Kids without parental controls access porn, watch gory videos, and spend literally hours doom scrolling social media.
But completely banning the internet isn’t practical. And there are good parts (like being able to talk to and know where your kids are).
Parental control apps offer balance, making them essential for modern parents.
Below are the top 15 parental control apps that both iPhone and Android users should consider. This is an important decision, so don’t be afraid to take your time to find the right fit for your family.
Let’s dive in.
The 15 Best Parental Control Apps for 2024 – Quick Overview
Here are our top picks:
- Canopy
- AirDroid
- Google Family Link
- Kapersky
- Norton Family
- Screen Time Labs
- Kidlogger
- Kidslox
- Locategy
- Kids Place
- Microsoft Family Safety
- Net Nanny
- FamiSafe
- Bark
- OurPact
15 Best Parental Control Apps | Features, Pricing, and More
We’ve tested each of the apps below, dived into their features, and laid bare their pros and cons.
1. Canopy
Canopy‘s parental control app has a holistic set of features, including:
- Adult content blocking: Canopy filters the internet, preventing all inappropriate content reaching all your devices. You’ll never have to worry about young family members stumbling across harmful online content.
- Website blocking: Set up which sites, apps, or categories to block access to or set screen time limits. Canopy’s removal prevention will alert you to any attempts to get around your blocks.
- Sexting prevention: Sexting or receiving and sending nudes is often unwanted and frequently leads to cyberbullying. Canopy detects, blocks, and alerts the parents immediately.
- Location tracking: Know where your family is at all times and track them live.
Canopy works on Android and iPhone, as well as iPad, latops and desktop computers.
Pricing:
Pricing starts at $7.99/mo for three devices. View full pricing here. Grab a 7-day free trial here to get started.
Reviews:
Our app was reviewed in depth by Sarah from Family tech. Watch below to get a full deep dive into how it works.
Here the experience of a real parent who loved Canopy:
Canopy Parental Control Apps Features
Let’s look at how Canopy can help you in more detail.
Feature 1: Advanced Porn Blocking That Doesn’t Ruin Your Browsing Experience
Most parental control apps tap into blacklists to block well-known inappropriate sites. But that doesn’t make all adult content inaccessible.
Smart internet users (in other words, most kids these days) can easily find or stumble upon porn hidden in places the app makers don’t know about, like Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, or 100s of other sites that pop up.
Canopy takes a completely different approach which much better protection. Our technology uses AI to detect adult content and nudity on any website that’s visited.
Your family can still use Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube (if you want them to) for positive purposes but they’ll never see adult content. Your kids won’t even be able to see bikini-clad women on lingerie sites.
Feature 2: Block Apps & Websites (and Set Down Time)
With Canopy, you can choose to block all websites and some apps, as well as entire Content Categories like gambling or porn.
Canopy automatically blocks a list of known pornographic websites and apps, but you can also add custom URLs to block.
For instance, to block a specific website, you can just add the URL into your Canopy app and choose “Blocked”. Or, you can automatically block all websites under a certain category like “Social Media”.
The Canopy app also allows you to set downtime schedules for your children’s devices whether they use iOS or Android, Chromebook, Windows, or a Mac.
Feature 3: Sexting Prevention and Alerts
Sexting can lead to disastrous consequences like cyberbullying, sextortion, and even being placed on the sex offender register. (Learn more about the dangers of sexting.)
Canopy prevents sexting by sending immediate alerts to parents when their kid takes a risky photo, or when they receive one.
You will need to approve it before your kid can see the image or send it to someone.
Now, this Sexting Prevention feature works differently on Android and iOS.
- On Android, Canopy detects when an inappropriate image is taken. Then, a pop-up appears asking if the kid wants to send this picture to their parents to approve it or just delete it. Canopy doesn’t wait until the picture is sent to somebody else; it takes action at the root before it’s too late.
- On iPhone, the image will only be detected when the image is saved to the phone, although Canopy offers a workaround that parents can set up. This is because Apple has stricter restrictions on what third-party apps can do on the device.
Feature 4: Removal Prevention
With other parental control apps, kids easily delete the app itself or find workarounds to access blocked content.
But the Canopy app comes with built-in settings on Android and iPhone that prevent this from happening:
- On Android, kids can’t remove Canopy without the parent’s approval.
- On an iPhone, kids can remove the app, but the parent will be notified whenever this happens. But, Canopy offers a workaround for this that parents can set up.
If you’re looking for specific strategies or apps to limit screen time, check out our guides:
- 8 Best Screen Time Apps for Adults & Families [Tested By Us]
- How to Reduce Screen Time: 12 Strategies That Actually Work
Feature 5: Tracks Location and Sends Location Awareness
Canopy’s Location Tracking feature allows you to view the location of a protected device (aka. Your kid’s device) on a detailed GPS map anytime you’d like.
But this feature is only available on devices that have GPS capabilities, like most smartphones and tablets. It doesn’t work on computers that don’t have GPS.
You can also turn on “Location Awareness” which will alert you when your protected device is within 150 meters of pre-selected locations. Here’s how it works in detail.
