TL;DR: Securly Home has a disastrous 1.3-star rating due to constant crashes, battery drain, features locked to school devices, and easy bypasses. It doesn't offer the YouTube channel whitelisting parents want from Securly's school product. Better alternatives: WhitelistVideo for YouTube control (4.7 stars), Qustodio for comprehensive monitoring (4.0 stars), or Apple Screen Time for free built-in controls.
The Securly Home Disaster
Securly is a respected name in school internet filtering. Their enterprise product serves millions of students with reliable, sophisticated controls—including excellent YouTube channel whitelisting.
Then there's Securly Home—the consumer app for parents.
User ratings tell the story:
- Google Play Store: 1.3 stars (out of 5)
- Apple App Store: 2.1 stars (out of 5)
- Trustpilot: 2.8 stars (out of 5)
These aren't "new product growing pains" ratings. Securly Home has been available for years, and the ratings have been consistently abysmal throughout.
Parents expected Securly's school-level quality. They got a barely-functional app that doesn't deliver on basic promises.
What's Wrong with Securly Home? (Real Parent Reviews)
Problem 1: Constant Crashes and Technical Issues
"App crashes every single day. I have to reinstall it weekly just to get it working again. My son figured out if he just waits, it'll crash on its own and stop filtering." - Google Play Review, 1 star
"Constant errors. 'Connection failed.' 'Service unavailable.' I'm paying monthly for a service that works maybe 50% of the time." - App Store Review, 1 star
Common technical complaints:
- App crashes multiple times per day
- Requires frequent reinstallation
- "Service unavailable" errors
- Fails to sync between parent and child devices
- Dashboard doesn't update or shows incorrect data
Problem 2: Massive Battery Drain
"This app drains my daughter's phone battery in 3-4 hours. She can't make it through a school day without charging. When I uninstalled Securly Home, battery life went back to normal. Unacceptable." - Google Play Review, 1 star
Why this happens: Securly Home uses a VPN connection to route traffic through their filtering service. Poorly optimized VPN apps can cause excessive battery drain, especially when constantly connected.
Problem 3: Features Only Work on School-Managed Devices
"Advertised features don't work on personal devices. The rep told me after I paid that most advanced features require school-managed devices. This should be disclosed BEFORE purchase. Feel completely misled." - Trustpilot Review, 2 stars
The catch: Many of Securly Home's marketed features only work on devices enrolled in a school's device management system. Personal home devices get a significantly watered-down experience.
Problem 4: No YouTube Channel Whitelisting
This is the biggest disappointment. Securly's school product offers excellent YouTube channel whitelisting—administrators can approve specific channels and block everything else.
Securly Home doesn't offer this feature.
Instead, Securly Home provides basic web category filtering:
- Block all of YouTube (too restrictive)
- Allow all of YouTube (no protection)
- Block "adult content" category (unreliable, 20-30% failure rate)
Parents specifically download Securly Home expecting the channel whitelisting they see at school. They discover it doesn't exist only after paying.
Problem 5: Easy Bypasses
"My 12-year-old bypassed this in under 10 minutes using a free VPN app from the App Store. Securly didn't detect it or alert me. What am I paying for?" - Google Play Review, 1 star
Common bypasses parents report:
- VPN apps: Free VPNs from app stores route around Securly's filtering
- Cellular data: Filtering unreliable or non-functional on cellular
- Incognito mode: Private browsing bypasses browser-level filtering
- Different browsers: Install Firefox or Edge if Chrome is filtered
- Uninstall the app: Without device management, kids can remove it
Problem 6: Unresponsive Customer Support
"Submitted 4 support tickets over 2 months. Never received a single response. Phone support is 'business hours only' and I've been on hold for 45+ minutes every time I called. Eventually gave up and cancelled." - Trustpilot Review, 1 star
Parents consistently report:
- Support tickets go unanswered for weeks
- Phone support has excessive wait times
- Responses are generic and unhelpful
- No resolution for technical issues
Why Is Securly Home So Bad? (While Securly School Is Good)
Different Products, Same Name
Securly's enterprise school product and Securly Home are fundamentally different:
| Feature | Securly (School) | Securly Home |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Channel Whitelisting | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Filtering Reliability | ✅ Very High | ❌ Poor |
| Bypass Resistance | ✅ High (device management) | ❌ Low (VPN vulnerabilities) |
| Technical Support | ✅ Dedicated account managers | ❌ Minimal consumer support |
| User Rating | 4.5+ stars (schools love it) | 1.3 stars (parents hate it) |
| Price per User | $10-30/year (institutional) | $83.88/year (consumer) |
Where Securly Invests Resources
Securly's business priorities:
- School product: Multi-million dollar contracts, dedicated engineering team, enterprise support
- Home product: Side project, minimal investment, outsourced support
This explains everything. Securly Home receives minimal development resources because it's not where Securly makes money. The school product gets constant updates and improvements. The home app languishes with year-old bugs.
