Kids are your most precious commodity. You work hard to give them the best life possible, so when you feel like they’re in danger online, it’s natural for any parent to panic. There are many apps out there that promise you parental control over your kids’ internet experience but how do you know which one is right for you? We’ve compiled 10 of the top parental control apps on the market today and what each offers parents in terms of protection.

We hope this list helps guide your decision-making process!

Here are some factors to consider:

    • The features offered by the app
    • The price of the app
    • The ease of use of the app
    • The customer support offered by the app

After considering these factors,

Here are the Best 10 Parental Control Apps in the Market

1. Norton Family Parental Control

This is one of the best parental control apps available in the market. The best thing about this app is that it has a lot of features for monitoring your kids’ activities, but it doesn’t have too many features to confuse you. It has all the best features you would need to monitor your child’s internet activity, but it also makes sure that these are easy to access and use by anyone, including your child. This way, they don’t feel limited or restricted when using their mobile device.

Some of the best features offered by this app are as follows:

    • Monitor chats on social networking sites like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and
    • View the websites your child has visited
    • Monitor the apps your child has used
    • Set time limits for how long your child can use the internet or individual apps
    • Block inappropriate content
    • Get real-time alerts if your child strays from safe areas, you have defined

The app is available for iOS and Android devices, and it costs $49.99 a year.

2. Apple Screen Time App for iPhones

This app is only available for iOS devices, but it is one of the best parental control apps available on the market. It was designed by Apple in partnership with experts to help parents manage their children’s screen time. Some of the best features offered by this app are as follows:

    • View how much time your child has been using apps on a particular day or in a particular week. You can also set timers to limit the amount of time they spend on the iPhone or iPad.
    • Parents have access to daily and weekly reports that show which apps your child is using when they’re being used and for how long.  You can configure these reports according to age groups so you get different reports for each child.  For example, you could create a report for your 5-year old, another one for your 12-year old, and another one for all children between 5 years old and 11 years old. You can then use these reports to make decisions about how best to manage your child’s screen time.
    • Limit which apps can be used during certain times of the day or week.  For example, you could allow your child to use educational apps only during school hours.
    • Set app usage limits for each day or week.  For example, you could allow your child 2 hours of gaming per day, but no more than 1 hour on a weekday.

Screen Time is free and is available for iOS devices from 12 years old and up

3. FamilyTime Parental Control App for Android

This is another great parental control app that is available for Android devices. Some of the best features offered by this app are as follows:

    • Monitor your child’s activity on their device
    • Set internet time limits for each app, website, or category of websites. For example, you can limit the time they spend on social media browsing or on entertainment websites.  You can even set different time limits depending on the day of the week and who is logged in to your child’s device. For example, you could have a shorter time limit during school days and a longer one over the weekend when all family members are home.
    • Monitor how long your child uses apps – this information is displayed as a graph so you can see which apps they use most often and for how long.
    • Block certain websites – if you don’t want your child to visit certain websites, you can block them by adding them to the blocked list.
    • Track phone calls – this feature is best for parents who want to monitor how long their child speaks on the phone and which numbers they call most often.
    • Monitor social media activity – with FamilyTime, you can see all of your child’s recent Facebook messages or likes in one place, which makes it easier for you to monitor what they are doing online when using their Android device.

FamilyTime is available for Android devices from 6 years old and up, and it costs $4.99 per month or $49.95 per year if paid in advance.

4. Family Locator: best parental control app for tracking kids

If you’re looking for an app that can help you keep track of your child’s location, then Family Locator is a great option. This app is available for both Android and iOS devices, and it offers the following features:

    • View your child’s location on a map in real-time
    • See which restaurants or stores your child visits and how long they stay there
    • Get notified when your child arrives at or leaves a particular place
    • Set up geofences around important places like school or home, and get notifications when your child enters or leaves these areas

Family Locator is free to download and use, but some of the advanced features require a subscription which costs $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.

5. MamaBear App for Monitoring Kids’ Activities

MamaBear is another great parental control app that is available for both Android and iOS devices. Some of the features offered by this app include:

    • View your child’s location on a map in real-time
    • Monitor your child’s phone calls, text messages, and social media activity
    • Get notified when your child posts something online that you want to see
    • Receive alerts if your child contacts someone who is not on their contact list
    • See which apps your child is using and for how long they are being used

MamaBear is free to download and use, but some of the features require a subscription which costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.

6. Qustodio for Monitoring Internet Usage

Qustodio is a great parental control app that helps you keep track of your child’s online activity. Some of the features offered by this app include:

    • View your child’s internet history (including websites visited, social media posts, and search engine queries)
    • Get notified when your child attempts to visit a website that is blocked by Qustodio
    • Set time limits for how long your child can spend on different types of websites (e.g., social media, entertainment, news, etc.)
    • Receive alerts when your child contacts someone who is not on their contact list

Qustodio is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Amazon devices, and it starts at $4.99 per month for a single child’s account.

7. FamilyTime: Parental Control App for Tracking Kids’ Location

FamilyTime is a great parenting application that lets you keep track of your child’s location. Some of the features offered by this app include:

    • Track your children via their mobile devices or GPS watches
    • Know where they are at all times and know if they leave a certain area (geofencing)
    • Monitor their online activity through social media apps, messaging apps, websites visited, etc.
    • Receive alerts when your child leaves or arrives at specific locations (e.g., home or school)

FamilyTime is available for Android devices from 6 years old and up, and it costs $4.99 per month per child.

8. Boomerang: Parental Control App for Managing Kids’ Screen Time

Boomerang is a great parental control app that lets you manage your child’s screen time. Some of the features offered by this app include:

    • Set time limits for how much your child can use their devices each day
    • Schedule break times throughout the day to make sure your child is getting enough exercise and social interaction
    • Block certain websites or apps on your child’s device during specific times of the day

Get a detailed report of how long your child has been using their device each day Boomerang is available for Android devices from 4 years old and up, and it costs $3.99 per month.

9. Kidslox Parental Control App for Daycare/Preschool Managements

Kidslox is a great parental control app that lets you manage your child’s daycare or preschool activity schedules. Some of the features offered by this app include:

    • Monitor your child’s location at all times thanks to GPS tracking
    • Receive alerts when your child arrives or leaves their school’s designated area
    • Get notified whenever they interact with another person (e.g., hugging, playing, etc.) so you can be there for them before it’s too late Kidslox is available for

Android devices from 5 years old and up, and costs $2.99 per month.

Conclusion

There are best parental control apps that let you monitor your child’s online activity. Some of the best ones listed above include Qustodio, Norton Family, and FamilyTime. One of the best features offered by them is monitoring websites visited on your child’s device.

Other features include time limits for how much your child can use their devices each day, getting alerts when they contact someone who isn’t in their contacts list, and monitoring apps installed on their mobile devices.

They also offer location tracking so you know where they are at all times, but some of these applications come with a fee that starts at $4.99 per month depending on the number of children included in the subscription.

Additionally, Boomerang is a great parental control app for managing screen time and Kidslox is the best parental control app for daycare/preschool management. Whichever best parental control app you choose, be sure to read the reviews before making your purchase. Doing so will ensure that you are getting the best features for your needs!

Check out more digital parenting tips on our page; Raising Children in a Digital World.