Protect your child from exposure to explicit online content once and for all. Try Canopy for 7 days free.
How to Install Canopy
If you’d like to try out Canopy, create an account and start a 7-day free trial.
Then, Sarah from Family Tech walks you through the installation process here.
Pros and Cons
Probably the best thing about Canopy is that you can keep your child safe online while also protecting their independence and privacy. You don’t need to know every single thing your kid Googles when you know for a fact that no inappropriate content will come up, no matter what.
According to Play Store reviews, parents love how Canopy blocks inappropriate content before getting to their child’s devices, compared to other apps which just alerts whenever inappropriate content comes up.
Parents also praise Canopy’s customer service team for their responsiveness and speed at resolving issues.
Canopy also works well with other additional layers of protection, like the Google Family Link app.
But because of the granular level of protection Canopy offers, it can take a while to properly set it up, especially if you want to protect multiple devices and device types.
Our customer service reps are always a call or an email away to help you through it!
2. AirDroid Parental Control
Play Store Rating: 4.4 out of 5
App Store Rating: 4.7 out of 5
AirDroid is a monitoring and parental control app in one. With it, you can monitor both your kids’ online and offline activities to the fullest extent.
For example, you can mirror their screen and see what sites or apps they’re using, who they’re chatting with, and what they’re chatting about.
It can also sync the notifications on your child’s Android phone with your own. This means that you will get the same app and phone notifications that your kid does for maximum insight into their activities.
But AirDroid’s most striking feature is the “Remote Camera” where you can remotely turn on your kid’s rear or front camera no matter where you (or they) are. This means you’re always keeping an eye on your kids even when they are physically away from you.
The app also comes with a microphone that picks up surrounding noise. When necessary, you can even record voices from your kid’s side for future use.
However, although airdroid offers content filtering and app blocking features, they are not as powerful as Canopy’s. For one, it does not filter out inappropriate content in real-time.
Key Features
- Today’s Events: You can view daily and weekly usage of your child’s device, including statistics on hours of use, app usage time charts, app notification counts, and traffic usage statistics.
- Remote Microphone and Camera Access: See and hear what’s in your child’s surroundings via their Android device.
- Screen Mirroring: You can also see the current screen content of your child’s device.
- Alerts: When your child violates the limits you set, AirDroid will alert you on the main dashboard.
- Sync App Notifications: Receive the same notifications that your child’s phone does, at the same time.
- Screen Time Limits: You can set time limits for specific apps (e.g. 30 mins a day for Instagram), or you can limit the total screen time usage (e.g. 2 hours a day of phone usage).
- Location Tracking: Track the real-time location of your child’s device and view the location history.
Device Compatibility
- Android
- iOS
- Windows
- MacOS
Pros and Cons
Parents love that they’re able to mirror their kids’ phones and listen to what they are saying when they’re alone.
I am all for respecting your kid’s privacy, but you should know that AirDroid allows you to see only incoming messages to your child’s phone. You cannot see what they’re writing back.
The remote mic access works nicely but the remote camera access can be a bit buggy. For me, it worked only once and I couldn’t get it started again any other time.
Also, again, it doesn’t scan and filter inappropriate content in real-time, which is a disadvantage if you value this feature.
Pricing
- 3-day free trial
- Monthly Plan: $9.99 per month
- Quarterly Plan: $19.99 per quarter
- Yearly Plan: $59.99 per year
3. Google Family Link
App Rating: 4.6 out of 5
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Given their already wide range of products for Android, it’s only logical that Google would also have a parental control solution for Android phones.
Google Family Link is the only app on my list that is completely, 100% free. While its features are fairly basic, it’s still nice to know that you can keep your child’s Android device safe at zero cost.
Like all other parental control apps, Google Family Link allows you to set screen time limits, approve or block apps, and track device location. It also provides activity reports to help you understand how your child is using their device.
You’ll need to download two different apps – one for you as a parent and another for your child, and you’ll be able to set controls from your app for your child’s device. This is pretty standard.
One thing to note though is that once your kid turns 13 (or if they’re already 13), they’ll be given the option to uninstall or disable Google Family Link at any time. You will be notified if this occurs, however.
This is due to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) which expires once a child reaches the age of 13. It aims to recognize and respect the child’s increasing autonomy and privacy considerations as they grow older.
Key Features
- App Management: Parents can approve or block apps that their children want to download from the Google Play Store.
- Screen Time Management: Set daily screen time limits to manage how much time children spend on their devices.
- Activity Reports: Receive detailed weekly or monthly reports showing how much time your child spends on their favorite apps.
- Safe Search and Web Filtering: Ensure that Google’s SafeSearch is always on for Google searches, filtering out explicit content and making web browsing safer for children.
- Location Tracking: Real-time location tracking helps parents keep tabs on their children’s whereabouts.
Device Compatibility
For kids and teens:
- Family Link can run on Android 7.0 (Nougat) and higher.
For parents:
- Parents can run Family Link on Android devices running versions 5.0 (Lollipop) and higher, and iPHones running iOS 11 and higher.
Family Link can also manage Chromebooks, allowing you to supervise your child’s activities on these devices.
