Android and iPhone 2024’s top parental control applications and their features

Finding out how your children spend their time online is an important task, and the best parental control apps for iOS and Android are a crucial tool for providing this information. There are a lot of parental control programs that, in addition to revealing what your kid does on their mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, also contain software for your child’s computer that is compatible with Windows and Mac.

You can quickly pinpoint your child’s location on a map if you have one of the finest parental control apps loaded on their devices. This will allow you to make sure that you are aware of their whereabouts at all times.

These applications may also be used to plan and restrict the amount of time that users spend in front of a screen, as well as to prevent undesirable websites and information from appearing on their devices.

By providing access to the finest antivirus software, some of the top parental control applications also provide you with the ability to secure your children’s devices from cybercriminals while also ensuring that they remain safe while they are online.

These are the greatest parental control applications that are now available, and they are perfect for you whether you are a new parent who is getting ready for the future or if you just want some extra insights into the activities that your children engage in online to help keep them safe.

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A quick look at the following list will provide you with all the information you want on the top parental control apps. There is something here that is suitable for any budget, whether you are searching for an app that has all of the bells and whistles or you just want something that is affordable or even free to keep a closer check on your children while they are present in the digital world.

WHAT IS THE BEST APP FOR PARENTAL CONTROL IN GENERAL

1. Net Nanny

We believe that Net Nanny is the finest parental control tool because it has a contemporary and user-friendly appearance, as well as a superb web-filtering engine that analyzes sites rather than just blocking them blindly and allows you to develop filters of your own.

Among the parental-control applications that we tested, the version of Net Nanny that is compatible with both iOS and Android comes the closest to having the same set of features. On both platforms, it is able to monitor the whereabouts of your kid, show their location history, and establish time limitations and timetables in an equally effective manner.

The iOS version allows you to ban more than one hundred applications on your child’s mobile device, while the Android version allows you to prohibit all of them. You will get a heads-up from the built-in App Advisor on which new applications you should keep an eye out for.

As an additional feature, Net Nanny incorporates content filtering that operates inside social media applications and services, such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, rather than banning or permitting access to these platforms completely.

While using a smartphone, the only thing that Net Nanny is unable to perform is monitor incoming calls or messages. On iOS, none of the applications that we tested were able to do that, but on Android, there are still a few that can.

VALUE’S TOP PARENTAL CONTROL APP

2. Kaspersky Safe Kids

Similar to Net Nanny, Kaspersky Safe Kids enables you to keep an eye on and manage your children’s online and mobile activities. Better still, Kaspersky’s free plan allows you to control other applications, set screen time restrictions, and filter websites. Its premium tier costs just $15 per year (with a 7-day free trial) and covers an unlimited number of kid devices.

In addition to monitoring social networks, the subscription package includes device scheduling, online monitoring from Kaspersky, and location tracking and geofencing that function on both iOS and Android platforms. However, iOS app control is limited to the ability to disable age-restricted applications.

Similarly, a tool that allows you to ban certain types of YouTube searches and, if you’re a paying customer, check your search history on the platform, is compatible with Windows, iOS, and Android, including the YouTube app for Android, but not with Macs.

The online portal may be sluggish, the web filters may not function with less popular browsers, and the mobile applications have awkward designs—though these are very small downsides. Still, Kaspersky Safe Kids is a great option to think about if you don’t feel the need to read the texts your children send you.

For the eighth time in a row, Kaspersky Safe Kids was also just granted an AV-TEST Approved Certificate. For those who do not know, AV-TEST is an independent German organization that tests and assesses security and antivirus software for Windows and Android.

THE ULTIMATE APP FOR PARENTAL CONTROL AND MONITORING SERVICES

3. Qustodio

Devices running iOS and Android, as well as Amazon Fire tablets, Macs, PCs, and Chromebooks, are all compatible with Qustodio. In addition, it gives you the ability to establish time limitations for certain applications and devices specifically.

The location tracking function of this service is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. Additionally, it offers geofencing and a Family Locator feature that displays the whereabouts of all of your children at the same time. On iOS, you are able to manage around 6,000 applications, and on Android, you are able to manage all apps; however, the web filtering will not function very well on either mobile platform.

Qustodio, on the other hand, is one of the few applications that we have recently tested that is still capable of logging a child’s calls and texts, seeing the contents of text messages, and blocking phone numbers. This is at least the case on Android. In order for all of these features to function, you will need to sideload a specific version of the app from Qustodio’s website. On the other hand, if you put a high value on these features, then Qustodio could be the app for you to download.

The fact that Qustodio may become prohibitively expensive—it can cost up to $138 per year for 15 devices—is the most significant disadvantage. Readers of Tom’s Guide are eligible for a discount of ten percent.

