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• Google's TAG team finds high-severity bug in Chrome V8
• The bug allows threat actors to run arbitrary code on endpoints
• It is being actively exploited, so users should patch now

Google has fixed a high-severity Chrome vulnerability which was allegedly being exploited in the wild, possibly by nation-state threat actors.

In a new security bulletin, Google said it addressed a type confusion issue in Chrome V8, tracked as CVE-2025-6554, which allowed threat actors to perform arbitrary read/write operations, potentially giving way to sensitive data theft, token exfiltration, or even malware and ransomware deployment.

The V8 engine is Google’s open source high-performance JavaScript and WebAssembly engine used in Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers to execute web code efficiently. The bug caused V8 to incorrectly interpret data, leading to unintended behavior. In theory, a threat actor could serve a specially crafted HTML page to a target, which could trigger the RCE.

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Nation-states and other adversaries

The bug was given a severity score of 8.1/10 - high, and was addressed in versions 138.0.7204.96/.97 for Windows, 138.0.7204.92/.93 for macOS, and 138.0.7204.96 for Linux, on June 26.

In the advisory, Google confirmed the bug was being actively abused, but decided not to share any details until the majority of the browsers are patched. Usually, Chrome automatically installs the patches, but just in case, you might want to head over to chrome://settings/help and allow Chrome to look for updates.

While Google kept the details under wraps, knowing who blew the whistle tells us a little more about potential abusers. The bug was discovered by Clément Lecigne of Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG), a cybersecurity arm that usually investigates nation-state threat actors.

If TAG was looking into this bug, and we know it’s abused in the wild, then it’s safe to assume that it was used by nation-states in highly targeted attacks. Previous V8 flaws have been abused in campaigns against high-profile targets in the past, including journalists, dissidents, IT admins, and similar people.

Via Infosecurity Magazine

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Mous Charging Station with Qi2 review

The Mous Charging Station with Qi2 is a 2-in-1 wireless charger featuring a raised Qi2 pad for compatible smartphone charging and an inlaid Qi pad for wireless earbud charging. It also has an 18W USB-C output on the back and a Pogo connector on the right-hand side, meaning it can be teamed with a USB-C cable or the Mous Elevated Apple Watch Charger to power up additional devices.

Available from the Mous website and Amazon, the Mous Charging Station with Qi2 comes in a choice of three finishes: Walnut, Aramid Fiber, and Matte Black. The list price varies from $79.99 – $89.99 / £69.99 – £79.99, depending on the finish, with Matte Black costing the least, and Aramid Fiber being the most expensive.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

As things stand at the time of writing, I’d highly recommend purchasing this charging station directly from Mous rather than Amazon. This is because Mous includes the 65W power adapter needed to run the charging station efficiently when ordered from their website, but for some reason, one isn’t included when purchasing from Amazon. This would have made some sense if the Amazon listings were discounted, but as I type this, they are in fact more expensive than buying from Mous directly. Go figure!

Aside from this, everything else appears to be the same. There’s a 59-inch / 1.5m USB-C to USB-C charging cable with a soft braided outer included, which, if you’ve seen my guide to the best wireless chargers, you’ll already know is a big positive, as these woven coverings can significantly increase cable lifespan, plus they tend to look a bit nicer, too.

(Image credit: Future)

The charging speeds of the Mous Charging Station with Qi2 delivered were fairly average, taking 132 minutes to fully charge our testing iPhone 13 Pro, which has a 2,600mAh battery capacity, and 269 minutes to charge our 4,610mAh Xiaomi 14, when charged separately.

As it only weighs 9.6oz / 272g, and the non-slip base is a little, well, slippy, this isn’t the sturdiest charging station out there. This light weight is good news if you intend to use it in different locations, but as it was so easy to shuffle it across my desktop every time I touched my phone, I’d wager this isn’t the charging station you’re looking for if you want something that’ll stay put. Skittishness aside, I was pleased with the strong grip of the Qi2 pad and had no concerns over my phone being knocked from it.

The Mous Charging Station with Qi2 looks good aesthetically and appears to be well-made. The materials feel and look nice, including the top surface of the charging station, which is actual walnut, rather than just a printed effect. The entire unit feels suitably robust, with no flexing, despite my best efforts. The only thing that let the aesthetics down was the Mous logo on the top, as some of the white finish was missing, leaving black specks behind.

(Image credit: Future)

I was pleased to find that Mous had used mostly paper-based packaging for the Charging Station with Qi2, though the unnecessary plastic wrap around the housing of the USB-C connectors and what seemed to be a plastic coating on the paper cable ties mean there’s some room for improvement.

For the most part, it was fairly easy to clean the Mous Charging Station with Qi2 when it got dusty, as most of the surfaces were smooth and easy to wipe down. The only sticking points were the fine gap around the edge of the walnut plate, the debossed Mous logo, and the silicone ring of the Qi charging pad, which dust really liked to cling to.

(Image credit: Future)

Overall, I’d say the Mous Charging Station with Qi2 is pretty pricey for an average-performing charging station. That being said, it is very nicely made, and the real Aramid Fiber and Walnut material plates might make it worth the cost if you want something a little more interesting than your run-of-the-mill black plastic finishes. So if aesthetics and the ability to charge extra devices are your top priority, then you’ll be quite happy with the Mous Charging Station with Qi2. If you’ll only be charging one device at a time, and like the sound of good charging speeds at a fraction of the cost of the Mous Charging Station with Qi2, I’d recommend checking out the ESR Qi2 Mini Wireless Charger instead.

Mous Charging Station with Qi2 review: Price & specs

Price

$79.99 – $89.99 / £69.99 – £79.99

Model tested

A839

Output

15W Qi2, 5-7.5W Qi, 18W USB-C, 5W Pogo connector

Devices charged

2 wirelessly, more with add-ons

Connection

USB-C

Charging tech

Qi, Qi2

Recommended input

60W

Weight

272g

Dimensions

175mm x W: 87.5mm x H: 20.1mm​

Should I buy the Mous Charging Station with Qi2?Buy it if…

You want a fancier finish
The use of aramid fiber and walnut sets this charging station apart from its competitors, making it worth considering if you want something a little different from run-of-the-mill black plastic chargers.

You want something expandable
It’s not uncommon to find wireless charging stations with a USB-C output, but as these are often limited to 5W for Apple Watch Charging, it’s good to see an 18W output on offer here. Not only that, there’s the option to add on an Apple Watch charging module via the Pogo connector.

Don't buy it if…

You want a steadfast station
The light weight and inefficient non-slip areas on this dual pad charger meant it wasn’t difficult to knock it around as I charged my phone on my desktop.

You want a charger that’s easy to dust
While the majority of the charger is easy to wipe clean, the silicone areas and gaps on the surface make things more difficult when it comes to keeping this charging station dust-free.

Mous Charging Station with Qi2 review: Also consider

ESR Qi2 Mini Wireless Charger
If you’re after something cheaper and faster, and you’re happy to charge one device at a time, then this Qi2 charging pad is worth considering. It delivered satisfying charging speeds, plus it’s easy to hold and has a reinforced cable, making it a bargain buy considering the low price. If you’d like to learn more, check out my full ESR Qi2 Mini Wireless Charger review.