Pros and Cons
For a free app, Google Family Link offers a ton of helpful features for parents.
But the UI can get confusing (most of the time, I wasn’t sure where I needed to click to get something done), and it can’t protect iPhones.
Furthermore, the location tracking covers only within 650 ft which is quite limited. And when I tried the app I found that the location tracking glitches most of the time.
Pricing
One of the significant advantages of Google Family Link is that it is free to use. There are no subscription fees or in-app purchases required to access its full range of features.
4. Kaspersky Safe Kids
Play Store Rating: 3.3 out of 5
App Store Rating: 3.4 out of 5
Kaspersky is famously known for their anti-virus software, but they also offer Kaspersky Safe Kids—a “parenting assistant” tool that can help you monitor and protect your child’s online (and offline) experiences.
You can see your child’s online activity such as which apps and websites they visited, as well as what they’re consuming on YouTube.
Similar to other parental apps, you can also block specific sites, activate Safe Search, and track location.
But perhaps the most unique feature of Kaspersky is “Educate” which teaches your kids to have healthy digital habits.
You can set daily time limits for specific apps and schedule when your child can use their device. They can also view and track screen time rules with a cartoon-like “child limit bar”.
However, news recently broke out that the US government is imposing two rounds of sanctions on Kaspersky Lab, a Russian-based antivirus and cybersecurity company. Moreover, Kaspersky Antivirus products have been banned from sale in the US.
A great alternative to Kaspersky Safe Kids is Norton Family, which I’ll go into detail in the next section.
Key Features
- Screen Time Management: Set healthy limits on device usage to help children balance online and offline activities.
- App Use Control: Manage app downloads and usage, ensuring children only access appropriate content.
- Website Filter: Block harmful websites to maintain a safe online environment for your child.
- YouTube Safe Search: Monitor and control the content your child can search for and watch on YouTube.
- Battery Tracker: Receive alerts when your child’s device battery is low, ensuring they don’t run out of power unexpectedly.
- GPS Tracker: Keep track of your child’s location with real-time GPS tracking.
- Social Network Monitoring: Supervise your child’s activity on popular social networks to ensure their interactions are safe.
Device Compatibility
- Windows PCs
- Mac computers
- Android smartphones and tablets
- iOS devices (iPhones and iPads)
Pros and Cons
The main thing I appreciate about Kaspersky Safe Kids is the screen time controls.
Rather than imposing draconian limits on screen time, the app encourages a mutual understanding with kids by allowing kids to monitor their own device usage and helping them recognize when it’s time to cut back.
However, parents online are concerned about how Kaspersky’s YouTube reporting or web filtering features don’t work properly on browsers other than Chrome, which is a huge downside.
Pricing
- Kaspersky Safe Kids: $20.99 for the first year, $22.99 for every year afterwards
- Kaspersky Premium + Kaspersky Safe Kids: $74.99 for the first year for 10 devices, $149.99 for every year afterwards
5. Norton Family
Play Store Rating: 3.2 out of 5
App Store Rating: 3.9 out of 5
Just like Kaspersky, Norton Family is also a well-known name in the world of antivirus software.
Their parental control solution offers some useful features, such as blocking all but school-approved websites on your child’s device and the option to instantly lock the device if you need to.
Another standout feature of Norton is that you can view your child’s search terms and viewed videos and keep close tabs on the sites they visit, if this is something you want in a parental control app.
It also includes Location Supervision to keep track of your child’s whereabouts.
Key Features
- Web Supervision: Control the websites your child can visit, ensuring safe browsing and limiting exposure to inappropriate content.
- Time Supervision: Manage how much time your child spends online each day, including the ability to set specific time limits for device usage.
- Search Supervision: See the terms, phrases, and keywords your child searches for, helping to prevent exposure to inappropriate content.
- Video Supervision: Monitor the videos your child watches on YouTube and other popular video sites, providing insights into their viewing habits.
- Location Supervision: Keep track of your child’s location with tools that map the location of their devices, offering peace of mind about their whereabouts.
- Remote Lock: Remotely lock your child’s device when it’s time to take a break, ensuring they focus on tasks like homework or family time without distractions.
- School Time: You can create a list of specific school-related, educational websites that can be accessed during the school day. You can also customize a block list for distracting sites like YouTube or Instagram.
Device Compatibility
- Android
- iOS
- Windows
Pros and Cons
One aspect I particularly appreciated was its ability to block or allow specific sites during school hours. It helped ensure that my child remained focused on their studies and reduced the chances of them getting sidetracked by unnecessary apps or websites.
Parents online also love the Remote Lock feature where you can remotely lock your kid’s device wherever you are.
However, one major drawback I encountered when I tried it out was that Norton Family was extremely glitchy – more so than other apps on this list. I experienced frequent disruptions, which affected the overall usability and reliability of the app.
Parents online also report that it’s very easy for their children to bypass restrictions.
Pricing
- 30-day free trial
- Only annual plan available: $49.99 per year
6. Screen Time
Play Store Rating: 3.2 out of 5
App Store Rating: Not available
Screen Time Labs Parental Control is a great tool for monitoring and limiting screen usage.
