AppCertain: The App to Monitor Apps

In today’s booming digital age, children are using mobile devices at an increasingly younger age. How can we be sure that they’re safe? AppCertain is here to help with their innovational mobile application that can monitor the use of a child’s access to apps. It even has the ability to temporarily turn off access altogether. Grimey Gatsby had the pleasure of speaking to AppCertain’s Co-Founder and CEO, Spencer Whitman, who enlightened us on his team’s creation.

Just about anyone can create an app nowadays, and around a million people are doing so. They are relatively cheap and easy to get approved by Apple. “Apps are the new websites,” Whitman claimed. “When I was growing up, the issue was ‘what websites are we visiting?’ Websites on desktop computers are easier to monitor. Now the issue is at the app level. Mobile devices are designed to be smaller, and you can carry them with you anywhere.”

Until AppCertain, there have been limited ways to monitor what these apps do and if they are safe, particularly for our youth. “We realized that parents need a lot of help,” Whitman stated. “The parental controls for iOS devices are pretty much non-existent. We felt that we could make a big impact there.”

Unlike other applications enabling parental control, AppCertain makes it quick and easy to monitor mobile activity without invading the child’s privacy. “It gives a parent the ability to have some idea of what’s going on without actually being intrusive,” Whitman said. AppCertain only monitors which apps get installed on a device; it does not disclose specific details of information such as their child’s Facebook friends. It does, however, give parents the power to control usage with its latest feature, Curfew Mode, an on/off switch for apps. Other downloadable applications limit usage of devices, but they don’t actually cut off access. The Curfew Mode on AppCertain is the first of its kind that turns off access completely and efficiently.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36qvq6KEdRs]

As proven by consumer feedback, Whitman found that AppCertain acts as a compromise of control and can actually build trust between the parent and child. AppCertain also helps parents of older generations have control over technology that they may not completely understand. Having grown up in the digital age, it is now common for children to be more technologically savvy than their parents.

With so many apps leaking personal information out into cyberspace, it’s important for all of us to be aware of their capabilities. “We are focusing on understanding the behavior of every mobile application,” Whitman stated. AppCertain not only assists parents, but can benefit the general consumer as well as schools and businesses. Employers can track if data is safe and see if employees are using apps that may jeopardize company confidentiality.

How does AppCertain work?

AppCertain is available for free in the Apple Store. Download it onto your family or kids’ device. You will create an account that can be accessed from any mobile device, computer, or from the AppCertain website. Every time an app is installed on a device, it emails the account holder with a notification and includes an App Badge – an explanation of the app’s functions and what it is capable of. The App Badge also includes a short description of an application’s pros and cons such as: does it connect to social networks, can it enable communication with strangers, does it encourage a healthy lifestyle, is it educational? Badges can also be found on the AppCertain Website.

Ensure that you and your family are safe…Download AppCertain today and follow them on Facebook!