The announcement came after President Trump in April proposed a steep 46% tariff on Vietnamese imports; he later paused those tariffs while talks continued.

(Image credit: Luong Thai Linh)

The cyber incident was discovered on Monday and is under investigation, according to the airline.

AAA anticipates that a record 72.2 million people will travel this holiday weekend. Here's how to prepare if you're one of them.

(Image credit: David Paul Morris)

• A new rumor suggests Apple could move the logo on the iPhone 17 Pro
• The logo could move down to make space for the new camera bar and to align with the MagSafe magnet ring
• While a minor change, this could give some insight into Apple's priorities

Apple could be making a change to an iconic iPhone design element with the release of the rumored iPhone 17 Pro.

According to new rumors from somewhat reliable tipster Majin Bu (via GSMArena), Apple could move its logo to a lower position on the rear panel of the iPhone 17 Pro.

The possible change has been corroborated in an X (formerly Twitter) post from Apple tipster Sonny Dickson, who posited that the move could align the logo with the phone’s ring of MagSafe magnets.

You may be thinking that a logo moving a few centimeters isn’t a huge story on its own – and in all fairness, you’d be right. This alone isn’t too big of a deal.

However, I think this latest design rumor has the potential to say a lot about where Apple’s priorities lie when it comes to the next generation of iPhone.

Aesthetic alterations

This mock-up, shared by tipster Majin Bu, shows the iPhone 17 Pro with a lower Apple logo. (Image credit: Majin Bu)

This logo tipoff is the latest in a pretty long list of redesign rumors concerning the iPhone 17 lineup, specifically the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

In fact, it seems to me that the strongest and most repeated rumors surrounding the next Pro-level iPhones have concerned the design and aesthetics of the supposedly-upcoming handsets.

As we previously reported, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to get a Google Pixel-like camera bar, a wild departure from the function-led design philosophy of previous generations. Several separate rumors have given us a look at CAD mock-ups and dummy units that seem to confirm the changed design.

Though we have heard of a possible higher-resolution telephoto camera, as well as murmurs of a unified volume and Action button and under-display Face ID, it seems like we could be in for a lighter year when it comes to new iPhone hardware features.

Considered change, or cover up?

It's possible a better telephoto camera could be the only real upgrade to this year's Pro iPhone. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

All of this brings new context to the supposed new logo placement – what was previously a pretty innocuous design update begins to look like meddling for the sake of finding something to change.

And while all of this is based on rumors at the moment, if Apple were to launch the iPhone 17 Pro with only iterative or less-impactful hardware improvements, then these design shakeups would start to look like an effort to draw attention elsewhere.

It wasn’t too long ago that Apple faced considerable backlash for launching the iPhone 14 in a very similar state to the iPhone 13 – Cupertino would be wise to avoid a similar situation this year.

With all that said, it’s also possible that Apple is simply looking to refresh the visual identity of its next-gen handsets, to match the new look of the Liquid Glass design language coming with iOS 26.

So, while the shifting of an Apple logo by a few centimeters might not seem the biggest story, it’s worth keeping an eye on these small changes as we get closer to the expected September launch date of the iPhone 17 series. Be sure to let us know what you think of this rumored change in the comments below.

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• ExpressVPN adds a new "Themes" feature to its mobile apps for visual customization
• Dark Mode is now available to all iOS users for the first time
• The update follows May's major revamp of ExpressVPN's mobile apps

ExpressVPN has unveiled a new Themes feature for its mobile apps to give users more flexibility in how the interface looks and feels.

Most notably, one of the best VPN providers on the market has finally brought full support for the "much anticipated" Dark Mode to iOS devices, too.

The update, which follows May's revamp of ExpressVPN's mobile apps, reflects a subtle shift in how VPN providers approach design – moving beyond pure function to meet user expectations around comfort and customization, without compromising the core privacy experience.

More than just cosmetic

Dark Mode has been a consistent request among ExpressVPN's mobile users, offering a more comfortable viewing experience and potential battery savings for phones with OLED screens.

The company says it wanted to take the time to roll this out properly across platforms, ensuring a seamless visual experience that doesn't compromise usability.

For iOS users, the introduction of Dark Mode marks a notable milestone, closing a feature gap that had persisted compared to Android.

You can now find Dark Mode under the new Twilight mode in the Appearance tab within the Account Settings.

The update adds five Themes modes for both iOS and Android devices (Image credit: ExpressVPN)

Beyond Twilight, the new Themes interface also includes Sand, Midnight, Sky, and System Default modes. Like with Dark mode, you can pick your favorite one by heading to the Appearance tab in your mobile app's Account Settings and customize your app.

Despite seeming like a small change, interface customization matters especially for apps like virtual private networks (VPN) that are opened multiple times a day.

Commenting on this point, ExpressVPN's Chief Information Officer, Shay Peretz said: "Security and style can – and should – go hand in hand. We remain committed to both, with privacy continuing to be our top priority."

As mentioned earlier, the introduction of Themes follows May's revamp of ExpressVPN's mobile apps, which included improvements like a brand-new speed test tool, design and usability upgrades, a server location map, and more.

What this means for ExpressVPN users

The rollout may not be headline-making in the traditional sense, but it underscores a subtle shift: even among security-focused apps, user experience is no longer secondary.

With VPN usage becoming more mainstream, particularly on mobile, updates like Themes help bridge the gap between function and form.

Whether you're switching servers, checking your connection, or leaving the app running in the background, a comfortable, customizable interface makes those daily interactions feel smoother. And for users who've been waiting for Dark Mode on iOS, the wait is finally over.

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• Kelly Benefits confirms thousands of users affected in breach
• Victims are offered free ID theft protection and credit monitoring
• The organization urges users to remain vigilant

Insurance group Kelly Benefits has confirmed suffering a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive information on more than half a million customers.

In a data breach notification published on its website, the company said “suspicious activity” on its network prompted it to bring in third-party forensic specialists for an investigation - and the results showed a threat actor breaching the network between December 12 - 17, 2024, stealing “certain files”.

By early March 2025, Kelly Benefits determined that it lost people’s full names, Social Security numbers, tax ID numbers, dates of birth, medical information, health insurance information, and financial account information. The combination of the data stolen varies from person to person.

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No attribution yet

As is usual in these scenarios, the company also filed a new form with the Office of the Maine Attorney General, stating exactly 553,660 individuals were affected by the attack.

Kelly Benefits provides integrated employee benefits administration, payroll processing, insurance brokerage, and HR services.

Its payroll division alone serves north of 2,000 employers, processing around two million paychecks and issuing more than 100,000 W‑2s forms annually. For benefits, it counts more than 10,000 corporate clients, and covers more than 8,000 individuals.

Among the companies using its services (and as such, being affected by the attack) are United Healthcare, OneAmerica Financial Partners, and Humana Insurance ACE.