On the free version, you get monitoring features like app usage, daily reports, social media monitoring, and YouTube tracking – mostly for Android phones
On the Premium version, you’ll be able to block certain apps (Android only), set time limits, and track location.
I think the best feature on the Premium version is the task rewards system. You can set tasks for your kids and when you complete them, they earn extra screen time. It’s a great way to encourage positive behaviors like finishing their homework or helping with chores around the house.
Screen Time is also unique in the sense that you can override all your settings temporarily if you need to occupy your child on long trips or during important meetings.
Key Features
- Daily Screen Time Limits: Set specific daily limits on how much time your child can spend on their devices.
- Task Rewards: Reward children with extra screen time for completing tasks or chores.
- App Management: Approve or block apps and games directly from your own phone.
- Instant Pause: Temporarily pause your child’s device or schedule regular screen-free times.
- Web Filtering: Block inappropriate content and manage what your child can see online.
- Geo-Trips and Geo-Fencing: Keep an eye on your child’s location with real-time tracking and get alerts when they arrive or leave a specific location.
- Usage Reports: Get detailed reports on how your child uses their device, including app usage and web browsing history.
Device Compatibility
- Android
- iOS
- Kindle
Pros and Cons
Screen Time (as the name suggests) is more suitable for screen time management rather than overall parental control.
Parents online say it has helped them and their child develop healthy boundaries with screens and helps their child focus better at school.
Similar to Canopy, Screen Time also offers the option of blocking entire content categories. Unfortunately, this feature doesn’t work as intended (unlike with Canopy). While Screen Time can block porn on your child’s device to an extent, it cannot block all of it.
And online users also report how “janky” the app is and how their kid was able to find workarounds around limits or even go on apps that were blocked.
Also, another thing to note is how key features of Screen Time, like YouTube reporting, app blocking, and web filtering, only works on Android.
Pricing
- Free tier with only monitoring features
- 7-day free trial
- Premium: $6.99/month with full features
7. Kidlogger
KidLogger is a free parental control app that lets you track your child’s digital activities across multiple platforms, including Android, Windows, and Mac. You can see:
- How long your kid has been on specific devices
- Which apps they have used
- Which websites they have visited
- Whom they have communicated with on phone, SMS, Skype, or Facebook (only works for Android)
- Where they have been (only works for Android)
- What photos they have taken or saved (only works for Android)
- What they have written to their friends(only works for Android and Mac)
You can even install Kidlogger on your kid’s PC and record their keystrokes and external devices they plug into the computer (such as USB drives).
It’s a bit more specific in that you cannot download the app from Google Play or App Store, but rather from the Kidlogger website.
However, a major downside to this app is that it is essentially only a monitoring app. There are no blocking features available as of yet.
Key Features
- Activity Monitoring: Tracks how much time your child spends on devices.
- App Usage: Monitors which apps your child uses and how often.
- Website Tracking: Keeps tabs on which websites your child visits.
- Communication Logs: Records whom your child communicates with on various platforms (only available for Android).
- Location Tracking: Provides updates on your child’s whereabouts (only available for Android).
- Photo Monitoring: Logs photos taken or saved on the device (only available for Android).
- Keystroke Recording: Captures what your child types (available on Android and Mac).
Device Compatibility
- Windows, Versions 7-10
- Android, Versions 8-11
- MacOS, Versions 13 – 14
- Linus, For Ubuntu 18-22 and Mint 21
Pros and Cons
Honestly, I was impressed by KidLogger’s monitoring features. It may be a bit too much for me because I choose not to dig into my child’s online activity more than necessary, but it’s really powerful.
At the same time, it’s obviously not a comprehensive parental control app. There are no blocking features whatsoever, so it doesn’t really help protect your kid from anything.
I recommend you to use Kidlogger with others from the list if you’d like to keep your kid safe from inappropriate content online.
Pricing
- Free tier (for up to 5 devices)
- Standard plan: $9 for 3 months, $17 for 6 months, and $29 for a year
- Professional plan: $29 for 3 months, $49 for 6 months, and $89 for a year
8. Kidslox
Play Store Rating: 4.3 out of 5
App Store Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Kidslox claims that they automatically block over 4 million inappropriate URLs, while also allowing you to manually add sites to be blocked. This means your kids are protected from inappropriate sites by default without you having to block each of them individually.
But Kidslox’s most standout feature is the “Individual App Blocking” where you can disable internet access for over 30 apps on both Android and iOS. This is rare among parental control apps as most of them only block or filter websites–not apps.
Apart from this, you can also set daily limits for screen time and when the time runs out, Kidslox will automatically lock down your kid’s device.
Like Canopy, Kidslox also offers removal prevention called “Childproofing” where your kid won’t be able to remove the app without your approval.
Key Features
- Individual App Blocking: Disable internet access for specific apps on both Android and iOS devices.
- Content Filtering: Filters harmful web content to ensure safe browsing.
- Instant Lock: Allows you to immediately lock the device, enforcing screen time rules effectively.
- Daily Limits: Set daily screen time limits to manage how long children can use their devices.