Best Securly Home Alternatives (2025)
Alternative 1: WhitelistVideo (Best for YouTube Channel Control)
What it is: The only consumer product offering YouTube channel whitelisting—the feature Securly Home should have included.
Why it's better than Securly Home:
- Actual channel whitelisting: Approve specific channels, block everything else
- Reliable performance: 4.7-star rating (vs. Securly Home's 1.3 stars)
- Cannot be bypassed: VPN, incognito, different browsers don't help
- Works on cellular data: Consistent filtering regardless of connection
- No battery drain: Different architecture than VPN-based filtering
- Responsive support: Email responses within 24 hours
Pros:
- Only consumer product with YouTube channel whitelisting
- Free tier available to test before paying
- Simple setup (10 minutes)
- Dramatically more reliable than Securly Home
- Cheaper ($4.99/month vs. Securly Home's $6.99/month)
Cons:
- Focused exclusively on YouTube (not a full web filter)
- Doesn't monitor other apps or websites
Pricing: Free tier, Premium $4.99/month
Rating: 4.7 stars
Best for: Parents who specifically want YouTube channel whitelisting (what Securly Home should offer)
Alternative 2: Qustodio (Best for Comprehensive Monitoring)
What it is: All-in-one parental control with better reliability than Securly Home.
Why it's better than Securly Home:
- Actually works: 4.0-star rating (vs. Securly Home's 1.3 stars)
- Stable app: Doesn't crash constantly
- Better VPN detection: Identifies and blocks most VPN apps
- Reasonable battery usage: Optimized VPN implementation
Pros:
- Multi-platform (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook)
- Time limits and app blocking
- Location tracking
- Detailed activity reports that actually update
- Responsive customer support
Cons:
- No YouTube channel whitelisting (uses Restricted Mode)
- Still has some bypass vulnerabilities
- More expensive than Securly Home ($137.95/year vs. $83.88/year)
Pricing: $54.95/year (Small), $137.95/year (Medium with premium features)
Rating: 4.0 stars
Best for: Parents wanting comprehensive monitoring with better reliability than Securly Home
Alternative 3: Circle (Best for Hardware-Based Filtering)
What it is: Network device providing whole-home internet filtering.
Why it's better than Securly Home:
- Hardware-based: Can't crash like an app
- No battery drain: Doesn't run on child's device
- Harder to bypass: Requires physical access to device
- Works on all devices: Automatic filtering for anything on WiFi
Pros:
- Very reliable (4.2-star rating)
- No app to crash or drain battery
- Time limits and bedtime controls
- Instant pause feature
Cons:
- No YouTube channel whitelisting
- Doesn't work on cellular data
- Hardware cost ($129) + subscription ($9.95/month)
- More complex setup
Pricing: $129 (hardware) + $9.95/month
Rating: 4.2 stars
Best for: Parents wanting set-it-and-forget-it reliability without app problems
Alternative 4: Apple Screen Time (Best Free Option)
What it is: Apple's built-in parental controls for iOS/iPadOS/macOS.
Why it's better than Securly Home:
- Actually works: OS-level integration, doesn't crash
- Completely free: No subscription fees
- No battery drain: Native OS feature, not third-party app
- Cannot be uninstalled: Built into the operating system
Pros:
- Free
- Very reliable (Apple-quality engineering)
- Works on cellular and WiFi
- App time limits and scheduling
- Content & privacy restrictions
Cons:
- No YouTube channel whitelisting (all-or-nothing blocking)
- Apple devices only (doesn't work on Android/Windows)
- Can be bypassed if child learns parent passcode
- Limited customization
Pricing: Free (built-in)
Rating: N/A (native feature)
Best for: Apple families wanting free, reliable basic controls
Comparison: Securly Home vs. Better Alternatives
| Feature | Securly Home | WhitelistVideo | Qustodio | Circle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| User Rating | 1.3 stars ⭐ | 4.7 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4.0 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4.2 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| YouTube Channel Whitelisting | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| App Reliability | ❌ Constant crashes | ✅ Stable | ✅ Stable | ✅ Hardware (no app) |
| Battery Drain | ❌ Severe | ✅ Minimal | ⚠️ Moderate | ✅ None (hardware) |
| Bypass Resistance | ❌ Low (VPN vulnerable) | ✅ High | ⚠️ Medium | ✅ High |
| Works on Cellular | ⚠️ Unreliable | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ WiFi only |
| Customer Support | ❌ Unresponsive | ✅ 24hr response | ✅ Good | ✅ Good |
| Monthly Cost | $6.99 | $4.99 | $11.49 | $9.95 + hardware |
| Free Trial/Tier | 7 days | ✅ Free tier | ❌ No | 30 days |
How to Cancel Securly Home and Switch
Step 1: Choose Your Alternative
- For YouTube control: WhitelistVideo (free tier to test)
- For comprehensive monitoring: Qustodio
- For hardware reliability: Circle
- For free iOS controls: Apple Screen Time
Step 2: Set Up New Service First
Don't cancel Securly Home until your alternative is working. Test the new service for 1-2 weeks to ensure it meets your needs.