The organization did not say who the threat actors were, or what they were looking to achieve. At press time, no groups claimed responsibility for this attack, and the data is yet to leak anywhere on the dark web. In the meantime, Kelly Benefits urged its customers to remain vigilant, and be wary of potential phishing attacks, identity theft, or fraud.

Affected individuals are offered 12 months of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services through IDX.

Via BleepingComputer

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It’s impossible to avoid Microsoft if you’ve got a family full of tech - with laptops, PCs, smartphones and games consoles full of Redmond’s software, they’re everywhere.

But while that might sound all-encompassing, it might not be a bad idea if you need a parental control app. With features that smoothly integrate with your existing tech and a free price, Microsoft Family Safety could be the parental control app that your family needs.

• Interested in Microsoft Family Safety? Check out the website here

Plans and pricing

There’s not much to say here, because Microsoft Family Safety is free - so you don’t have to fork out any cash, you don’t need to investigate different product tiers and their varying features, and you don’t have to mess around hunting for deals or registering for free trials.

Microsoft Family Safety is also included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions and Windows 11 operating systems.

Features

Family Safety runs on Windows, Xbox, Android, and Apple devices, and parents can also use Mac OS computers to access the web dashboard and monitor their children. Bear in mind, though, that you can’t install Family Safety on Mac OS devices used by your children - on Apple’s desktop and laptop OS, it’s a one-way street.

(Image credit: Microsoft Family Safety)

It’s easy to get started with Family Safety - more on that later - and once you’re up and running, the app has a decent set of core parental control features, at least on paper.

Take web filtering, for instance: while this is a core component of any good parental control app and rivals like Qustodio do a tremendous job, on Microsoft Family Safety you’re only able to filter the Microsoft Edge browser. That might work for Microsoft, which wants to keep people using its own software, but that’s not practical in families where people want to use Chrome, Safari or other browsers.

Many alternative browsers are just blocked by the app instead, and it’s possible for parents to block individual websites - and allow favored ones, too.

Frustratingly, Microsoft Family Safety doesn’t let parents see the categories of content it blocks, and users report frequent issues with unsafe websites not being blocked and not being flagged on the parent dashboard.

(Image credit: Microsoft Family Safety)

Family Safety’s screen time functionality didn’t impress all that much, either. Initially, all seems well: you can set schedules for your children’s devices, save them easily, and customize them for different days. On Android, parents can set limits on a per-app basis, too.

But a deeper dive by intrepid users online suggests that device screen time limits don’t work particularly well on Android - some reports suggest that children could continue using their devices even when contravening their scheduled limits.

Elsewhere, app blocking and whitelisting are supported and parents can allow children app access if kids send a request from their phones.

Family Safety’s location tracking features are basic. These features only work in the parents’ app on Android and iOS devices, not the web dashboard. Geofencing is only supported for Microsoft 365 subscribers - so while Family Safety is free, you’ve got to pay for 365 to get access to that feature.

Delve deeper into Family Safety’s location functionality and you will find one innovation - the Drive Safety mode. If a teen activates the feature, parents can see their route, speed and any abrupt braking. It’s welcome, but apps like Bark provide similar functionality.

What’s missing from Family Safety? Sadly, quite a lot. Outside of its web filtering, there’s no social media, messaging app or text message monitoring, and none of the camera and audio features that you’ll find in some more forward-thinking tools. You also can’t shut down or take control of child devices using Microsoft Family Safety.

Interface and in-use

Family Safety is very easy to use: install the app, grant some basic permissions and build a family group using people’s Outlook addresses, phone numbers or alternative emails and you’re good to go.

(Image credit: Microsoft Family Safety)

In a nod towards transparency, children can see the restrictions they’re under on their app’s dashboard.

On Windows devices, functionality is similar - you just make your children a new account on the device rather than using their phone number.

(Image credit: Microsoft Family Safety)

Once you’re all set up, Family Safety is exceedingly easy to use. The interface is clean and spacious with familiar Microsoft green accents, and everything is laid out well - all of the key options are in obvious places.

Support

Microsoft Family Safety’s website includes setup guides, FAQs and troubleshooting tips that should solve most common issues, and Microsoft’s busy forum is also available for more specific queries.

In-app support and reporting is available on Android and iOS, and the central Microsoft support website is available if you need to get in touch with Microsoft – although that does mean delving into the support functionality of one of the world’s biggest companies, and that means a likely slow response.

The competition

There’s no doubt that Family Safety has impressive rivals. Take Qustodio: it has far better web filtering and monitoring than Microsoft’s tool and it’s excellent for families that have lots of devices.

Bark outpaces Microsoft’s tool for social media and email monitoring, too.

Final verdict

There are certainly some areas where Microsoft Family Safety fights back. It’s free, for starters, and is easier to use for families that already use the Microsoft ecosystem through PCs, laptops or games consoles alongside smartphones.

It’s easy to use, too, and has accessible and moderately effective filtering, location-tracking, app management and screen time features.

That said, there are serious limitations in all of those departments, the iOS app is more limited than the Android version, and its rivals – while not free – are far more capable in every key area.

If you want basic parental control without spending any money, Microsoft Family Safety is easy to use and already available for loads of families. But if you’re at all serious about parental control, look elsewhere.

• We've also featured the best free parental control software

• LG will test a new OLED production method for its TV panels
• Potentially brighter, more efficient OLED TVs with less risk of burn-in
• Likely to appear in niche sectors such as in-car displays first

Some time ago we reported on a new kind of TV tech called eLEAP that could solve the long-running problems with the best OLED TVs – and three years since it was announced, it looks like LG could end up putting it into production.

It's known as eLEAP, and it's an alternative way of manufacturing OLED panels. When it was announced in 2022, its focus was on small phone screens. But LG Display is looking at the tech for significantly larger displays, and that means it could be – oh yes – one giant eLEAP for TV technology.

eLEAP promises brighter, more colorful OLEDs and could potentially banish or at least significantly reduce burn-in (Image credit: JDI)Why eLEAP could transform TVs

Conventional OLED panels are made with fine metal masks, which are thin metal plates with lots of tiny holes in them. Those masks ensure that organic material is deposited on the display substrate with pixel-perfect precision to ensure that each pixel lights up uniformly without overlapping or being poorly aligned.

eLEAP does things differently. Instead of fine metal masks it uses a lithography process to create the OLED pixels. And according to trade site The Elec, LG Display already has the appropriate equipment to trial eLEAP in its OLED facility in Paju, South Korea – and it's looking to test on TV-sized panels. Samsung Display is also reportedly testing the technology.

This is a trial, not the beginning of production: LG Display and Samsung Display may still decide not to go ahead with the tech. But it does have the potential to transform OLED manufacturing: the promise of eLEAP is that it'll offer far better efficiency for the OLED pixels, because the light-emitting area is more than doubled compared to a pixel of the same size made using the fine metal mask technique.

That means they're much more energy efficient, so you could have higher brightness without increasing power use – or use less power at the same brightness. That energy efficiency also means less heat generation – and heat is a key cause of OLED burn-in, so there'd be little danger of the higher brightness causing a burn-in problem.