- Scheduling: Program the device to switch between unrestricted, night, and lockdown modes according to your scheduled times.
- Location Tracking: Keep tabs on your child’s location to ensure their safety.
Device Compatibility
- Android
- iOS
Pros and Cons
As I’ve mentioned before, the app blocking is the most unique feature of Kidslox and parents online agree:
Unfortunately however, while Kidslox’s features sound great in theory, online users say they don’t work very well in practice.
Many users also report issues with Kidslox pricing saying the app stopped working well after they paid for it, and they were prompted to purchase the more expensive plan.
Pricing
- Basic plan: $49.99 / year (billed annually) for 1 device
- Family plan: $79.99 / year (billed annually) for 10 devices
9. Locategy – Best Location Tracking App
Play Store Rating: 3.5 out of 5
App Store Rating: Not available
Locategy is a family locator app specifically designed to help you keep track of your family’s whereabouts at all times.
The app uses geofencing, meaning that it uses GPS technology to draw a boundary and alert you if the device moves outside of it. You can also configure the app to notify you when your child reaches a specific location.
The app also gives you usage reports that show you how your kids are using their phones and allows you to set time limits.
But beware—if your goal is to block inappropriate content from young eyes, Locategy may not offer the most complete solution.
It’s unable to monitor social media and messaging services for inappropriate content, for example. This makes it a good complement to other parental control apps, but not a replacement.
Key Features
- Location Tracking: Monitor your children’s location in real-time.
- Usage Reports: Receive detailed reports on app usage, including social apps and games.
- Application Time Limits: Set limits on individual app usage to minimize distractions.
- Location Alerts: Get alerts when your child arrives at or leaves specific locations like school or home.
- Historical Location: View the current and past locations of your children over the last few days.
- Multiple Parent Devices: Monitor children’s devices from multiple parent smartphones.
Device Compatibility
- Android
- iOS
Pros and Cons
Locategy is truly great at tracking your kid’s location and alerting you of their whereabouts.
It also offers multiple “Parent” devices which means you have the option of giving control to another caregiver, ensuring a bulletproof safety net.
While it shines as a location tracker, its benefits beyond that are less stellar. For instance, you won’t be able to block apps or filter inappropriate content.
The app is also very limited for iPhones. For instance, it doesn’t show phone usage reports like it does on Android devices.
Even for Androids, the usage reports don’t work very well as mentioned in this review:
Pricing
First up, the pricing can be a little confusing and not readily accessible on their website. They do offer a free version, but this has limited capabilities.
Otherwise, monthly options include:
- $4.99 for 3 devices per month
- $6.99 for 5 devices per month
- $11.99 for 10 devices per month
Your annual options are:
- $29.99 for 3 devices per year
- $39.99 for 5 devices per year
- $69.99 for 10 devices per year
10. Kids Place Parental Control
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Kids Place is an innovative parental control app in that you can curate a child-friendly home screen or app launcher where only your approved apps are visible and accessible.
This means your child can safely navigate their device without the risk of stumbling upon inappropriate content or accidentally changing settings.
What’s more, Kids Place also blocks these approved apps from starting or downloading unapproved apps. The goal is to prevent unsupervised access—like going to an incognito browser from a “normal” app like Google Maps.
The app also seems to emphasize a lot on children’s user experience, as they can choose from fun wallpapers, colors, text, and app icon sizes on the custom home screen.
A unique thing about Kids Place is also that it can function without an internet connection, which means your kids will be protected even when they don’t have access to the internet.
Key Features
- Custom Home Screen: Set up a child-friendly home screen with only approved apps visible.
- App Management: Control which apps your child can access.
- Stop Downloads and In-App Purchases: Prevents unauthorized app downloads and blocks in-app purchases.
- Time Restrictions: Schedule and limit app usage by the weekly, day, hour and half hour. Daily limits can be set to the minute. You can also limit the entire device, categories of apps, or an individual app.
- Internet and App Blocking: Block internet access and apps not suitable for children.
- Custom Backgrounds: Personalize the device with fun, child-friendly backgrounds.
- Movement Tracking: Track both digital and physical movement of your child.
- Offline Support: Functions without an internet connection, ensuring reliable usage.
Device Compatibility
Only compatible with Android devices.
Pros and Cons
Kids Place is great at enhancing user experience both for the kids and the parents, and users online seem to appreciate this user-friendliness:
Although the child-friendly home screen is useful, kids are savvy, and they can find really creative ways to access unapproved apps through approved apps, which is beyond the app’s functionality. Just take a look at a review from this parent:
Kids Place is also only available for Android devices, which limits its scope of protection.
Pricing
- Free forever plan with basic features
- Kids Place: $4.99/month or $69 one-time purchase with extra features like personalization, app level internet control, and multiple user support
- Kiddoware: $8.99/month of $99 one-time purchase with extra-extra features like geo-fencing, web filtering, kids friendly safe browser, and remote device management
11. Microsoft Family Safety
Play Store Rating: 3.7 out of 5
App Store Rating: 3.8 out of 5
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Microsoft Family Safety is a great option if your family primarily uses Windows, Android, or XBox.
