When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn Choosing the best parental control app is crucial for peace of mind, ensuring your child navigates the internet safely. With countless risks online—from inappropriate content to unwanted contact from strangers—finding a reliable app can help protect your child from cyberbullying and harmful interactions.
In this guide, I’ve reviewed the top parental control apps for iPhone and Android. These tools can monitor online activity, track location, and promote healthy digital habits. I’ve evaluated each option based on safety, ease of use, device compatibility, and overall value to help you find the best fit for your family.
Best Parental Control Apps for iPhone and Android Devices
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In the next section, you’ll find my detailed reviews of the best parental monitoring apps based on their key features, use cases, and pros and cons.
1. mSpy — Best Parental Control App Overall
- Best For: Overall
- Free Trial/Demo: Demo
- Compatibility: iOS, Android
- Max Devices: 1
- Money-back Guarantee: 14-day refund window
- Price: Starting from $11.67/month
Why I Picked It
Why I Picked ItmSpy stands out as the best parental control app overall. It’s a feature-packed tool that works for both iPhone and Android devices, and it can tell you everything from which apps your children install, who they call, what they chat about on social media, and so much more.
Features
mSpy is often regarded as one of the best parental monitoring apps on the market. It has a comprehensive range of features, including call tracking, text message monitoring, GPS location tracking, and app usage analysis.
Its user-friendly interface lets you easily navigate and access important information without needing technical expertise. You’ll get everything you need to see in an easy-to-navigate dashboard that you can view in real time or when you have time in your day.
Although it doesn’t monitor as many social media and instant messaging apps as some others, it can track WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok, and a few other apps, including their messages and the media they send or receive, such as images and videos.
While its social media monitoring tools can help you safeguard your kids from the consequences of sexting and cyberbullying, mSpy’s keyword alerts will reveal if your child looks up potentially dangerous or inappropriate information.
Its GPS location tracking is pinpoint accurate. This means your kids won’t even know you’re tracking them (although informed consent is definitely better), and you’ll always know where they are. You’ll even get access to your child’s web browsing history so you can see exactly what they are searching for.
Best of all, it works in stealth mode, so your children will be entirely unaware of the app’s presence, making monitoring more effective. mSpy supports various devices and operating systems, including both iOS and Android, so if you’re a family with multiple devices, it won’t be an issue.
It’s worth noting that you will need to root your child’s Android device or jailbreak their iPhone to use all of mSpy’s features. Some features, like a keylogger and screen recorder, are also exclusively available on Android. That said, mSpy’s helpful customer support is available to guide you through the process, and I found it quick and easy.
Who It’s Best for
mSpy excels at tracking iPhone activities, and all you need to install it on an iPhone are your child’s iCloud credentials. However, you get access to a lot more features if you can root or jailbreak the device.
Pros
- Overall top-ranking parental control app
- The easy-access dashboard keeps you informed
- Plenty of web and social media monitoring tools
- Tracks Tinder activities on iPhones
- Accurate GPS location tracking
Cons
- Requires physical access to target device on Android
2. Eyezy — Best Parental Control App for AI-Driven Monitoring
- Best For: Live Monitoring
- Free Trial/Demo: Demo
- Compatibility: iOS, Android
- Max Devices: Up to 3
- Money-back Guarantee: 14-day refund window
- Price: Starting from $7.99/month
Why I Picked It
I picked Eyezy for its powerful AI-driven keyword and geofencing alerts tool that makes monitoring your child so much easier if you don’t have the time to live-monitor throughout the day.
Features
At first, you might not be sure how AI can make monitoring your child’s activities and whereabouts easier, but I’ll explain. Eyezy’s AI-powered keyword alerts tool offers an innovative approach to parental monitoring. It uses advanced algorithms to track specific words and phrases in texts, social media messages, and other communications.
This feature lets you set customized alerts for potentially concerning words, names, usernames, language, or anything else. This means that you’ll always be informed about your child’s conversations in real time without needing to monitor the app nonstop. If they talk about another kid you don’t want them hanging out with, you’ll know in an instant. If they access a certain app or website you don’t want them to see, you’ll be on top of it.
Eyezy also uses AI for its geofencing alerts, which lets you set virtual boundaries on a map. When your child enters or exits these designated areas, the system automatically sends you a notification. So if they say they are at school and they leave the property, you’ll know. And if they are supposed to be at a friend’s house, you can find out if that’s where they actually are.
This combination of keyword monitoring and geofencing powered by AI effectively means that you’ll have full control over your child’s safety and online interactions, so you can have peace of mind while respecting their privacy.