There is also the potential for eLEAP to be more efficient to actually produce, which would mean cheaper OLED panels, which may mean cheaper TVs – or, at least, maybe mid-range OLEDs such as the LG C5 could finally get significantly brighter without becoming as expensive as the flagship LG G5.

However, even if the trials are successful it's likely to be some time before we'll see the tech in our TVs: according to The Elec the short-term use case is in "niche OLED panels, such as those 20-inch to 30-inch in size or those used in vehicles." However, the fact that LG is testing it in panels of TV size at all is great news for its potential use in the future for better home entertainment.

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• Ironheart's producers have teased what's next for Riri Williams in the MCU
• The Disney+ show's finale is full of unresolved story threads
• They also discussed whether she'll ever get her comic-accurate super-suit

Two members of Ironheart's producing team have teased what's next for the titular hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

With the Disney+ show having come to a close on July 1 or 2 (depending on where you live), the fates of many of its characters are left up in the air. That, coupled with the Marvel TV series' finale also being littered with unresolved plot threads, indicates that Riri Williams' MCU journey is far from over.

However, the eponymous character's MCU future is uncertain. Despite being positively received by critics – read my Ironheart review if you haven't yet – ahead of its late June launch, fan reception to Ironheart has, as evidenced by its 53% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, been mixed at best.

On other review aggregation websites, the final Marvel Phase 5 project has even been the subject of a vicious review-bombing campaign, and has been labeled "woke" due to its black female lead and diverse supporting cast. It's unclear when – or even whether – we'll see Dominique Thorne's flawed hero again.

Ironheart's creative team can't say where she'll appear next. However, producer Zoie Nagelhout told me that the show's cliff-hanger ending – read more in my Ironheart ending explained article – was devised to allow Marvel Studios to pick up Riri's story whenever it's most convenient to do so.

Where do you think Riri Williams will appear next? (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

"When we tell stories in the MCU, it's always the intention that there'll be more stories to tell," Nagelhout said. "Our job was to tell the best version of this series and, in doing so, leave the door open for future storytelling.

"Where that'll go and when is above our pay grade. Really, only {Marvel President] Kevin Feige knows, but it certainly was our task to leave those options open. There are storylines in the comics that would be fun to dip into, but we also think that letting these characters organically reappear where it makes the most sense is the Marvel way."

Riri Williams' newest super-suit in the MCU isn't the same one she famously wears in the comics (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

And what are the chances of Riri Williams finally designing the iconic pink and black armored suit she famously sports in Marvel Comics? Nagelhout's fellow producer Sev Ohanian wouldn't confirm if that would ever happen, but he teased such a possibility arising if Williams sticks around in the MCU for the long haul.

"Some of the best Marvel characters don't necessarily get their most iconic suits right out the gate, right?" he told me ."Many of the Avengers have eventually got theirs [in the MCU].

"But, for us, landing on the core element of who Riri is, she doesn't have the resources that someone like Tony Stark had," he added. "She has to make do with what she can find, scrap, and steal. All of those things land on the piece of material that means the most to her [the red and black muscle car that Riri's late stepdad owned]. That's the closest to her heart and, being what it was, using to make her suit at the end of this season was a good opportunity. As far as whether we'll ever get to see that suit, I certainly hope so."

Do you want to see Riri Williams again in the MCU? Would you like her to get her pink and black suit sometime soon, too? Let me know in the comments.

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If your family uses Android devices and you don’t want to pay extra for one of the best parental control apps, then it can be tempting to turn to Google Family Link – Android’s own parental control suite.

Unsurprisingly, this tool works well with Google’s own apps, like Search, Chrome and YouTube, and it can save you money because you’re not investing elsewhere.

But a deeper dive into its features reveals some missing capabilities when compared to other apps – so let’s find out if it’s a false economy.

• Want to try Google Family Link? Check out the website here

Features

We’ve skipped our usual “Plans and pricing” section because there’s nothing to say beyond the fact that this app is free.

Before you get started, it’s worth checking Family Link’s device compatibility, too. For kids, Family Link is compatible with Android devices running version 7.0 or higher. However, only certain settings will function on devices using Android 5.0 or 6.0. There’s no kids app for iOS.

For parents, the control app runs on Android devices running Android 5.0 or higher or iOS devices running iOS 11 or higher.

That last point is a boon because it means you can use Family Link on children’s devices even if you’re a parent on iOS.

(Image credit: Google Family Link)

Family Link allows users to set screen time controls, including downtime and app-specific time limits. Parents can also manage app, website, and extension permissions and downloads through the control software.

You can always see your child’s location thanks to Google’s mapping prowess, too.

(Image credit: Google Family Link)

Delve into many of these features, though, and you’ll discover that they’re relatively basic.

You can set device usage limits and restricted times for your children, with support for 15-minute increments, so they won’t be browsing their phones during school hours or bedtime, for instance.

Device locking is supported, and you can also give your children always-on access to certain apps. But when compared to other tools, like Bark or Qustodio, Google’s Family Link is pretty basic here.

The filtering is relatively rudimentary, too. While there’s no doubt that Google’s SafeSearch filtering works very well by blocking or blurring unsuitable text and images, other apps offer dozens of categories to choose from if you want to block specific topics, and you can’t go any further than SafeSearch here. You can block certain sites and allow others, but you’ll have more control elsewhere. And while Family Link filters YouTube, too, the options here are still fairly basic.

More impressive is Family Link’s app capability. You can see exactly which apps your children have installed and either block or limit their usage individually.

Content restrictions are available for Google Play, and you can prevent your children from making purchases as well – handy if you want them to stop spending a lot of money on addictive games. You can also prevent app installation from unknown sources and stop your children from adding or removing users from their devices or delving into the Developer options.

Unsurprisingly, Google’s location tracking is very accurate, and you can set up geofenced locations with decent radius limits – although other apps are even wider here.

You’ll get notified if children leave the area. One smart addition is the ability to view your child’s battery status, allowing you to spot if they’re about to run out of charge, too.

One notable omission here, though, is location history – it’s simply not available.

Elsewhere, Family Link doesn’t include text or call monitoring, and across basically every part of the app you don’t get the granular control you’ll find on other tools. Other apps also offer more comprehensive activity monitoring, including email and social media monitoring. And when your kids are 13, they can opt out of the monitoring if they wish.

Interface and in-use

As you’d expect from a Google app, Family Link is a sleek and minimalist piece of software that looks clean and uncluttered. It’s easy for parents and kids to navigate most of the settings available, which means setup is quick.

That’s great if you want an app that doesn’t overwhelm you with information, but it also means that some crucial bits of info can be hard to find.

(Image credit: Google Family Link)

You’ll need to use different screens to check children’s app and YouTube usage, for instance, and you'll also have to delve into various menus to view their web history. Many competitors make it easier to access this information, offering more centralized access to reports, alerts, and details.

Setup is easy, at least: because this is an official Google product, you don’t have to deal with the sideloading that's sometimes required elsewhere.

