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site: v2.5.0 release blog post #418

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98 changes: 98 additions & 0 deletions site/markdoc/articles/blog/gertrude-2-5-0.md
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---
title: Gertrude 2.5.0 Released
date: '2024-12-02T18:29:21.510Z'
description:
'Today we are releasing version 2.5.0 of the Gertrude macOS app, with some of your top
requested features, including scheduled keychains and downtime.'
category: parental-controls
---

{% .lead .mb-12 %} Today we're releasing **version 2.5.0**, a big update to the Gertrude
macOS app, with some of your top-requested features, including _scheduled keychains_ and
_downtime_. Plus, we've released the first version of a
[Gertrude iOS app,](/blog/how-parents-can-block-images-gif-search-ios-18) focused on
plugging holes in Apple's Screen Time features.

## Scheduled Keychains

{% image src="minecraft-scheduled.png" /%}

{% .mt-8 %} If you've ever wanted to allow your kids access to a site or app, but only at
certain times, you can now do that with a new feature landing in Gertrude
2.5.0—**Scheduled Keychains**. Scheduled keychains are great for things like games
or entertainment-focused apps and sites that you're OK with your child using, but _not all
the time._ For instance, if you have a keychain for Minecraft, you can assign it to only
be active after 3pm, or on weekends.

To add a schedule to a keychain, go to the "Settings" screen for your child, scroll down
to the assigned keychains area, and click "Add Schedule".

## Downtime

{% image src="enable-downtime.png" /%}

{% .mt-8 %} Gertrude 2.5.0 brings another time-based feature for extra safety and peace of
mind: **Downtime**. Downtime allows you to pick a daily time window during which your
child will have no access whatsoever to the internet. The most common use case for this is
disabling internet access **overnight,** when your child should be sleeping or away from
screens.

To enable Downtime, go to the "Settings" screen for your child, and toggle the Downtime
option, then select a time. When your child's Mac is about to go into downtime, they'll
get a notification. Parent's can pause downtime from the Gertrude menu bar dropdown with
their admin password.

## Security Events

Another new feature that landed recently is something we call “Security Events.” The
Gertrude macOS app and the parents website now record noteworthy events like logins,
filter suspensions, changes in protection settings, and more. You can view a feed of
recent security events from the parents website in the new
[Security](https://parents.gertrude.app/security-events) tab. This area is especially
useful if you have a highly tech-savvy child that you're worried might try to circumvent
Gertrude in any way, or if you have a loved one you're protecting who is an adult with
admin privileges on their computer.

## New Keychain Picker

Our list of **public keychains** continues to grow. Recently added public keychains
include “Classical Conversations,” and “Kolbe Academy.” To make it easier to find these
and your own keychains, we've rebuilt the keychain picker screen, making it easy to search
through and find the keychain you're looking for. If your child uses a popular website,
program, or app that you think other parents might also use, [let us know](/contact) so we
can create a public keychain for it, we're always looking to grow the list.

## Gertrude Blocker iOS App

{% image src="lockdown-iphone/gertrude-blocker-ios-app.png" alt="Gertrude Blocker free iOS app allows parents to block unwanted GIFs in #images texting app" /%}

When iOS 18 was released this fall, we were
[dissapointed to find](/blog/ios18-screentime-what-parents-should-know) that Apple had not
fixed a [glaring loophole in Screen Time](/blog/ios-17-cant-delete-messages-images)
introduced a year earlier in iOS 17—the inability for parents to block _searching
for animated GIFs_ in the Apple texting app Messages. Also, several new loopholes
introduced that made iOS 18 even less safe for kids.

Because of these issues, we created and released a simple iOS called **Gertrude Blocker**
that patches these loopholes in Screen Time. Due to restrictions imposed by Apple, it only
works for devices owned by children under 18 with Apple Family Sharing turned on.

Right now the Gertrude iOS app doesn't have any direct integration with your Gertrude
account, but we're exploring making the app more configurable and allowing it to be
connected to and controlled by a parent from the Gertrude parents site. For more details,
[see our full writeup here](/blog/how-parents-can-block-images-gif-search-ios-18) or
[view it in the app store here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gertrude-blocker/id6736368820).
We'd love to hear what you think if you try the app out!

## What Next?

We're excited to know if these new features are useful to your family. We'd also love to
know what you think we should be working on next. If you have ideas or feature requests,
please [reach out and let us know!](https://gertrude.app/contact)

{% callout %}

In order to use the new features described in this blog post, you'll need to update the
Gertrude app on your child's computer to the latest version.

{% /callout %}
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deleteItems: () => {},
});

// @screenshot: xs,md
// @screenshot: md
export const WithSuspensions: Story = props({
...Default.args,
items: [
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