Safe Browser for Android

NOTE: This page is for legacy users. Use of the MMGuardian Browser is not necessary for the current MMGuardian Parental Control app for Android, since Web Filter works with Chrome and other popular browsers.

The MMGuardian Safe Browser for Android, in combination with the MMGuardian Web Filter function, allows you to set restrictions on what websites your child may visit.

The complete solution includes detailed reports, accessible from the parent web portal, about what sites have been visited and attempts that were blocked.

The MMGuardian Parental Control and Tablet Security applications include the safe browser for Android as standard, from app version 2.0.0.

MMGuardian Safe Browser

The MMGuardian Browser enables reliable web filtering and web usage reporting. The browser includes functionality that your child will expect of a modern web browser, such as favourites, bookmarks, HTML5 video and tabbed browsing.

When using the MMGuardian Safe Browser, categories of websites that are deemed inappropriate for the chosen age range will be blocked, based on the categorisation of the website content. Categories include Adult, Porn, Gambling, Drugs, Phising and many more. See the MMGuardian Web Filter page for full details on how to enable and configure the web filter.

To further protect your child, you may configure the browser to not be permitted provide the phone’s location to websites, and also to prevent downloads. These settings are also made as part of the Web Filter configuration.

When Web Filter is enabled, MMGuardian will automatically block other popular web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox and Opera. Accordingly, your child must use the MMGuardian Safe Browser to access the internet.

Using the MMGuardian Browser

The MMGuardian Browser is included as part of the MMGuardian Parental Control and Tablet Security apps, from version 2.0 onwards.

It will be seen as a new app icon on the device’s list of applications.

MMGuardian Browser Help

Quick Start Guide
Favorites
Tabs
Bookmarks
History
ContentSettings
Privacy
ResetBrowser
BlockedSites
MemoryUsage

Quick Start Guide

Tap on the “Search or type URL” area and enter the web site address, or one or more words to search for using Google.

Favorites

As you browse web sites, the ones that are visited most frequently will appear as “Favorites” in the main area of the browser Home Screen. To go to one of your favorites, tap on the image.

Tap and hold a Favorite image to see additional options for that Favorite in a pop up menu. To prevent a Favorite site from being automatically replaced with another site that may be visited more often, set the Favorite to be “Sticky” in the pop-up menu.

Blocked Sites

If you attempt to visit a web site that has content belonging to a category that has been blocked by your parent, you will see a “Web Site Blocked” page.

Memory Usage

The memory used by the MMGuardian app will increase because the web browser uses a web site “cache”, to prevent re-downloading images and other content if the site is reloaded. This reduces data transfer and increases the web site load speed. The cache size is managed by the Android system. To delete the cache, tap on the menu button in the title bar and select “Reset Browser”, then “Clear Cache”.

Favorites

As you browse web sites, the ones that are visited most frequently will appear as “Favorites” in the main area of the browser Home Screen.

To go to one of your favorites, tap on the image. The web site will be opened in your current Tab.

Favorites Options Menu

Tap and hold a Favorite image to see additional options for that Favorite in a pop up menu.

Sticky Favorites

To prevent a Favorite site from being automatically replaced with another site that may be visited more often, set the Favorite to be “Sticky” in the pop-up options menu. A flag icon will appear next to the site name of a Favorite that is set to be Sticky.

Deleting Favorites

Individual Favorites can be deleted from the pop-up options menu. To delete all Favorites, including ones that you have set to be Sticky, tap on the menu button in the title bar and select “Reset Browser”, then “Delete All Favorites”.

Tabs

The MMGuardian Browser supports tabbed browsing. Currently, up to 9 tabs may be created.

Tab List Screen

To view and select from the currently active tabs, tap on the tabs icon in the title bar. The tabs are shown as a scrollable list, including a picture of the web site that was last viewed in that tab.

Adding Tabs

New tabs can be created from either the Tab List Screen, or from the an Options menu that pops up when pressing and holding on a Favorite in the Home Screen, or on items in the History list, or an item in the list of Bookmarks.

Deleting Tabs

Open the Tab List Screen, then either tap on the “X” delete button on the top of the tab image, or slide the tab image off the screen. When using the phone or tablet in portrait orientation, tabs are deleted by swiping left or right. If the phone or tablet is being used in landscape orientation, then slide the tab image up or down.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks are different to the Favorites that appear on the browser Home Screen, in that the Bookmark list is not automatically created. You have to add items to, or delete items from, the Bookmark list yourself.

Bookmark List

To view the list of Bookmarks, tap on the main menu icon in the title bar, and select “Bookmarks”.

Tap on a bookmark to visit that web site in the currently active Tab.

To open the bookmark in a new Tab, press and hold the bookmark item and select “Open in New Tab” from the pop-up options menu.

Adding A Bookmark

Bookmarks can be created from the Bookmark screen, by tapping on the “Create Bookmakr” button. A Bookmark can also be created when viewing a web page, from the main menu using the “Add to Bookmarks” item.

Deleting Bookmarks

Individual Bookmarks can be deleted from the pop-up options menu that is accessed by pressing and holding on a Bookmark in the Bookmark list. To delete all Bookmarks, tap on the menu button in the title bar and select “Reset Browser”, then “Delete All Bookmarks”.

History

The browser retains a list of the sites that have been visited. The size of the list is managed by the app, and old history items will be automatically deleted when the list reaches a large size.