It does two key things:
- Screen time limits: You can set limits on specific devices, apps, and games, and decide whether to extend time (and by how much) based on what’s right for you and your family.
- Content filters: You can also filter inappropriate content on apps, games, and web searches, or completely block inappropriate apps and games. What this does is filter out sites and search results that are too mature. For instance, your kid won’t be able to search for, or download, 18+ games on XBox.
Another cool feature is that you can limit browsing to only kid-friendly websites using Microsoft Edge on XBox, Windows, and Android. When this feature is turned on, other browsers, like Chrome, will be blocked.
Key Features
- Screen Time Limits: Manage how much time your family spends on specific apps, games, and devices.
- Content Filters: Block or filter out inappropriate content across apps, games, and web searches.
- Activity Reporting: Receive regular reports on your family’s device usage and online activity.
- Location Sharing: Keep track of your family’s location with real-time location sharing and history.
Device Compatibility
Screen time limits work on:
- Windows (Windows 10 and Windows 11)
- Xbox (Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S)
- Android apps and games.
You can manage them using the Microsoft Family Safety app on Android and iOS.
Web filters work out:
- Microsoft Edge browser on Windows (Windows 10 and Windows 11)
- Xbox (Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S)
- Android devices
Pros and Cons
Microsoft Family Safety is the only app that allows you to filter out inappropriate games and searches on XBox, so it’s a very useful tool for that purpose. It’s also great at setting screen time limits for XBox in general.
However, it’s not a very comprehensive web filtering tool as it doesn’t work on iOS devices, and it doesn’t filter out inappropriate content in real-time (like Canopy does).
Users online also reported that the key features of the app (like counting the collective screen time on all devices) has stopped working after the latest update.
Pricing
Microsoft’s website says the app is free, but they are notorious for making you purchase bundle plans for one functionality to work, which might be the case here.
12. Net Nanny
Play Store Rating: 2.2 out of 5
App Store Rating: 2.7 out of 5
Having been around 1996, Net Nanny is one of the most long-standing parental control apps on our list.
It’s known for its dynamic internet filtering technology powered by AI, which not only blocks inappropriate content but also analyzes web pages in real-time to ensure that children are exposed only to age-appropriate material.
Unlike standard filters that block content based on fixed lists, Net Nanny’s adaptive approach adjusts to new threats as they emerge. This is similar to Canopy.
Net Nanny also offers detailed reports and alerts that keep parents informed about their children’s online behavior in a nuanced way. These alerts can notify you about potential exposure to risky content, providing an opportunity for timely discussions about internet safety.
However, this app is a bit pricier than most others on our list, and it doesn’t offer the option of a free trial. It also seems to have gone downhill since 1996, based on reviews online.
Key Features
- Internet Filtering: This top-rated feature analyzes and blocks inappropriate content in real-time, ensuring safe browsing across various websites.
- Screen Time Management: Parents can set specific times of the day or total hours when children can access the internet, helping manage daily internet use.
- App Blocking: This allows parents to block access to specific apps on their child’s device, tailoring usage to ensure safety and appropriateness.
- Location Tracking: Provides real-time location updates, giving parents peace of mind about their children’s whereabouts.
- Alerts and Reporting: Receive notifications and detailed reports on your child’s online activities, helping you stay informed and react when necessary.
- YouTube Monitoring: Monitors the videos your child watches on YouTube, including details like video names and viewing times.
- Social Media Protection: Helps safeguard children from potential risks on social platforms by monitoring their activity across networks like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
- Pornography Blocking: Specifically designed to prevent exposure to adult content, ensuring children do not encounter inappropriate material.
Device Compatibility
- Android devices (Android 6.0 or higher)
- iOS devices (iOS 12.1 or higher)
- MacOS computers
- Windows
- Chromebook (Chrome OS devices)
- Amazon Fire tablets
Pros and Cons
It’s true that Net Nanny has a really advanced AI filtering technology that scans and blocks inappropriate content in real-time.
However, parents online have said that the app is incredibly difficult to install and the key features like web filtering does not work.
It’s also on the pricier side, which can be a stretch if you’re watching your budget and need to cover several devices.
Pricing
- No free trial
- 1 Desktop: $39.99 / year billed annually
- 5 Devices: $54.99 / year billed annually
- 20 Devices: $89.99 / year billed annually
13. FamiSafe
Play Store Rating: 2.7 out of 5
App Store Rating: 4.2 out of 5
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FamiSafe is a comprehensive parental control app, offering a strong set of features for keeping children and older teens safe in the digital age.
Here are some unique ones:
- Got a teen who just started driving? Famisafe monitors their driving habits and alerts you to risky driving.
- Reverse location tracking: It helps your kids find out where you are if they need you quickly.
- Famibot: Ask their AI chatbot how to educate your kids about important safety topics.
It recently launched a “Screen Viewer” function where you can take screenshots of your kid’s screens instantly, or on a timed schedule (every 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 minutes).
FamiSafe also scans for inappropriate images and alerts parents whenever they detect something suspicious. And these suspicious images will be displayed to you in the form of a gallery. This function works for texts as well.
