As a parent, you want to protect your kids from the dangers and risks of the online world. But with so many devices, apps, websites, and platforms to keep track of, it can take a lot of work to monitor and manage your children’s digital activities. That’s why you need a parental control app that can help you set limits, filter content, track location, and more.

Parental control apps are software tools that let you control and supervise your kids’ online behavior. They can help you block inappropriate or harmful websites, apps, and games; limit screen time and device usage; monitor calls, messages, and social media; track your kids’ location and activity; and alert you of any potential issues or threats.

But with so many parental control apps available on the market, how do you choose the best one for your family? To help you out, we’ve tested and reviewed some of the most popular and effective parental control apps for Android and iPhone in 2023. We’ve compared their features, performance, compatibility, pricing, and customer reviews to find the best options for different needs and preferences.

What Are Parental Control Apps?

Parental control apps allow parents to control and supervise their kids’ online behavior. They can help parents block inappropriate or harmful websites, apps, and games; limit screen time and device usage; monitor calls, messages, and social media; track their kids’ location and activity; and alert them of any potential issues or threats.

Why Do Parents Need Parental Control Apps?

Parents need parental control apps to protect their kids from the dangers and risks of the online world. The online world can expose kids to cyberbullying, sexting, online predators, pornography, violence, drug use, depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. Parental control apps can help parents prevent or detect these problems and keep their kids safe online.

Best Parental Control Apps

Here are our top picks for the best parental control apps for Android and iPhone in 2023.

1. Best Overall: Qustodio

Qustodio is a comprehensive and easy-to-use app that offers a wide range of features to help you monitor and manage your kids’ online activities.

With Qustodio, you can:

• Filter web content by categories or keywords
• Block or limit access to specific apps or games
• Set time limits and schedules for device usage
• Track your kids’ location and geofences
• Monitor calls, messages, contacts, and social media
• View detailed reports and alerts on your kids’ online activity
• Manage multiple devices and profiles from one dashboard

Qustodio works on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Kindle, and Chromebook devices. It has a free plan that covers one device and one child account and a paid plan that covers up to 15 devices and children accounts. The paid plan also unlocks more features, such as YouTube monitoring, advanced Facebook monitoring, location history, panic button, call blocking, SMS tracking, family locator, etc.

Qustodio has a user-friendly interface and a reliable performance. It also has excellent customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Qustodio is trusted by millions of parents worldwide and has received positive reviews from users and experts alike.

Qustodio offers a complete solution for keeping your kids safe online. It has everything you need to control and supervise your kids’ online behavior without being too intrusive or restrictive.

2. Best for Older Kids: Bark

Bark is a smart app that monitors over 30 different social platforms, text messages, YouTube, emails, and more. It uses advanced algorithms to detect signs of cyberbullying, sexting, depression, suicidal thoughts, online predators, drug use, violence, etc.

With Bark, you can:

• Monitor your kids’ online activity across various platforms
• Receive alerts when Bark detects potential issues or threats
• Review the flagged content and context on the Bark dashboard
• Get expert advice on how to address the issues with your kids
• Manage multiple children accounts from one parent account

Bark works on Android and iOS devices. It has a 7-day free trial and a paid plan that costs $14 per month or $99 per year. The paid plan covers unlimited devices and children’s accounts. It also includes screen time management, web filtering, location tracking, check-in feature, etc.

Bark has a unique approach to parental control that focuses on monitoring rather than blocking or limiting. It respects your kids’ privacy and independence while informing you of potential problems or dangers. It also helps you communicate with your kids about sensitive topics and provide them with support.

Bark helps you protect your kids from online risks without invading their privacy or restricting their freedom. It’s a smart app that gives you peace of mind while letting your kids explore the online world safely.

3. Best for Time Monitoring: FamilyTime

FamilyTime is an app that helps you manage your kids’ screen time and device usage. It lets you set time limits and schedules for each device or app. It also lets you lock or unlock devices remotely with a single tap.

With FamilyTime, you can:

• Set daily or weekly time limits for each device or app
• Create custom schedules for bedtime, homework, dinner, etc.
• Pause or resume device usage anytime with a single tap
• View reports and history of device usage and screen time
• Reward your kids with bonus time for good behavior

FamilyTime works on Android and iOS devices. It has a free plan that covers one device and one child account and a paid plan that covers up to five devices and children accounts. The paid plan also unlocks more features, such as web filtering, location tracking, geofencing, SOS alerts, app blocking, etc.

FamilyTime has a simple and intuitive interface and a reliable performance. It also has a responsive customer support and a 3-day money-back guarantee. FamilyTime is used by thousands of parents worldwide and has received positive feedback from users and experts alike.

