Set up parental controls app to monitor your children

Kids may get into all kinds of trouble with their mobile phones (or tablets), either on purpose or by mistake. Maybe they spend too much time looking at a screen every day or utilizing age-inappropriate websites and applications. If you want to keep track of your children’s device activity in the current day, you’ll need a parental control program that works effectively on mobile platforms as well as PCs. 

Maintain open and continuing dialogues with your children about the necessity of responsible technology usage so that they don't instantly plot to uninstall whatever app you install or devise some ingenious workarounds. If you're not sure where to start, read our article on what parents of connected children should know.

How to Keep Track of Your Children's Mobile Devices?

Parental control applications may assist you in various ways in maintaining control. Web content filtering, app banning, time management, and location tracking are the most frequent monitoring forms. Here, we look through each of these top features in further depth. 

If these platforms are the most concerning to you, be sure to read our roundup of the best parental control app free tools.

The majority of parental control systems operate similarly. We value services that provide flexible device management. Install a monitor app on each item you want to monitor, and then utilize a web desktop or a family-focused mobile app to change settings and constraints. Any changes you make to any of your devices take effect instantly.

Platforms and pricing

Most parental control applications need an annual fee based on the number of devices monitored. Prices range from $10 to $30 for monitoring one or two devices to more than $100 in some circumstances if you need ten or more licenses. Circle Home Plus requires a physical device and, eventually, a paid membership to be fully functional. 

Because Apple restricts app permissions and device access, parental control software on Android is typically more robust than iOS. However, there are certain exceptions. Some services, such as Locate, use a freemium approach, albeit some constraints do not apply to the premium edition.

Many best parental control app for iPhone 2021 require you to download mobile device management (MDM) profiles for all functions (primarily related to app management and time limits) to function effectively. Consider employing Apple's Screen Time tools to monitor iOS devices, competing with independent competitors’ for-pay options. 

Apple's built-in system is account-based, meaning data is synced throughout a child's Apple products.

Within the Restrictions area of its main settings app, Apple already has a fine selection of app-blocking and web-filtering choices. Microsoft (Family Safety) and Google (Family Link) both have first-party parental management options, which we discuss in further depth in our guide on how to limit your child's screen time. We also have a section that explains how to manage parental control settings on each gaming console.

Filtering of the Internet

The capacity of any parental control tool to prevent children from visiting improper or harmful websites is its defining feature. Many apps for parents to monitor social media have a proprietary browser that allows services to manage, track, and regulate browsing activities more efficiently. As a result, the majority of these programmers tell you to ban all other browsers or to prevent your child from installing any other apps at all. 

This is preferable to reverse engineer support for every imaginable mobile browser. Some parental control software does not need your child to utilize a proprietary browser. Instead, they use VPN technology to enable content control by routing internet connections through a local app. When such a program is functioning, you'll notice the VPN icon. The appearance of this indicator does not imply that a full-fledged virtual private network protects the child’s connection or that the device's IP address is hidden.

Most of these browsers work in the same way, blocking access to websites that fall into prohibited categories, including the worst offenders, such as file sharing, gambling, pornography, and violence. The most exemplary instances have no issue detecting HTTPS-encrypted traffic and preventing access to anonymizing proxies. The quality of online history reporting differs per provider as well.

Monitoring of Apps, Messaging, and Tim Limits

The best parental control app for android excels at preventing children from using specific applications. This might be useful for parents who want to restrict their children from utilizing social networking applications, difficult-to-monitor messaging services, or browsers that bypass the set web filters. 

Even so, keeping track of every new app your youngster installs might be challenging. Even better are programmers like Boomerang, which automatically block new applications that your child installs unless you specifically allow them. Mobicip will enable you to whitelist just the applications you want your child to utilize.

On iOS, app banning works differently. You may restrict access to system programmers like Safari, Camera, and Siri if you choose. You may also turn off the iTunes Store and App Store and prohibit in-app purchases. Some parental control programmers may even remove app icons entirely from the home screen, ensuring that your child cannot access them.

Most free parental control app programmers will not allow you to monitor calls, SMS, MMS, or encrypted messaging. You can restrict encrypted messaging applications, but aside from Apple's Screen Time function, the only solutions that enable you to monitor SMS messages and call data are Boomerang and Qustodio. 

This feature is only available on Android smartphones and is not included in the app versions available on the Google Play store; instead, you must sideload a custom version of the app. Time limits are another essential element of parental control programmers. 

Some systems, such as Norton Family and Locategy, let you define how many total hours (or minutes) your kid may spend on any specific device each day, as well as a timetable for when they can use it.

Qustodio allows you to create timetables for individual applications and device usage, as well as set a total time restriction for your kid that applies to all gear they use to connect to the internet.

Reporting of Locations

A bark parental control programmed for mobile devices must detect a child's present location and data from past places. To prevent overloading the parent with unnecessary data, they should also have discretion over notifications and the frequency of location reporting. These features are available in both Qustodio and Norton families.

Geofences, for the uninitiated, are digital borders surrounding a physical area that allow parents to track when their children arrive at or depart a particular spot. Some applications, such as Locategy and Boomerang, go a step further by allowing you to create geofences around a place. 

Users of Microsoft Family Safety who have an active Microsoft 365 Family membership can utilize the Drive Safety function and Drive History reports to monitor their teen's driving behavior. The notifications would notify the Microsoft Family Safety group if the tracked individual accelerated or braked suddenly during their most recent driving session.

Talk to Your Children

Although parental control software covers a wide range of capabilities, no solution is flawless. Suppose your children wish to circumvent the restrictions you place on them. In that case, they will most likely utilize unmonitored devices or discover ways to remove the controlling applications from their devices. 

As a result, it's good to sit down with your youngster and discuss why you've installed monitoring software in the first place. After all, digital safety and security are things that everyone should be interested in. It's preferable to approach these topics honestly than to let them figure it out on their own and lose faith in you. 

It's also crucial, especially for older children, to listen to your child's privacy concerns rather than just imposing rules and limits that may be perceived as random.