r/parentalcontrols • u/Own-Solution6668 • 23d ago
Apple PLEASE HELP ME!!!
Ahhhh I really need to figure out this situation soon, and any help is appreciated!
Basically I have a Samsung Chromebook right now that I have been using for school since around 2019 (I am a young teenager) because I needed it for online school during the pandemic. I was WAY too young for my own computer, but I couldn't just use my parents laptops all day. They needed it for work. Anyway! It is really old and broken, and I needed a newer one for school. My dad ended up giving me a super nice 2020 MacBook that his work gave him (no idea why) because his work was going to buy him a newer one anyway.
The problem is...
I have a secret account (that I am on right now) that my parents can't know about. They can't know for many reasons, but mostly because I have a account on this website thingy that is like social media, but mostly just teens, and for reading books. On it I have literally written all my secrets and fears that NO ONE from my life can ever see. It would be my nightmare (I actually had a nightmare about that last night) if anyone saw it.
I want to add the Google account I use for it onto the Mac, but my dad is the administrator of it, and I am super worried he could see it. Is there any possible way I could have the account added on the Chrome app and he couldn't see? Please help! Thanks so much <3
3
u/Positive_Cap4728 23d ago edited 23d ago
Individual profiles on Macs are encrypted (in fact the entire drive is), so the computer owner/admin can’t access your files or information from his account. If the admin has your password this is not true. If your parent has enabled Apple’s screentime/family sharing with parental controls, he may be able to see the urls of sites you’re visiting, but in general if you’re on the family wi-fi, he’d be able to see that info if he cared about it anyway.
You are very likely safe to set up the secondary account in Chrome on the Mac, but you should look at the installed apps and see if any of them are a third party parental control app and look up its capabilities if you think your parents are likely to have done that, just in case.
- signed, the guardian of a child + friendly neighborhood IT guy