Screenshots of your child's computer — without secret spying
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Sometimes app names aren't enough — you want to see what's actually on the screen. There's a way to do that without turning into a spy: screenshots your child knows about.
How it works in child-time
- Off by default. Nothing is captured unless you turn it on for a child.
- Your child is told every time. When a screenshot is taken, a notice appears on their screen: “A screenshot was taken (your parent can see it)”.
- On a schedule or on demand. Choose every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, hour or 2 hours — or tap “📸 Take snapshot now” when you want a look.
- Private. Pictures are stored in private storage and visible only to you and adults you've invited. Delete any of them with one tap.
How to turn it on
- Install child-time on your child's Windows PC (guide).
- In the parent dashboard open Snapshots and pick the child.
- Choose the frequency, or leave it off and use “Take snapshot now” when needed.
If nothing arrives within half a minute, the PC is probably off, offline, or your child isn't signed in.
Should you use screenshots at all?
For most families the app report is enough: it shows which programs were used and for how long (what the report looks like). Screenshots make sense when:
- your child is young and new to the computer;
- “it's for homework” needs an occasional reality check;
- you've agreed on it together as part of the rules.
With teenagers, think twice — privacy matters more with age, and an agreement usually works better (rules for teenagers).
What child-time does not do: no hidden recording, no keystroke logging, no reading of messages, no website history. The whole idea is that your child knows exactly what you can see — full list here.