When Circle attempts to block a connection due to your Circle settings (Filters, Bedtime, etc.), this will occasionally cause a browser to complain about security since Circle is responding rather than the requested website. Learn more about handling browser security alerts with Circle.
This article walks through how to install a "certificate" on a kid's managed iOS or Android device to allow the web browser to show the Kid Dashboard when Circle gets in the middle of an Internet request rather than a security error.
Installing the Circle browser certificate on an iOS Kid device
- First, install the Circle app onto your kid's iOS or Android device and set up mobile management. Read more about setting up a kid device for the first time.
- Once the Circle Parental Controls app is installed on your kid's device, launch the app on their phone and go to Menu >> Why is my Internet blocked?
- Read through the description in the app for how to proceed. Tap Continue on the first screen, then tap Download when you are ready to begin.
- Your iOS device will launch the Safari app, and you will see an alert that says, "This website is trying to download a configuration profile. Do you want to allow this?" Press Allow.
- You will see this confirmation once the certificate has been downloaded. Now you are ready to configure it on your kid's device.
- Open your kid's iOS Settings app.
- In Settings, go to General >> Profile.
- Tap the Circle Smart Parental Controls CA option. Inside, it will look like this prior to installation:
- From here, keep pressing Install (in upper right corner.) until the process is complete. You may be prompted at some point along the way to enter your phone's passcode. Do this if prompted.
- If you are successful, the screen pictures directly above will now say Verified ✓ and look like the screenshot below.
- Return to the main iOS Settings screen.
- Go to General >> About >> Certificate Trust Settings (all the way at the bottom of the list of About settings).
- Tap the toggle to tell your phone to trust the Circle certificate. When you see the alert about the Root Certificate, press Continue to complete the installation.
Installing the Circle browser certificate on an Android kid device
Note: currently the Circle certificate is not available to install on Chromebook or Amazon Fire Tablet devices.
Android 10 and below
- Install the Circle Parental Controls app on your kiddo's device using the "Kid App" option.
- Follow the prompts on your parent app device, and then on your child's device to proceed through setup. After allowing battery optimization you'll be asked to install the Kid Certificate.
- Install the Circle Kid App Certificate when prompted.
- You'll see a success message once that is installed.
If you set up your Android kid's device before the Circle certificate was available or skipped installing the Circle certificate during initial set up, you can always install the certificate on your child's device later.
- Open the Circle Parental Controls App on your kid's device.
- Tap the Menu in top left corner.
- Tap Why is my Internet blocked?
- Follow the prompts in the app to complete installation.
Android 11 and above
With Android 11 and above installing the Circle certificate can only be accomplished after initial set up on your kid device.
- Open the Circle Parental Controls App on your kid's device.
- Tap the Menu in top left corner.
- Tap Why is my Internet blocked?
- Tap Download to download the Circle certificate.
- Tap View Instructions to bring you to this page.
- Continue below.
After downloading the certificate from the Circle app on your kid device you will need to follow the steps below. These are general directions. You may find that the process differs slightly depending on the make and model of your device.
- Open device settings on the kid device.
- Tap Security.
- Tap on Encryption & Credentials.
- Tap to Install a certificate.
- Choose CA certificate.
- Select Install anyway.
- Select the circlecert.crt that was downloaded earlier.
- Tap on Select in the upper right.
- You should get a confirmation that the CA certificate was installed.