History List

To view the History list, tap on the main menu icon in the title bar, and select “History”.

Tap on a history item to visit that web site in the currently active Tab.

To open the history item in a new Tab, press and hold the item and select “Open in New Tab” from the pop-up options menu.

Adding to Favorites

A history item can be added to the Favorites list, as a new “Sticky” Favorite as follows: press and hold the history item and select “Add to Favorites” from the pop-up options menu. Initially, a default image will be used for the new Favorite item, but this will be updated when the site is next visited.

Adding to Bookmarks

A history item can be quickly added to the Bookmarks list as follows: press and hold the history item and select “Add to Bookmarks” from the pop-up options menu.

Deleting History

The complete History list can be deleted by tapping on the main menu button in the title bar and selecting “Reset Browser”, then “Delete All History”. Individual History items can not be deleted.

Content Settings

Various aspects can be set as described below. To access Content Settings, tap on the main menu button in the title bar and selecting “Content Settings”

Request Desktop Site

By default, the browser will request web sites to display their mobile version, if available. To see the desktop version of a web site, enable Request Desktop Site by tapping on the check-box, so that the tick shows in the box. Note that on some sites, you may also need to clear cookies (see Reset Browser)

Allow Location

Some web sites may request the web browser to provide the location of the phone. By default, the MMGuardian browser does not allow this. To allow sites to get your location, tap on the check-box, so that the tick shows in the box. You will still need to grant permission to allow the site to get your location, via the pop-up dialog that will be shown when a web site requests the phone’s location.

Note: Your parents may have set the browser to not permit any location requests.

Show Images

This is enabled by default. To prevent the browser from download images, just tap on the check-box, so that the tick does not show in the box.

Enable JavaScript

This is enabled by default, as many web sites will not function correctly if it is disabled (and it also may affect video playing). To disable JavaScript just tap on the check-box, so that the tick does not show in the box.

Allow Cookies

This is enabled by default, as many web sites will not function correctly if it is disabled. To prevent web sites using Cookies just tap on the check-box, so that the tick does not show in the box.

Block PopUps

This is enabled by default, as pop up windows are often used to try to get you to click on things that are not good. To allow PopUps just tap on the check-box, so that the tick does not show in the box.

Note: We recommend to not allow PopUps

Enable HTML5

This is enabled by default, as many sites now use HTML5 content to provide a better browsing experience. To disable HTML5 content just tap on the check-box, so that the tick does not show in the box.

Privacy

The browser may optionally store information related to user names and passwords that have been entered onto web sites. To access the browser’s privacy settings, tap on the menu button in the title bar and select “Privacy”

Save Form Data

Form Data refers to information that you may enter into web sites, such as a user name. This can make it easier to log into web sites when you visit them again.

Save Form Data is disabled by default. To allow the browser to remember Form Data, just tap on the check-box, so that the tick is showing in the box.

Delete Form Data

This is a sub-menu of the Privacy menu. Tapping this will delete all previously stored form data.

Save Passwords

The browser may optionally save passwords that you may enter into web sites. This can make it easier to log into web sites when you visit them again.

Save Passwords is disabled by default. To allow the browser to remember Form Data, just tap on the check-box, so that the tick is showing in the box.

Note: This option will not be seen when using the browser on devices which run Android version 4.4 or newer, as on these devices, the browser will never store passwords.

Delete Passwords

This is a sub-menu of the Privacy menu. Tapping this will delete all previously stored passwords.

Note: This option will not be seen when using the browser on devices which run Android version 4.4 or newer, as on these devices, the browser will never store passwords.

Reset Browser

During usage, the browser will store various information. The Reset Browser menu allows you to delete these items.

To access the Reset Browser items, tap on the main menu button in the title bar and select “Reset Browser”.

Clear Cookies

Web sites usually ask the browser to store “Cookies”, which allow the web site to do things such as remember what settings you have for the web site, such as your preferred language. They can also be used to track your visits to the site.

To delete all the cookies that the browser has stored (for all sites), tap on “Clear Cookies”.

Clear Cache

The memory used by the MMGuardian app will increase due to the storage of a web site “cache”, to prevent re-downloading images and other content if the site is reloaded. The cache size is managed by the Android system. To delete the cache, tap on “Clear Cache”.

Delete History

The browser retains a list of the sites that have been visited. The size of the list is managed by the app, and old history items will be automatically deleted when the list reaches a large size.

To manually delete the complete History list of web sites that have been visited, tap on “Delete History”.

Delete Favorites

As you browse web sites, the ones that are visited most frequently will appear as “Favorites” in the main area of the browser Home Screen.

To delete all Favorites, including ones that you have set to be Sticky, tap on “Delete All Favorites”.

Delete Bookmarks

To delete all Bookmarks, tap on “Delete All Bookmarks”.

Blocked Sites

If you attempt to visit a web site that has content belonging to a category that has been blocked by your parent/guardian, you will see a “Web Site Blocked” page.

There are several site content categories, such as “Gambling”, “Drugs” etc.

If your attempt to access a site is blocked, but you believe that the content should not be, please discuss with your parent/guardian. It is possible for them to set specific sites to be allowed, even if the overall category is blocked.

Memory Usage

Web Site Cache

Favorites and Tab Images

The browser also uses some memory to store pictures of the web sites visited, for use when displaying Favorites and the Tabs list. The total memory used for these images is managed by the browser. When new images are captured, the old images are deleted automatically, so you do not need to do anything to delete them.