Support

Unsurprisingly, from a computing behemoth like Google, Family Link’s support is a little sporadic and impersonal.

If you need help you’ll need to go through Google’s official channels, and you’ll probably not get a fast response.

Thankfully, there are plenty of good knowledge base articles in the help center, but that’s it. If you want more extensive or faster support, a dedicated app will be far better.

The competition

Norton Family, for instance, has much better support, with live chat, and Qustodio has phone support available for people in certain tiers.

There’s also no denying that those apps are more extensive in terms of features, even if competitors fall short in certain areas: Norton doesn’t do well with text and call monitoring either, and Qustodio can be pricey.

Final verdict

Google Family Link’s free price is one of its biggest selling points, then, and elsewhere its key strength comes from its granular, powerful app controls and its decent screen time and scheduling options.

Go beyond this, though, and Google Family Link is lacking. You may have to pay for rivals, but they have far more extensive filtering and location tracking and work on a broader array of devices.

Google Family Link is ideal if you want to use it alongside one of those apps, perhaps to control Google Play usage or double up on filtering to have an extra safety net. But it’s just not powerful enough to function as your primary parental control tool.

• We've picked out the best free parental control software

The best parental control apps, like Bark, are becoming increasingly popular as the web gets increasingly dangerous for young people – and with features like screen time management, website and app blocking and location tracking available, it’s no wonder.

Bark was founded by Brian Bason, the current CEO, in 2015. It’s grown to become one of the biggest names in the parental control space, with 7.5 million children covered by its services – and, admirably, it’s detected millions of potential self-harm and bullying situations alongside loads of other threats.

Should you consider Bark for your parental control needs, though, or should you look elsewhere? Let’s find out.

Plans and pricing

Bark’s core service, its monitoring app, is available with two different plans. The more affordable plan, Bark Jr, costs $5 per month or $49 per year and allows parents to control screen time, filter websites and apps and monitor for appropriate content. It also offers location tracking and check-in features.

The more expensive plan, Bark Premium, costs $14 per month or $99 for a year and adds social media, email, and YouTube monitoring on phones, tablets, and computers. That pricier product also includes advice and tips from child psychologists and web search monitoring.

Bear in mind that right now the app only works in the US, Guam, South Africa and Australia.

Bark’s size and popularity mean that the company has branched out beyond the app, too.

The Bark Phone integrates many of the app’s features into a kid-friendly smartphone with automatic monitoring capabilities. The Starter Plan costs $29 per month and doesn’t allow apps, social media or browsing, so it’s ideal for younger children. The Advanced Plan costs $39 per month and adds those features – with parental controls – for older children.

The Bark Watch monitors texts, tracks locations, manages contacts, and includes an emergency SOS button. It costs $15 per month and includes a Bark Premium subscription.

Finally, there’s Bark Home, which is a small device that connects to your home internet to monitor screen time, content and apps for every device in your home. It costs $6 per month.

Features

We’re here to discuss the Bark app, though, and there’s no denying that there’s plenty to talk about.

Firstly, it’s essential to note that, like many parental control tools, Bark can monitor various services and apps on both Android and iOS devices. This is because of how easily Bark’s software works with those operating systems. For Bark, Android is the most comprehensive platform.

On Android, Bark currently monitors 27 different apps. The list includes big social media names, like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X and TikTok, alongside messaging services like WhatsApp, Kik, Slack and Discord. It covers cloud storage services like OneDrive and Google Drive, apps like ChatGPT, Spotify and Steam, and gaming platforms like Roblox.

(Image credit: Bark)

Beyond that, Bark on Android monitors Google Chrome, Firefox, and the device's default browsers, email clients including Outlook, Gmail, AOL, Comcast, and iCloud, and the device’s texts, photos, and videos.

On iOS, add Yahoo Mail to the list. On Apple’s platform, Bark only includes complete monitoring for 15 apps, and that list does not include TikTok, Snapchat, Skype or Discord.

When a potential event is detected, the parent gets a real-time alert to intervene, and different alerting methods are available, including texts, emails, or push notifications.

(Image credit: Bark)

Bark also offers comprehensive features to limit children’s online time, including blocking websites and controlling screen time with a range of granular options – although it's worth noting that a complete website history is not available. Bark will only update you if it’s flagged for your chosen topics.

But, with Bark, that’s the idea. It’s not a keylogger or a tracker, and relies on a certain level of trust between parent and child – so you get alerting and reporting, but not a complete picture.

A similar approach is deployed for Bark’s location tracking. You get alerts when your children are at specific locations, rather than 24/7 tracking. If they drive, you get a summary of their travel and top speed.

Elsewhere, Bark is a smart bit of software with some unfortunate blind spots. Its machine learning is great at catching the latest trends and slang words, and it can spot if your child is using VPNs or trying to create alternative accounts for services and apps, but it can’t block offline apps.

To play into the trust involved here, children can uninstall Back – albeit with a warning. If they try to install risky apps, parents will get a warning and parents can block, but that’s not automatic.

Interface and in-use

Bark’s apps and desktop interfaces are excellent: clear, straightforward, and attractive. A dashboard provides a summary of the rules you’ve set for your children and their activity over the last seven days, and parents get a weekly report via email too.

Individual reports are clear, which makes it easy to see what’s been flagged and why, and alerts that need attention are displayed prominently.

(Image credit: Bark)Support

Bark offers email and live chat support, online guides and forums, and an AI assistant can provide easy access to articles and triage basic issues.

On the Bark website you’ll find how-to videos that explain the app’s key features, and plenty of support articles.

There isn’t any phone support, though, which may be a dealbreaker for parents who want quick responses while talking to a real person.

The competition

Bark faces plenty of competition as one of the larger names in the sector. Qustodio is one of the other big names, and it suffers from some of the same issues: it’s far more powerful on Android than on iOS, for starters.

It’s stronger on screen time limits and web filtering, but it’s a little more expensive.

Elsewhere, Google Family Link is free, even if it’s a bit more basic than Bark, and Mobicip is a good alternative if you want real-time activity monitoring and location tracking.

Bark: Final verdict

Bark may not have every feature available, but it does excel when it comes to tracking key social media apps and other services that are popular with kids and teens – indeed, few apps track as many apps on Android as Bark.

Elsewhere, Bark is easy to use and relatively affordable, making it a good option for maintaining some level of trust with your children.

Be aware, though, that it only works in certain countries, and it’s not suitable if you want an app that provides complete tracking.

• We've picked out the best free parental control software

Jacob Soboroff of NBC News says the Trump administration promised to deport the "worst of the worst" criminal immigrants, but is now detaining undocumented workers with no serious criminal record.

There are few more prominent names in cybersecurity than Norton. Norton Family tries to leverage that recognition and trust into one of the best parental control apps that protects your children when they’re using the internet.

With a wide feature set that includes screen time controls, inappropriate content filters, app restrictions, and location checkers, it’s clear that Norton Family provides many of the options that busy families with digitally savvy children need.

Some of the features have more depth than you’ll find on other parental control apps, too, but there are questions about how effective Norton Family is on Apple’s iOS platform – so let’s find out if Norton’s product is the right option for protecting your children.

