Jared Henderson, a Christian homeschool dad, former pastor, and programmer in Wadsworth, Ohio, built Gertrude after he could not find a filter strict enough for his own kids.^1 The suite starts with nothing allowed, then unlocks only what a parent or accountability partner approves.^1
Gertrude for Mac blocks the internet across browsers and apps, lets a child request unlocks, and can capture screenshots and keystrokes for review from any device.^3 Parents can watch without blocking, keep some items blocked during filter suspensions, batch unlock requests, and opt into a daily email on days with new screenshots.^4
Free Gertrude Blocker on iPhone and iPad closes Screen Time gaps — GIF search in Messages, Spotlight web images, Maps photos, album artwork, and common ads — and can connect to a parent account for remote rule changes.^6 Gertrude Podcasts is a PIN-protected player for parent-approved shows.^1 Gertrude Music streams Apple Music inside a parent-chosen library, with no discovery feeds or open catalog search.^8
The software is open source.^9 One family account covers every device, with a free iOS-blocking tier and paid plans for podcasts, music, or the Mac filter.^10