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4. Norton Family

Norton Family’s strength and features are great for Android (and Windows) families with a large number of children. It provides about every feature a parent might want from one of the finest parental control applications, including geofencing, which was only recently introduced.

This service’s features of tracking location, scheduling time, blocking and monitoring websites, and monitoring online traffic are compatible with both iOS and Android. On the other hand, Norton’s time allowances are only available for its Windows and Android apps. When it comes to the iOS app, app management is completely ineffective.

However, Norton Family offers extremely powerful web filters, especially on iOS, monitors Hulu as well as YouTube, and has a function called School Time that helps children remain focused when they are studying remotely.

If you purchase one of Norton’s more costly antivirus suites, such as Norton 360 Deluxe, which is sometimes reduced to as low as $50 a year, you will get Norton Family at no additional cost. At that price, purchasing Norton Family in addition to Norton’s outstanding antivirus protection is a no-brainer, unless your children use Macs. You should consider purchasing Norton Family.

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5. OurPact

OurPact was formerly the most powerful parental-control program for iPhones; however, according to Apple, the capabilities of OurPact have been somewhat diminished, and the company has temporarily removed OurPact from the program Store. On the other hand, it is still able to control or disable any iOS app, just as it is able to do on Android.

Additionally, OurPact performs a fantastic job of scheduling, and it encourages children to take responsibility for controlling the set amount of screen time that they are allowed to use each day. You are able to restrict messaging and texting applications even if you are unable to see the messages themselves if you have the Premium Plus plan. Additionally, you are able to send screenshots from the child’s smartphone, even if it is an iOS device.

On the other hand, its online filtering service just bans adult material, and the interface for managing time is a little bit cumbersome. Your kid’s location can be determined by OurPact, and its geofencing feature may notify you when a child arrives or departs from a certain place. However, OurPact is unable to provide information on your child’s past whereabouts.

In spite of these shortcomings, OurPact is a delight to use because to its well-designed interface and functions that are easy to understand, particularly if your children have possession of iPhones.

WHAT IS THE BEST APP FOR CONTROLLING PARENTS ON ANDROID?

6. Google Family Link

Only Google Family Link is available on this website, and it is completely free to use without any cost. It is possible that you may be pleasantly surprised by how powerful and beneficial it can be, provided that your children have computers or mobile devices that run the Android operating system.

With Google Family Link, parents are able to exercise control over the rights that each individual app on their child’s Android smartphone has pertaining to the system. No other parental control app that we have examined have the capability to do that. Additionally, it gives you the ability to choose which kinds of applications, if any apps at all, your kid is permitted to download from Google Play.

The Google Family Link child app does not have an iOS version; nevertheless, parents may use either the iOS or Android operating system to monitor their children’s electronic gadgets. In any case, we prefer Android for applications geared toward children since the Android versions of all of these apps provide parents with far greater control and information.

Some limitations include the fact that Google Family Link only has one web filter, which is directed against “mature sites,” and that it does not function flawlessly. YouTube users have access to the same single filter all the time. The tracking of locations is not very sophisticated, and there is no geofencing function. The features that regulate time, however, function well.

There is a possibility that Google Family Link is all that you need if your only worry is the applications that your children utilize. You may also use Google Family Link in conjunction with one of the other alternatives on this page if you are looking for an app that has a wider range of capabilities.

How to Determine Which Parental Control App Is the Most Appropriate for Your Family

When it comes to parental control apps, the requirements that you have mostly rely on the ages of your children. If you are the parent of a kid who is less than 12 years old, you obviously need to have the option to block websites that are deemed to be inappropriate. However, you may also want to think about using an application that is accessible for Amazon’s Fire tablets.

On the other hand, if you have teens, you may want to put them in situations where they are exposed to inappropriate content on the internet, but only if you are aware of it. You may also be interested in monitoring the people with whom your adolescents are conversing online via messaging applications, as well as the locations where they are late on a Friday night. Additionally, you may want to think about a service that monitors your children’s Windows and Mac computers in addition to their cellphones. This is something you should think about.

A URL filter, location monitoring, screen-time limitations with a scheduler, and an app blocker that at least works on Android are the minimal features that the top parental control applications include.

One of the other features that is quite helpful is geofencing, which notifies you if a child’s phone leaves a predetermined “safe” region, such as their school or the residence of a relative. It is possible to monitor your child’s phone from a web interface on your computer as well as from your own smartphone, as is the case with the majority of these applications.

In addition, a few of these applications enable you to block and track the calls and text messages that a kid sends and gets, and you can even view the text messages that a child sends and receives. On the other hand, they call for more actions to be taken. However, due to the fact that it is against the law to listen in on a call, none of the finest parental control applications provide access to this feature.

If you want to see what each parental control program has to offer, check out the table below.

Feature comparison chart