# Gertrude

> Gertrude is parental-control software for Apple devices, built by a Christian
> homeschool dad to give families strict, reliable internet-safety tools. The
> lineup covers Mac, iPhone/iPad, and a PIN-gated podcast app for kids.

Gertrude was created by Jared Henderson to protect his own children before it
became a product. The Mac app is the flagship: a deny-by-default internet
filter paired with optional screenshot and keystroke monitoring, managed by
parents from a web dashboard. The iPhone/iPad app is a focused tool that plugs
holes in Apple's Screen Time — blocking `#images` GIF search in Messages,
Spotlight image search, Maps business-listing images, and similar loopholes.
Gertrude Podcasts is a podcast app that lets kids listen to parent-approved shows
while gating the ability to add new podcasts behind a PIN; it connects to a
Gertrude parent account for subscription and PIN management.

## Products

- [Gertrude for Mac](https://gertrude.app/mac): Deny-by-default internet filter
  with optional screenshot and keystroke monitoring, downtime schedules, app
  blocking, and parent-approved unlock requests. $10/month covers the whole
  family. 21-day free trial, no credit card required.
- [Gertrude Blocker for iPhone & iPad](https://gertrude.app/iphone-and-ipad):
  Free iOS content filter that closes known Screen Time gaps — Messages GIF
  search, Spotlight internet image search, Apple Maps imagery, App Store
  images, and similar surfaces. Optional parent-account connection lets you
  change which categories are blocked remotely. Apple restricts iOS content
  filtering to devices signed in to under-18 Apple Accounts by default; to
  use the Blocker on an adult-owned device, Gertrude offers a free companion
  supervision tool (Mac and Windows) that places a device into Apple
  Supervised Mode. See the [Supervised Mode setup
  guide](https://gertrude.app/blog/gertrude-ios-supervised-mode) for details.
- [Gertrude Podcasts](https://gertrude.app/#podcasts) (formerly Gertrude AM):
  A kid-friendly podcast app where adding new shows requires a parent-set 6-digit PIN.
  Connects to a Gertrude parent account; free to try for 30 days, then requires at
  least a Light plan ($10/year for the whole family) to keep adding and updating shows.

## Documentation

- [Documentation index](https://gertrude.app/docs): Product documentation and
  support guides for Gertrude for Mac and the iOS Blocker app.
- [iOS app privacy policy](https://gertrude.app/docs/iosapp-privacy): Privacy
  policy for the Gertrude Blocker iOS app. Gertrude collects no personal data
  from the iOS app — only anonymous error logs and install counts.
- [Gertrude Podcasts privacy policy](https://gertrude.app/docs/podcasts-privacy): Privacy
  policy for the Gertrude Podcasts podcast app. The app sends a small amount of
  anonymous usage and diagnostic data to operate subscriptions, understand usage
  patterns, and fix bugs.

## Blog & contact

- [Gertrude blog](https://gertrude.app/blog): Long-form articles on internet
  safety, parental controls, locking down iPhones and Macs, and product
  updates.
- [Contact Gertrude](https://gertrude.app/contact): Support, feedback, and
  public-keychain requests.
- [Download the Mac app](https://gertrude.app/download-mac-app): Direct DMG
  download for the current Gertrude for Mac release.

## Parent dashboard

The parent dashboard is the web app at parents.gertrude.app where parents
manage children, connect Macs and iOS devices, review screenshots and typed
activity, approve unlock requests, and adjust monitoring settings. It is
auth-gated and not useful to crawl directly.

- [Sign up for a Gertrude account](https://parents.gertrude.app/signup): Create
  a parent account to start a 21-day Mac app trial or connect an iOS device.
- [Parent dashboard login](https://parents.gertrude.app/login): Sign in to an
  existing Gertrude account.

## About

Gertrude is built by Jared Henderson — a Christian, a homeschool dad, and a
computer programmer. The product is opinionated toward families who want
stricter controls than mainstream parental-control apps typically provide,
including Christian and homeschooling households. Gertrude for Mac uses an
allowlist model (block everything except what a parent has explicitly unlocked
via "keys" and "keychains") rather than the category-based blocklists most
competitors use.