Another unique feature of Famisafe is its “SOS” alert system where your child can click an “SOS” button to send the emergency alert within 5 seconds. You’ll receive this alert (whether the FamiSafe app is open or closed) and get their real-time location as well.
To prevent misuse of the SOS function, you can also choose to enable or disable this feature.
Key Features
- Activity Report: Tracks device usage and app activity.
- App Blocker & Usage: Limits access to apps and monitors how they’re used.
- Screen Time: Sets limits on daily device use.
- Web Filtering: Blocks or allows websites based on content suitability.
- Location Tracking & Geo-Fencing: Monitors real-time location and sets boundaries.
- Explicit Content Detection: Alerts parents to potentially harmful content on social apps.
- YouTube Monitoring: Monitors watched YouTube videos and video search history.
- Drive Safety: Analyzes driving behavior for teenagers.
Device Compatibility
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
- macOS
- Kindle Fire Devices
- Chrome OS
Pros and Cons
Famisafe’s adult content monitoring has both pros and cons. On the positive side, it lets you know what your kids are watching and alerts you if anything inappropriate comes up. It also offers a search filter which should prevent your kids from searching up certain terms.
It also works cross-device, meaning you can use it on devices with different operating systems (e.g. Android and iOS).
However, Famisafe doesn’t offer the same real-time protection as Canopy so your kids may find inappropriate content in places that you didn’t expect and can’t monitor.
I also found that Famisafe’s Safe Search Filter needs some tweaking. While it does ban certain words, there are others—including some linked to drugs and violent behavior—that can still be searched.
Users online also report that the filter doesn’t always work as intended, and their kids were able to access blocked content.
Pricing
Famisafe offers three different plan options:
- $9.99 per month for up to 5 devices
- $19.99 per quarter for up to 10 devices
- $59.99 per year for up to 10 devices
14. Bark
Play Store Rating: 4.0 out of 5
App Store Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Bark is well-known for its content monitoring capabilities. It scans texts, emails, 30+ social media apps, and web browsers, and alerts parents to potentially risky behavior such as cyberbullying, sexting, and suicidal ideation.
The app is useful for detecting hidden signals, too. One user said, “My daughter’s boyfriend sent her a pasta emoji, for example, and Bark let me know that means he was asking for nudes”. Which I thought was impressive.
Bark also offers their own kid-friendly lite phone – “Bark Phone” – which comes with more comprehensive monitoring features already loaded. For instance, the Bark app does not monitor direct messages on Instagram on iOS devices, but it does on the Bark Phone.
However, one downside of Bark is that it cannot block access to porn and adult content effectively. Bark blocks most popular porn websites, but it won’t detect and block inappropriate images from unexpected sources (Canopy is your best bet for that).
Here’s a comprehensive comparison of Canopy vs. Bark.
Key Features
- Content Monitoring: Analyzes texts, emails, and social media for signs of harmful interactions and content.
- Screen Time Management: Allows parents to set screen time limits and schedules.
- Web Filtering: Blocks inappropriate content and websites.
- Location Tracking: Provides real-time location tracking and geofencing.
- Alerts: Sends automatic alerts to parents for detected issues like cyberbullying or depression signs.
- Check-In Feature: Enables children to check in safely with parents without a detailed location.
Device Compatibility
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
- Chrome OS
- macOS
- Amazon Fire
Pros and Cons
Bark is most praised online for its monitoring capabilities like social media, text, and email monitoring.
Unfortunately, though, multiple online users have reported on Google Play that the app blocking and content filter features don’t work well as intended.
Online users also say Bark is a “nightmare” to set up with inaccurate instructional videos. Most also complain about the app being “messy” ,” “spammy” and “difficult to manage”.
Pricing
- Bark Premium: $14.00 / month
- Bark Phone: From $39.00 / month
- Bark Home (internet filter): $6.00 / month
15. OurPact
App Rating: 3.0 out of 5
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OurPact is a parental control and family locator app. It’s packed with a range of features you might find useful in ensuring your child is safe online, such as automatic screenshots of your child’s device, sexual content blocking, and screen time schedules.
An interesting concept of OurPact is that it enables the parents to allocate a specific amount of screen time allowance per day so that the teen can spend it however they want.
This is a unique concept that can prove to be extremely useful in motivating teens to do house work, run errands, and similar.
It’s also cross-platform (like Canopy), meaning you can manage devices across different operating systems seamlessly.
I think OurPact is great for balancing control and flexibility. You get to set boundaries and rules that fit your family’s lifestyle, all while encouraging your kids to develop healthy online habits.
Key Features
- Screen Time Management: You can set daily screen time limits, schedule device-free times (like during homework or bedtime), and instantly block or allow access to apps and websites.
- App Blocker: With OurPact, you can block specific apps on your child’s device. Whether it’s social media, games, or other distractions, you have the power to decide what’s accessible and when.
- Web Filtering: The app includes a robust web filter that blocks inappropriate and harmful websites. You can customize the filter to ensure your kids only access content you deem safe.