FamilyTime helps you balance your kids’ screen time and device usage. It lets you set healthy limits and schedules for your kids without being too harsh or strict. It also lets you reward your kids with bonus time for good behavior.

4. Best Budget: Google Family Link

Google Family Link is a free app that lets you create a Google account for your kids under 13 and manage their online activity. It lets you approve or block apps, set screen time limits, track location, etc.

With Google Family Link, you can:

• Approve or block apps that your kids want to download
• Set daily screen time limits and bedtime schedules
• Lock or unlock devices remotely with a single tap
• Track your kids’ location and activity on Google Maps
• View reports and history of app usage and screen time

Google Family Link works on Android and iOS devices. It’s free to use and has no ads or in-app purchases. However, parents and kids must have Google accounts and Android or iOS devices. It also doesn’t have some features that other parental control apps offer, such as web filtering, social media monitoring, calls and messages tracking, etc.

Google Family Link has a clean and simple interface and a stable performance. It also has a helpful customer support and a comprehensive help center. Google Family Link is trusted by millions of parents worldwide and has received positive reviews from users and experts alike.

Google Family Link offers a basic but effective solution for managing your kids’ online activity. It lets you approve or block apps, set screen time limits, track location, etc. without spending any money.

5. Best for Younger Kids: Canopy

Canopy is an app that filters web content, blocks pornography and protects privacy. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze real-time web pages and block inappropriate or harmful content.

With Canopy, you can:

• Filter web content by categories or keywords
• Block pornography and other adult content
• Protect your kids’ privacy from trackers and ads
• Monitor your kids’ browsing history and activity
• Manage multiple devices and profiles from one dashboard

Canopy works on Android and iOS devices. It has a free plan that covers one device and one child account and a paid plan that covers up to 10 devices and children accounts. The paid plan also unlocks features like YouTube filtering, location tracking, screen time management, etc.

Canopy has a sleek and modern interface and a fast performance. It also has a friendly customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Thousands of parents worldwide use canopy and has received positive feedback from users and experts alike.

Canopy helps you filter web content, block pornography, and protect privacy. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze web pages in real-time and block any inappropriate or harmful content without affecting the browsing experience.

6. Best for Real-Time Monitoring: Net Nanny

Net Nanny is an app that filters web content, manages screen time, tracks location, and monitors social media. It uses advanced technology to scan web pages in real-time and alert you of any potential issues or threats.

With Net Nanny, you can:

• Filter web content by categories or keywords
• Set time limits and schedules for device usage
• Track your kids’ location and geofences
• Monitor your kids’ social media activity
• View detailed reports and alerts on your kids’ online activity

Net Nanny works on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Kindle, and Chromebook devices. It has a paid plan that costs $54.99 per year for five devices or $99.99 per year for 20 devices. The paid plan also includes YouTube monitoring, advanced Facebook monitoring, location history, panic button, call blocking, SMS tracking, family locator, etc.

Net Nanny has a user-friendly interface and a reliable performance. It also has excellent customer support and a 14-day money-back guarantee. Net Nanny is trusted by millions of parents worldwide and has received positive reviews from users and experts alike.

Net Nanny helps you filter web content, manage screen time, track location, and monitor social media. It uses advanced technology to scan web pages in real-time and alert you of any potential issues or threats without affecting the browsing experience.

7. Best for Location Tracking: Life360

Life360 is an app that tracks location, speed, battery level, and more. It lets you create circles of family members or friends and share your location and activity with them. It also lets you send messages and alerts to your circle members.

With Life360, you can:

• Track your kids’ location and activity on a map
• View your kids’ location history and driving reports
• Set geofences and receive notifications when your kids arrive or leave
• Send messages and alerts to your circle members
• Request or offer help in case of emergency

Life360 works on Android and iOS devices. It has a free and paid plan that costs $7.99 per month or $69.99 per year. The paid plan covers up to six circle members and unlocks more features like crash detection, roadside assistance, identity theft protection, etc.

Life360 has a simple and intuitive interface and a stable performance. It also has responsive customer support and a 7-day free trial. Life360 is used by millions of parents worldwide and has received positive feedback from users and experts alike.

Life360 helps you track your kids’ location and activity on a map. It lets you create circles of family members or friends and share your location and activity with them. It also lets you send messages and alerts to your circle members.

Conclusion

Parental control apps are effective tools to protect children from online dangers and risks. These apps can help block harmful websites and apps, monitor calls and social media, and track location and activity. To help choose the best app for your family, we have reviewed and compared popular parental control apps for Android and iPhone. Our top picks include Qustodio, Bark, FamilyTime, Google Family Link, Canopy, Net Nanny, and Life360. However, parental control apps do not substitute parental guidance, communication, or set rules. The best way to protect kids online is to educate them, set boundaries, respect privacy, and offer support.

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