Skip to main content
Last checked

Set up accountability as a couple

Agree on what is shared, protect each device, and plan how you will talk about alerts.

LockedWeb with an optional contactRecommendedBlocks adult sites before they load and keeps no browsing history. A contact hears about requests to loosen protection, never what anyone viewed. Reporting apps send a partner activity reports or screenshots instead. See how they differ.
Recommended

Set it up together

Go through these steps side by side. Each of you decides about your own devices and whether to name a contact.

You’ll need
  • A LockedWeb plan. One plan covers up to 25 devices in your household.

  1. Step 1: Agree on the boundary

    Talk through these five questions before anyone installs anything.

    1. Which devices are included?Phones, computers, tablets, and any shared devices at home.
    2. What should the tool do?Block access, send voluntary notifications, or both.
    3. Does each of you freely agree?Each adult decides about their own devices, without pressure.
    4. Who receives messages, if anyone?A partner, a friend, a mentor, or no one at all.
    5. When will you check in?A regular time to talk, and how you will handle a notification.

  2. Step 2: Protect each device

    Use the guide for each iPhone, Android or Windows device. Your dashboard confirms when each one is protected.

  3. Step 3: Invite a contact, if you want oneOptional

    A contact accepts a single invitation before receiving anything, can stop at any time, and can't unlock protection or approve a removal.

  4. Step 4: Read an alert together

    A contact can be alerted when one of you requests removal or asks to loosen protection, cancels that request, or when protection on a device is tampered with or removed. An unblock request names the site.

    Illustrative alertFrom LockedWebUnblock requested: instagram.comJordan asked to unblock instagram.com. The site stays blocked during the 72-hour wait.
    Illustrative example. Real alerts can be worded differently.

    Never in an alert: browsing history, searches, screenshots or any record of where you have been.

  5. Step 5: Write down your check-in plan

    Fill this in together. Your answers are saved only in this browser, so you can come back to them, print them or clear them.

Check it worked

Questions couples ask

Contacts, privacy, removal, stopping alerts
Is a contact required?
No. LockedWeb works without one, and the 72-hour wait and one-time code apply either way.
Can my partner read my browsing history?
No. LockedWeb keeps no browsing history and takes no screenshots, so there is no history to share. An unblock request names the site it is about.
Does my contact approve removal?
No. A contact is notified and can't unlock anything. No off switch. Removal takes a 72-hour wait and a one-time code.
What does LockedWeb store?
No screenshots and no browsing history. Domain lookups reach our resolver to apply your rules and are not kept as browsing history. Account and device details, settings and requests are stored to run the service. See What we store and the Privacy Policy.
How does a contact stop receiving alerts?
Every alert email has a stop link.
Is a contact the same as a parent?
No. On a family device, the parent holds the unlock code. A contact only receives alerts.

More on accountability

All guides