of online integrity, and ask that person to have your back and help ensure that your online activity honours God by helping you set up an accountabilty app or some form of content restriction.

If you’re a parent, it’s also important to safeguard the “rooftop” in order to protect the innocence of your children. No good parent would ever let their child play on a balcony without supervision. No good parent would allow their child to run and play on a rooftop that had no guardrails or safety barriers. Why? Because we know that all it takes is one misstep for that child to fall. They would be just one step, one "click", away from disaster. Safeguarding and monitoring your child’s use of the Internet isn’t paranoid parenting, it’s good parenting. Many parents opt to only allow computers to be used in common-areas of the household, but that alone is often not a very reliable solution, especially when kids and teens often carry unfettered access to the Internet in their pockets.

Thankfully, there are a number of options available to provide more comprehensive protection for the sake of your kids. One option is to install blocking software that restricts Internet access. Another option is to utilize a service that filters your Internet at the point of entry (DNS filter), ensuring that every device in your home is safeguarded. Of course, it would also be wise to install an accountability app or Apple Screen Time on the cell phone your child uses, not secretly, but by explaining to your child the importance and necessity of accountability.

For David, wandering the rooftop by himself led to his greatest moment of moral failure. By our taking a friend along with us and safeguarding the “rooftop” for the people we love, we can learn from David’s mistake and it can help us live as people of integrity in a world jam-packed with opportunity for sexual sin.

CATALYST- THE 12: Part 7, DOUBTING THOMAS

This week we watched a video clip from the A.D. The Bible Continues series, showing Jesus's encounter with Thomas. After Jesus was tortured and killed on a cross and sealed in a tomb for three days, something mind boggling happened. Jesus rose from the dead! He appeared to a bunch of his disciples where they ate and hung out with him… but Thomas wasn’t there—so when he showed up, he just couldn’t believe it. He REFUSED to believe it! Can you blame the guy?

1. THOMAS WAS A SKEPTIC EVEN THOUGH HE WITNESSED MIRACLES FIRST-HAND

Thomas had seen Jesus heal people who had horrendous skin diseases, he saw paralyzed people do a happy dance after encountering Jesus, he had even witnessed Jesus raising their friend Lazarus (THE MUMMY) from the dead…which Jesus did to PROVE his power and PROVE that He was who he said he was! But, even after all of those amazing displays of power, Thomas had a hard time swallowing the fact that Jesus was alive after what he had gone through on the cross.

2. THOMAS WAS A SKEPTIC EVEN THOUGH HIS FRIENDS WERE CONVINCED

His closest friends had quite a tall tale. They said that they had seen Jesus. They had spoken to him. They had touched him for themselves and ate a meal with him. They KNEW that he had risen from the dead. They didn't have cameras or iPhones to convince Thomas. The only proof they had was the reality of their shared experience. Even though Thomas knew that they couldn't possibly lie about something like this, he still refused to believe it.

3. THOMAS ENCOUNTERS JESUS FOR HIMSELF

In John 20:26-29, Jesus shows up. Thomas is astounded. They talk. Thomas feels the wounds in Jesus' hands and side, and he falls to his knees. Thomas cries out, "You are my Lord and my God". It only took a moment for him to be totally convinced.

4. THOMAS' STORY INJECTS "REAL LIFE" INTO THE BIBLE'S ACCOUNT

I love the fact that Thomas was a skeptic. He had seen some amazing things, but he still felt some things were just impossible. Most of us can identify with Thomas. He makes this story real. Most of us would probably react exactly the same. He didn't want to blindly accept what others were saying. He wasn't a part of some cult that discouraged thinking for himself. He wasn't about to believe that Jesus was alive if it wasn't the truth. Thomas is like the detective or judge in the story. He needed to have evidence to reach a verdict. The fact that he became convinced reminds us that his experience was real.

5. THOMAS' ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS CHANGED HIS LIFE

Thomas, like the majority of the other disciples, went on to spend the rest of his life telling others about his experience with Jesus. He told people that Jesus was the Son of God, even when it came at great risk. There was nothing in it for any of them to lie about it. They didn't make millions of dollars in a book or movie deal, but according to tradition, 10 of the 12 were tortured and killed for their faith. Would you die to keep a lie going? Would you allow yourself to be tortured just so that people would believe that a story was true, when it was all make believe? These guys were totally convinced that Jesus was who he said he was.

John wraps up his account of Jesus and Thomas in John 20:30-31,

“Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. But these are written so that you will put faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life”.