- Family Locator: OurPact’s family locator feature allows you to keep track of your child’s location in real-time. It gives you peace of mind knowing where they are, especially if they’re out and about. You can also set up geofences to get alerts when they arrive at or leave specific locations like school or home.
- Text and App Monitoring: This feature lets you monitor the messages and apps your kids use, providing insights into their interactions and ensuring they aren’t engaging in harmful conversations or activities.
- Allowance & Rewards: You can set screen time allowances and reward your kids with extra screen time for good behavior or completing chores.
- Scheduling: Create custom schedules for different times of the day or week. For instance, you can set a school-time schedule where only educational apps are accessible or a bedtime schedule where the device is completely off-limits.
Device Compatibility
- iOS 9.3 or later
- Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or later
Pros and Cons
I tried out the free trial, and it works fine! There are some issues, such as my kid’s controlled apps sometimes freeze even if they aren’t blocked at that moment, but overall it’s not a bad app.
Reviewers online say it works better with iPhones and they can get very minute control, but unfortunately this doesn’t work quite as well for Android.
I have not paid for the Premium, however, I’ve been hearing that many users have trouble with setting up the Premium version of the app. So beware that perhaps your money won’t be well spent if you decide to go Premium.
Users online also report the features don’t work as well as intended.
Furthermore, it’s only possible to contact their customer support via email (no phone), which isn’t ideal if you need a fast solution to your issues.
Pricing
- 14-day free trial
- Premium: $6.99/month
- Premium+: $9.99/month
- Annual plans available
Related Reads:
Parental Control Apps Comparison Table
In a nutshell, here are the parental control apps reviewed:
App Name | Best for | Device Compatibility | Pricing |
Canopy | Filtering inappropriate content in real-time using AI | Android, iOS, Windows, ChromeOS |
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AirDroid | Monitoring kids’ online & offline activities | Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS |
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Google Family Link | Free app for Android with basic features | Android 7.0 (Nougat) and higher | Free |
Kaspersky Safe Kids | Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS |
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Norton Family | Blocking all but school-approved websites | Android, iOS, Windows |
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Screen Time | Setting daily screen limits | Android, iOS, Kindle |
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Kidlogger | Recording keystrokes and monitoring external devices | Android, MacOS, Windows, Linus |
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Kidslox | Blocking individual apps | Android, iOS |
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Locategy | Tracking location and geo-fencing | Android, iOS |
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Kids Place | Curating a child-friendly home screen or app launcher | Android |
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Microsoft Family Safety | Setting screen time limits and web filters on XBox | Android, Windows, XBox | Not publicly available |
Net Nanny | Filtering inappropriate content in real-time | Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS, Amazon Fire |
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FamiSafe | Monitoring kids’ activity on social media platforms | Android, iOS, windows, MacOS, Kindle Fire, Chrome OS |
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Bark | Monitoring texts, emails, social media apps, and web browsers for inappropriate content | Android, iOS, Windows, ChromeOS, MacOS, Amazon Fire |
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OurPact | Taking automatic screenshots of your child’s device | Android, iOS |
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Parental Control Apps – FAQs
Have more questions about parental control apps? I answered them below:
What is the best app for parental control?
Canopy gives you real-time, AI-powered, tracking and blocking—meaning all inappropriate content gets eliminated before it finds its way onto your child’s device.
No other parental control app uses the same unique, proactive technology.
Overall, Canopy gives you the best spread of helpful features, from content filtering and screen time management to location tracking—and, importantly, sexting prevention. Your levels of oversight can be tweaked in highly customizable settings to make sure you’re giving the freedom your kid needs without sacrificing their safety, too.
You can try Canopy for 7 days, completely free of charge. Or download from Google Play or App Store.
What is the parental control app that monitors texts?
Based on the reviews in this article, here are three parental control apps that monitor texts:
- AirDroid
- Bark
- FamiSafe
This will soon be included in Canopy! Right now, our app only monitors texts for sexting and inappropriate images.
Is there an app to turn off your child's phone?
Yes, there are multiple apps that let you remotely turn off your child’s phone or their access to the internet. Here are four from my list:
- Canopy
- Norton Family
- Google Family Link
- OurPact
Can kids get around parental control apps?
Yes, today’s kids are tech-savvy and they can come up with ways to get around parental control apps. Here are a few methods they might use and how to prevent each:
Factory Reset: Some kids might reset their devices to factory settings to remove controls.
- Prevention: Use a device that logs and notifies you of any major changes like resets.
VPN Usage: Kids may use VPNs to bypass web filters.
- Prevention: Install a VPN blocker or choose a parental control app that detects unauthorized VPN use.
Installing Other Browsers: To avoid browser controls, kids might install unmonitored browsers.
- Prevention: Block the ability to install new apps without parental approval.
Using Friends’ Devices: Kids can access unfiltered content on their friends’ devices.
- Prevention: Encourage open communication about online safety and the reasons behind monitoring.
Canopy comes with a diligent Removal Prevention feature that notifies you (the parent) when your kid tries to uninstall the app. They will not be able to uninstall it without your permission.
What does porn do to your brain?
Porn has severe consequences for brain health and can change behaviors dramatically. Read our full guide on what porn does to your brain here.