Step 3: Export Any Data You Want to Keep
Log into Securly Home dashboard and export activity reports or data you want to retain. Once you cancel, you'll lose access.
Step 4: Uninstall Securly Home Completely
- Remove the app from your child's devices
- Delete any VPN profiles (Settings → General → VPN → Delete Securly)
- Remove browser extensions
Step 5: Cancel Subscription
- Log into your Securly Home account
- Go to subscription settings
- Cancel before next billing date
- Confirm you receive cancellation email
Step 6: Request Refund (If Applicable)
If you recently subscribed and the service hasn't worked, contact Securly support to request a refund. Many parents report success with refund requests when citing technical issues and false advertising.
Why Parents Stick with Securly Home Despite Problems
Reason 1: Sunk Cost Fallacy
"I already paid for a year, might as well use it."
Reality: Keeping a service that doesn't work doesn't make the money less wasted—it wastes more of your time.
Reason 2: Fear of Gaps in Protection
"At least Securly Home does something, even if unreliable."
Reality: Unreliable protection is often worse than no protection—it creates false confidence while your child accesses inappropriate content.
Reason 3: Brand Trust
"Securly works great at school, so the home version must improve."
Reality: Securly Home's 1.3-star rating has been consistent for years. The product isn't getting better because Securly isn't investing in it.
Reason 4: Don't Know Alternatives Exist
"I thought Securly Home was my only option for YouTube filtering."
Reality: WhitelistVideo offers the YouTube channel whitelisting that Securly Home should have included. You have better options.
The Bottom Line
Securly Home has a 1.3-star rating for a reason. It's a poorly maintained product that crashes constantly, drains battery, lacks the YouTube channel whitelisting parents expect, and is easily bypassed.
You're not imagining the problems. Thousands of parents report identical experiences: technical failures, unresponsive support, features that don't work on personal devices.
You deserve better than a 1.3-star experience.
If YouTube control is your priority, WhitelistVideo offers the channel whitelisting feature that Securly Home should have included. If you need comprehensive monitoring, Qustodio is more reliable. If you want hardware-based protection, Circle won't crash on you.
Stop fighting with Securly Home's constant failures. Switch to a service that actually works.
Try WhitelistVideo Free – Get the YouTube Control Securly Home Promises But Doesn't Deliver →
Frequently Asked Questions
Securly Home has a 1.3-star rating on Google Play and 2.1 stars on the App Store due to constant technical issues: app crashes, battery drain, features that only work on school-managed devices, ineffective filtering, and easy bypasses. Parents report paying for a service that doesn't deliver on its promises and has unresponsive customer support.
No. Despite Securly's enterprise school product offering excellent YouTube channel whitelisting, Securly Home does not include this feature. Securly Home relies on basic web category filtering that either blocks all of YouTube or allows it with minimal filtering. There's no channel-level control for home users.
Yes. Parents consistently report that children bypass Securly Home using VPN apps, incognito mode, different browsers, or simply turning off WiFi to use cellular data. Securly Home's filtering is browser-based and doesn't work reliably on cellular connections, making it easy to circumvent.
WhitelistVideo is the best alternative for parents specifically wanting YouTube control. Unlike Securly Home's category-based filtering, WhitelistVideo offers true YouTube channel whitelisting—the same feature available in Securly's enterprise product. It's bypass-proof, works on all connections, and has a 4.7-star rating.
Published: December 15, 2025 • Last Updated: December 15, 2025
Sarah Mitchell
Consumer Technology Analyst
Sarah Mitchell is an independent technology analyst specializing in family safety software evaluation. She holds a B.S. in Information Systems from MIT and spent seven years at Gartner as a research analyst covering enterprise endpoint security. Sarah has conducted hands-on testing of over 80 parental control applications, publishing methodology-driven reviews in The New York Times Wirecutter, CNET, and PCMag. She developed the "Bypass Resistance Index," an industry-cited framework for evaluating parental control robustness. As a mother of three, she brings personal experience to her professional analysis. She is a guest contributor at WhitelistVideo.
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