The disciples wrote down their experiences and the church passed them on for thousands of years so that the truth wouldn't be lost. Thomas story encourages us that Jesus really did live, die and rise again. Thomas' story is in the Bible so that we could have some basis for our faith.

DISCUSSION

1. Ask your teen what stands out to them the most from Thomas' story. How does it encourage them?

2. All of us have times of doubt, or times when we're a bit skeptical about faith. Take some time to think and share about some times in your lives where you experienced God in an amazing way that helped melt away a lot of those doubts. (Maybe you had an incredible experience with God at camp, or through reading the Bible, or through an answer to prayer or an incredible time of worship).

3. Most of the disciples in our series had one thing in common. After encountering Jesus, their lives were changed. They were so convinced that Jesus was who he said he was that they spent the rest of their lives traveling around telling people this good news. Discuss why we tend to be so apprehensive about being open and honest about our faith today. Pray that God would open up opportunities for you and your teens to talk about what you believe with others. It might be something as simple as when someone asks you what you did on the weekend, that you mention that you were a part of the church on Sunday!

THE 12- PART 6: Judas the Villain

 This week, leading up to Easter, we continued our look at 'THE 12' by focusing our attention on one of the biggest villains of the Bible. In fact, Judas is such a villain that his name is in the dictionary! When you call someone a "Judas", it means that a person is "treacherous enough to betray a friend".

 The Bible tells us that Judas betrayed Jesus, turning him over to armed soldiers in the middle of the night, for 30 pieces of silver. Of course, we also know that he famously betrayed Jesus with a kiss. This helped the soldiers identify who Jesus was, but it was also the ultimate way to betray someone, because a kiss, in that culture, was often a sign of friendship, loyalty and respect.

Matthew 27 tells us that when Judas discovered that Jesus would be condemned to die, he was filled with horror and remorse. He returned to the priests who had payed him for the betrayal and tossed the money on the ground, refusing to keep it. He then ran out and hung himself. His guilt was so great that he committed suicide. This was a pretty horrible end for someone who had spent three years walking, talking and learning from Jesus.

How could this happen? How could a disciple who saw Jesus do the things that he did ever decide to betray him? We don't really have the answers to that question, although it's hinted at in the Bible that it was because he was consumed with greed.

JUDAS WAS GUILTY, BUT THOUGHT HE COULDN'T BE FORGIVEN!

Judas definitely sinned. He was directly involved in the murder of an innocent man for money...but that innocent man also happened to be the Son of God! There are some people who think that Judas could never have been forgiven for what he did, but I tend to disagree.

As a Star Wars fan, I love a good redemption story. Darth Vader was someone who did unspeakable evil (even killing little children), and most people (including Obi-Wan and Yoda) felt that he was beyond redemption-- that he had done just too much evil. But, of course, at the end of Return of the Jedi, we see Vader make the right choice and return to the "light side of the force".

That's just a movie, it's something that happens in real life all of the time. There are people who are in prison for horrendous things, but have experienced God's love and forgiveness. That doesn't mean they get a "get out of jail free" card. Justice still has to be served. But those people can still have their hearts made right with God despite what they've done.

1 John 1:9 says, "But if we confess our sins to God, HE CAN ALWAYS BE TRUSTED to forgive us and take our sins away".

No matter what we do, no matter how badly we sin, no matter how much we hate ourselves for what we've done, Jesus loves us and offers us forgiveness, despite what we deserve. Peter's story is a lot like Judas'. Peter betrayed Jesus, he was filled with horror and remorse, but then he continued to be a disciple, even having a conversation where Jesus offered him love, forgiveness and a new start!

If you've sinned. If you've made choices that God wouldn't be proud of. If you are full of self-loathing and hatred for messing up, Jesus still loves you. The Bible reminds us that you can never be beyond redemption. If you're sorry, if you want a fresh start, all you have to do is tell that to Him. How can you not love someone who offers that kind of insane love and grace to each of us?

DISCUSSION

1. Take a few minutes to read 1 John 1:9 together with your teen. Ask them what it means to "confess our sins". Ask them to explain in their own words what the awesome promise is in this verse. Take some time to thank God for the crazy, hard-to-fathom, love he has for us. We're never beyond the reach of his love and grace!

2. Think of a friend or family member who seems incredibly far from God. Have you given up praying for them? Have you given up believing that God can do a miracle and draw them to himself? Take some time to pray for that person!