Plans and pricing

Norton Family gets off to an impressive start: it costs just $49.99/£29.99 per year. That stellar price undercuts many rivals – top tools like Qustodio and Bark cost $89.36/£69.95 and $99 for a year of access to their upper-tier products. Mobicip’s pricing also sits in the same category as Qustodio and Bark.

Because Norton offers so many consumer cybersecurity products, it’s easy to get Norton Family included in other products.

Norton 360 Deluxe, for instance, includes Norton’s parental control features alongside a secure VPN, dark web monitoring, and scam protection. It costs $49.99/£29.99 for the first year, with a renewal price of $119.99/£89.99.

And if you want to add even more features, Norton 360 Premium or Select Plus costs $99.99/£99.99.

Those prices may look high, but remember that they’re for broader security products that happen to include Norton Family features, so they still represent excellent value.

If you’re still unsure if Norton Family is right for you, there’s a thirty-day free trial – a generous offer that’s longer than many other free trials. Bear in mind, though, that there’s no free version of Norton Family.

Features

Web filtering is one of Norton Family’s strongest areas. Parents can block websites using 45 pre-defined categories of inappropriate content – more than many rivals.

Norton tries to give children some trust with its web filtering too: parents can choose to warn children about sites and let them decide whether to proceed. Kids will also be able to see why particular sites have been blocked.

Differing access levels are also allowed depending on age groups, with specific categories of content permitted for older children, and there is the usual option to allow or block specific sites.

Norton also monitors how your children use search engines, and has an option to always enable safe searching across various browsers on Android – but on iOS, this only works using Norton’s own browser. Also note that Norton Family doesn’t work on child Mac OS devices at all.

Reports for parents show your child’s web history, including which blocked sites they’ve tried to access, their search histories and their YouTube history. Norton’s web filtering works across Android and iOS, with browser extension options for desktop and laptop browsers. It’s a comprehensive, effective system.

The impressive filtering extends to apps, too. Parents are presented with a list of apps installed on child devices, blocking is simple, and each app has an activity report for parents to see when the app was installed and how much it’s used. Newly-installed apps are even given a special highlight on Android devices.

Set a device to school time and it can only access educational web categories (Image credit: Norton)

The only thing missing here is the ability to set app time limits – a feature you’ll find on many rivals, including Qustodio.

Norton’s screen time schedules can be built in thirty-minute increments – that’s fine, but apps like Mobicip allow more granular control. Parents can set screen time limits on different days or just restrict devices at night, and it also has a selection of effective pre-defined schedules for children of different ages. There’s also a specific module for setting more restrictive limits during school hours – that education option includes additional web filtering to further restrict the content children can access.

Kids can request more screen time – a feature you’ll find in Mobicip but not in Qustodio – and screen time reports are displayed easily, with clear graphs showing usage.

(Image credit: Norton)

Norton Family includes the usual array of location-based features. There’s real-time tracking, and the geofencing tool includes a generous radius of 3,200m (2 miles) – the largest we’ve seen on any parental control app.

Parents can set up alerts to find out where kids are located at particular times of day. Norton’s emphasis on trusting children also extends to an option where kids can perform check-ins and choose to share their location – rather than parents automatically viewing the location.

Elsewhere, Norton allows parents to instantly lock child devices and prevent app uninstallation with additional security features, but Norton Family does not monitor text messages or calls – or what your children are posting and messaging on social media apps. If you do need that feature, Bark is your best option.

Interface and in-use

Norton’s parental control apps are available on Android, iOS and the Edge, Chrome and Firefox browsers, while child apps can be installed on Android, Windows and iOS devices.

No matter what platform you’re using, Norton Family is very easy to set up with a familiar process that requires account registration and allowing the typical range of app permissions on child devices.

That ease-of-use continues to using Norton Family. The kids apps allow children to browse the web using the Norton Family Browser and it’s easy for children to find the option to send a check-in to parents, see the rules they’ve been set, or ask for a time extension.

Parent apps are similarly well designed, with clean design and options in sensible places. Altering settings is simple, and the app's web version is just as straightforward to use.

Support

Norton Family’s entry-level support module includes loads of helpful, well-produced guides and a busy forum for asking questions. If you need to contact Norton support, there are phone and live chat options that are open 24/7 – the benefit of dealing with a large business like Norton rather than a smaller organization that can’t provide that level of access.

If you’d like more support, including faster access to experts, then you can also pay for Norton Ultimate Help Desk. This provides quicker and more comprehensive support, but it costs $99.99/£99.99 annually.

Also note that Norton’s array of support options doesn’t always mean you’ll get a good answer.

The sheer size of Norton means that some users report that some of Norton’s customer support representatives are not particularly helpful with queries about Norton Family features – if you’ve got a specific query then you’ll need to get lucky and land a knowledgeable support representative if you don’t want to get generic and vague answers.

The competition

Still, those support options are excellent, and align with what you get with Qustodio’s Care Plus package. Bark’s support is reasonable, but it still can’t compete.

Elsewhere, Norton competes reasonably well on value thanks to its great pricing, but its biggest competitors offer more features: Qustodio is stronger on call and SMS monitoring, and Bark is better with social media.

MMGuardian is worth considering if you want improved web filtering, and Mobicip has great scheduling and screen time functionality, even if it fails on social media and messaging in the same way as Norton.

Final verdict

Norton Family, then, sits in a tricky spot. It’s an effective, competent parental control product that offers great value and a good range of features – and it’s very easy to use, too.

However, it falls behind on social media, call and text message monitoring, and it could perform better on iOS, too. And, importantly, rivals go better in all of these areas, with more power and innovation.

There’s still a place for Norton Family, though: it’s a good, well-rounded parental control app, it’s affordable, and it’s very easy to use. It helps that it’s included with many other Norton apps too.

If you want a straightforward, effective tool that’s easy to use – and trust Norton’s brand and other products – then this is worth its good-value prices. But if you need social media or messaging monitoring, or want more power, then shop around.

• We've also featured the best free parental control software

• Microsoft pulls the plug on its Startups program in favour of a new scheme
• From July 2025, startups will need to join a two-track system
• For the most credits, startups will need a referral

Microsoft has pulled the plug on a popular program designed to support startups by offering them up to $150,000 in Azure credits, according to a new memo posted on 27 June, 2025, but it's not gone forever.

Instead, the company is making changes to the program – Microsoft will continue to support startups, but this time via a two-track system that gets its support from investors as well as the company itself.

Microsoft stressed existing activated credits remain valid until they expire, however new applicants will be guided down the two-track system, which came info effect on July 1.

Microsoft for Startups program undergoes a big shift

The new program will first consist of an investor-backed track – arguably the most valuable to startups.

It consists of $100,000+ in Azure credits, but requires a referral from an affiliated investor, such as accelerators, venture capitalists and universities. Eligible startups can also unlock additional benefits based on program engagement and their investor.

Dedicated support channels, co-marketing initiatives and tailored resources are also available.

Secondly is the self-service track, which is open to startups with no investor backing that are new to Azure. Up to $5,000 in Azure credits are available, comprising $1,000 that are available for 90 days upon signup and a further $4,000 that remain available for 180 days after business verification.

However, there is no dedicated support on this track – it's self-serve only.

The abrupt change could cause disruption to many startups who may have already budgeted based on the previous $150,000 credit availability, with most startups unlikely to refocus their strategies given the short notice period.

It's unclear how the changes could affect Microsoft's model, too, with Google offering up to $200,000 in credits (or $350,000 for eligible AI startups) and AWS offering up to $100,000 and an additional $30,000 for startups using AWS Trainium or Inferentia.

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• NordVPN has been recognized for its ability to detect and block phishing websites
• NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro blocked 90% of phishing websites in the test
• Threat Protection Pro is available for NordVPN Plus, Complete, and Ultra subscribers

NordVPN’s phishing protection has been again certified by AV-Comparatives, further cementing its status as the best VPN on the market today. This adds to the growing evidence of the effectiveness of NordVPN’s anti-malware tool, Threat Protection Pro.

AV-Comparatives, an independent testing lab, had already recognized Threat Protection Pro’s ability to detect and block phishing websites in 2024. A repeat result in 2025 sees NordVPN awarded an anti-phishing certification for the second year running.

Threat Protection Pro detected 90% of phishing URLs in AV-Comparatives comprehensive testing, well ahead of the 85% minimum required to earn the anti-phishing certification. The news means that NordVPN is still the only VPN with certified phishing protection.

How Threat Protection protects you from phishing sites

Threat Protection Pro is available only on Windows and MacOS devices (Image credit: Future)

Introduced to NordVPN’s feature lineup in June 2024, Threat Protection Pro helps NordVPN users avoid not only phishing attempts, but a variety of other online dangers including tracking, malware, ads, and scams.

"Phishing websites are one of the biggest threats to internet users worldwide. They steal personal data, login credentials, and financial information from unsuspecting users," said Product Director at Threat Protection, Dominickas Virbickas. "We put our greatest effort into protecting our customers from the consequences caused by these sites."

Threat Protection Pro is available with NordVPN Plus, Complete, and Ultra subscription plans. Subscribers to the Basic tier won’t have access to Threat Protection Pro and its independently certified phishing protection but do benefit from Threat Protection.

Not to be confused with Threat Protection Pro, Threat Protection is a DNS filter capable of blocking ads and malicious domains. In contrast, Threat Protection Pro works at the URL and Javascript level and, unlike Threat Protection, doesn’t require you to be connected to a NordVPN server to benefit from its protection.

NordVPN is still the only VPN with certified phishing protection

This isn’t the first time NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro anti-malware tool has been recognized by AV-Comparatives.

In 2024, it ranked as the third-best software for avoiding online shopping scams out of 35 competitors, emerging as a top tool for avoiding online shopping scams.

Two more independent audits further confirmed NordVPN's blocking capabilities. Experts at AV-Test awarded NordVPN as the winner among five recognized VPN providers. During testing from West Coast Labs (WCL), NordVPN scored a hugely impressive 99.8% malware protection rate.

What else you can do to prevent phishing attacks

Threat Protection Pro has been proven to offer a solid line of defence against increasingly sophisticated phishing attacks. However, there are still some things you can do to further reduce your risk of falling victim:

• Think before you click. Tell-tale signs of phishing attempts include poor spelling or grammar. Scare tactics are also common in an effort to prompt you into action. When in doubt, re-read messages and carefully check the sender’s contact information.
• Enable two-factor authentication. Make use of two-factor authentication (2FA) which adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts. It requires you to provide an additional method of authentication to log in, such as a code sent to your phone.
• Check for HTTPS. Get in the habit of checking URLs in your browser’s address bar. When you do this, check for HTTPS and confirm the domain is correct. Some URL changes can be difficult to detect such as a number “1” instead of the letter “l”.
• Keep devices and software up-to-date. Phishing attacks may look to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities. Keeping your devices and software updated via official sources helps close off these vulnerabilities.
• Verify the source. Phishing often relies on impersonation with messages designed to look like they’ve come from someone you trust. If at all suspicious, you should avoid clicking or replying and instead contact the person or organization via official channels to verify the message’s authenticity.

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If you’ve spent any time researching the best parental control apps, then you will have heard of Qustodio – it’s one of the most prominent names in the sector. It’s been around for over a decade, it’s been trusted by over seven million parents, and the app’s systems have averted over three billion threats.

That’s an impressive resume and, on paper, it’s backed by an impressive slate of features, too. But can Qustodio earn your vote ahead of big rivals like Bark, Norton Family or MMGuardian?

(Image credit: Qustodio)Plans and Pricing

The Qustodio experience starts with a refreshingly straightforward look at pricing, with two paid tiers available.

The Basic package offers core functionality and costs $43.37/£33.95 a year – the equivalent of just $4.25/£3.33 per month.

With the Basic package, you get daily time limits, web filtering, location monitoring, game and app blocking and the ability to pause internet access for your children’s phones. It’s a solid core product with a more generous offer than the basic package you’ll find elsewhere.

The Complete product, at $89.36/£69.95 annually, adds AI-powered alerts, social media monitoring, custom routines, app time limits and additional monitoring, and allows parents to add unlimited devices to the account.

It’s a decent offer, especially when many premium products restrict how many devices you can monitor.

Bark and MMGuardian are both pricier than Qustodio, but Norton Family is even cheaper.

There’s a free version of Qustodio, too, that offers web filtering, daily time limits, 7-day activity reports and the ability to pause the internet, but it only protects one device, so it’s understandably limited.

Features

Qustodio offers good value, then, and it also serves up a good range of features.

It’s possible to filter out inappropriate apps, games and websites easily, and pick categories for whitelisting, alerting or total blocking. Parents can access alternative recommendations to apps that kids aren’t allowed to access, and even deploy conversation starters, approved by child psychologists, to start conversations about web browsing and internet use.

With Qustodio you can block unknown websites, automatically enable safe searches in common browsers, and receive alerts if your child searches for inappropriate content.

Qustodio offers more than 25 web filtering categories, but there’s no option within the app for kids to request access to particular websites – a feature you’ll find on Norton Family.

Qustodio allows parents to set screen time allowances for every day of the week, and also set time limits for individual apps – and use the in-built app monitoring and detection to automatically sort over 25,000 apps into categories for easier blocking or accessing.

It’s easy to create different routines and switch between them and, if you need to step in quickly, there’s an option to pause internet access on child devices or block the device completely.

And if parents want to reward their children or be a little more lenient, it’s easy to add screen time and see a new limit once that extra time has been granted.

Different rules can be used to govern screen time use between browsers and apps, there are varying “modes” that alter access for bedtime, leisure time and study time, and custom schedules are very easy to build.

(Image credit: Qustodio)

A straightforward map allows parents to spot child locations, geofencing is supported – albeit with a tiny 200m radius – and you can see location histories.

Call and SMS tracking and reading are supported on both Android and iOS, with full message details available, and parents can block phone numbers on child devices. You’ll get alerts for suspect content.

When it comes to reporting on all of this, Qustodio is similarly comprehensive. A real-time dashboard provides easy access to each child's digital activity, including an activity timeline, screen time and browsing history, and parents can access more detailed daily or weekly reports.

Qustodio is also forging ahead with some AI-based content, too, with AI-powered alerts that notify parents of any worrying searches, conversations or social media activity based on chosen topics or categories. That’s great, but it’s worth noting that Qustodio is a little weak on social media monitoring – it monitors messages on WhatsApp, Instagram and LINE, but that’s it.

In terms of other features, Qustodio allows parents to limit social media use, get app-based insights, and add additional parents or guardians to the software.

The app is also comprehensive when it comes to device support. As well as working on Android and iOS, which is a given for parental control apps these days, it works on Windows and Mac OS tech, Chromebooks, and Kindles. Additionally, parents can monitor child devices using Qustodio’s web interface.

As usual, though, be prepared that not every feature works on every platform. You don’t get WhatsApp alerts on iOS, for instance, and there’s no location, call or SMS monitoring on Mac OS or Windows. Android is the only platform that features a panic button.

Interface and in use

Qustodio has one of the best interfaces we’ve seen on any parental control app. As well as having a straightforward layout that places everything where you’d expect, Qustodio packs its apps and web interfaces with helpful tips and explanations about features and how they work.

A selection of Quick Actions provides fast access to common tasks, and the activity summary does a fantastic job of presenting key data in an attractive and intuitive format.

(Image credit: Qustodio)

Child apps are simple enough for even the youngest children to understand what’s going on, and if you’re a parent who wants to dive deeper into the settings, you won’t get lost – the effective UI continues here.

It’s typically easy to get started, too: download the app, register an account, set up child profiles and tick all of the permissions, and you’re ready to start building schedules, monitoring devices and protecting your kids.

Customer Support

Qustodio makes a big deal about ensuring that its service is easy to use for busy parents who may not have a deep understanding of technology, and this attitude extends to its support functionality.

There are loads of helpful articles in the FAQ section, many of which have screenshots, and the guides that illustrate how to set up the app, use basic features and manage your account are particularly good.

If you need support and you use the Basic package, it’s managed through a contact form – sadly there’s no phone support, chatbot or live chat available here, but users report that they always receive helpful, polite form responses within 24 hours.

If you’re a Complete user, you get access to Care Plus. This adds phone support, personalized guidance and ongoing check-ins for parents who want more from their parental control app. And, impressively, Care Plus has an average resolution rate of 97% and an average resolution time of 15 minutes.

While it’s included for free with the Complete package, it costs $10.21/£7.99 to add it to the Basic product.

The Competition

As a big name in the parental control space, Qustodio has some big rivals – but it does a brilliant job of competing.

Norton Family, for instance, is more affordable than Qustodio but not as good at call or SMS monitoring. And MMGuardian isn’t as easy to use as Qustodio and is a bit more expensive, too.

Bark is probably Qustodio’s best competitor. It’s far better with social media, but is more limited on iOS and doesn’t provide a full web history, and it’s also a little more expensive.

Final Verdict

Those factors leave Qustodio looking like a particularly strong parental control option. It has superb filtering, scheduling and screen time options, AI-based additions, solid location features and excellent design, reporting and platform support.

Its customer support is great if you have the Complete product, the apps are all easy to use, and the pricing is fair, too – either competing or undercutting many rivals. The only downside is weak social media monitoring and a relatively small geofencing zone.

That social media monitoring drawback could be a dealbreaker for many families but, in almost every other area, Qustodio is a winner – it’s one of the best parental control apps on the market.

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• Windows 10 PCs are getting an update stealthily installed
• The under-the-radar arrival of KB5001716 may confuse some folks
• This patch is deployed to versions of Windows which are about to run out of support, and it'll nudge you to make a move to keep your PC secure

Windows 10 PCs are getting an update stealthily piped to them, and some folks may be confused as to what it is.

The good news is that it's nothing to worry about as such – although the update is a bit of an oddity, and it does herald the end of Windows 10 (I'll come back to why momentarily).

Neowin noticed the arrival of the patch labelled KB5001716, and observed that this is an upgrade that Microsoft deploys ahead of 'force-installing' a new feature update.

That's somewhat dramatic phrasing for KB5001716 being pushed to Windows versions which are about to run out of support – hence the users will indeed need to upgrade soon, or they'll be left without security updates (and potentially open to vulnerabilities that could be exploited as a result).

So technically, the comment about a forced installation is true, but only because the upgrade is a necessary move to ensure the safety of the host PC.

Here's what Microsoft tells us about this patch: "After this update is installed, Windows may periodically display a notification informing you of problems that may prevent Windows Update from keeping your device up-to-date and protected against current threats. For example, you may see a notification informing you that your device is currently running a version of Windows that has reached the end of its support lifecycle."

In this case, the update is being quietly installed on PCs running the latest version of Windows 10, which is 22H2, as well as 21H2 – the latter is already out of support, mind you. (As is Windows 11 21H2, which Microsoft also lists as receiving this patch currently, rather oddly).

Analysis: the beginning of the end

(Image credit: Microsoft)

What this really represents is Microsoft preparing the ground for the end of Windows 10, which happens in October of this year. With this patch now being installed on all Windows 10 PCs, as noted, those machines will receive periodic notifications warning that the operating system is about to run out of support (and security updates).

Microsoft is keeping something of a tight rein on those nudges (which will doubtless mention upgrading to Windows 11), though. The company notes that they "will respect full screen, game, quiet time and focus assist modes" meaning that they won't be overly intrusive. And hopefully they won't be too regular, either.

So, if you've been worried about the appearance of this update, there's no need to fret. It's not a big deal, although that said, it is in some respects, in terms of the fuse effectively being lit for the final countdown with Windows 10.

There are only three months left to go before the End of Life of the older OS now, and so there is some urgency to act. If you can't upgrade to Windows 11 due to falling short of the system requirements, you need to be thinking about alternatives (or getting an extra year of support).

I think it would really help if Microsoft was clearer about what this update is. In fact, KB5001716 is rolled out to PCs every time a support deadline for a version of Windows is imminent. Indeed, in the past, we have seen reports of this patch failing to install because it's already present on the system.

Strictly speaking, that shouldn't happen – due to the patch only being pushed out to versions of Windows that are at death's door, as noted – but if it does somehow, the solution is simple. Uninstall the existing copy of KB5001716 in Windows Update, and the new one should then patch successfully. Otherwise, it'll keep repeatedly failing, which will doubtless get tiresome quite swiftly.

Overall, this is a somewhat odd approach from Microsoft for managing dying Windows versions. It's not surprising that KB5001716 can cause some confusion, in terms of the stealthy, and repeated (over the years), installation of this 'update for Windows Update' as the company bills it.

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Combs was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but the jury found him not guilty on the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.

(Image credit: Kevin Winter)