Eyezy’s Plans Breaker feature lets you monitor your child’s social calendar to find out which events they plan to attend, including their location and time.
I also liked its very accurate keylogger, which can record every keystroke on your child’s device, giving you insight into what they’re typing, even if they delete it before sending it. For a better view of their social media activity, Eyezy offers their Social Spotlight feature, a tool that lets you see who they’re chatting with and what texts or media they exchange.
Additionally, Eyezy lets you remotely block your child’s access to inappropriate websites and apps. Although it doesn’t give you insight into your child’s screen time like FamiSafe, you can access their browsing history and installed apps list and block the ones you don’t want them to visit or use.
Eyezy offers multiple installation options for iPhones, depending on the level of monitoring you need. For on-device information, like incoming and outgoing calls, text messages, iMessage, location tracking, and gallery access, you only need your kid’s iCloud credentials.
For more detailed social media monitoring and web history tracking, you will need to jailbreak the iPhone. Installing the app on Android is much more straightforward, and neither device takes very long to get going.
Who It’s Best for
Eyezy is ideal for parents who don’t have a lot of time but still care what their kids are up to. Its AI-driven insights do a lot of the work for you and will send you alerts while you’re busy at work so you can still keep your child safe.
Pros
- Uses powerful AI to make monitoring easier
- Logs every keystroke
- Lets you view deleted messages
- Useful insights into their social activity
- Lets you remotely block apps and websites
Cons
- Some of its features require jailbreaking on iPhone
3. uMobix — Best Parental Control App for Ease-of-Use
- Best For: Ease-of-Use
- Free Trial/Demo: Demo
- Compatibility: iOS, Android
- Max Devices: 1
- Money-back Guarantee: 14-day refund window
- Price: Starting from $12.49/month
Why I Picked It
During my testing, I found uMobix one of the easiest parental control apps to use due to its intuitive interface and straightforward setup process, which means you can start monitoring your kids quickly without needing technical expertise. The app provides clear navigation, making it simple to access and understand various monitoring features, such as call logs, text messages, and location tracking.
Features
uMobix stands out as one of the easiest parental control apps you can use, thanks to its intuitive interface and seamless installation process. Designed with UX in mind, the provider guides you through the setup process step-by-step. Even if you are completely lost when it comes to technology, you’ll be able to get it up and running in no time, so you can spend more time keeping your kids safe and less time messing around with learning a new app.
Once it’s installed, navigating through its various monitoring features is a breeze. This includes your child’s call logs, text messages, and GPS location tracking. It’s all straightforward, with clearly labeled sections and user-friendly controls, so you’ll see what they’re doing and where they are at any time of the day. The dashboard sorts everything in a clear, organized manner, so you can see everything they’re doing, and if you are looking for something specific, it’s quick and easy.
uMobix also offers plenty of helpful resources and customer support, so if you encounter any snags or have a question about a particular feature, you have somewhere to go.
uMobix delivers unmatched monitoring capabilities, particularly for Android devices. It gives you nearly complete remote control and lets you monitor all your child’s social media and messaging apps. It’s also one of the only parental control apps to give you an overview of what your child does on Reddit, a platform that hides inappropriate content behind an age check that kids easily bypass.
Its remote controls can help you hide such content from your children by blocking their access to websites and apps they shouldn’t be opening. Additionally, you can lock their phone remotely, and they won’t be able to use it until you unlock it. That can help you set screen time limits when it’s past their bedtime or when they’re studying.
One of my favorite uMobix features is its ability to display deleted messages. If your child has something to hide, they may try to do so by deleting incriminating messages, and uMobix will display them all in a dedicated tab on its dashboard.
However, while uMobix offers basic parental control monitoring for iPhones, it lacks features like the keylogger and location tracking and can’t monitor as many social media apps on iOS as it does on Android. Parents also get a mobile app to monitor their children’s phones on the go, which I found works really well in my testing. It’s also quite rare and something you won’t get with competitors like mSpy and Eyezy.
Who It’s Best for
uMobix is the best parental control app for anyone who isn’t tech-savvy, as setting up and using the app is super simple, and the provider boosts this with its many helpful resources.
Pros
- Great app for beginners
- Robust customer support and guides
- Feature-rich monitoring app
- Top-tier social media coverage
- Remote device locking
Cons
- The iPhone version lacks some features
- No geofencing
4. Cocospy — Best Parental Control App for Remote Surveillance
- Best For: Remote Surveillance
- Free Trial/Demo: Demo
- Compatibility: iOS, Android
- Max Devices: 1
- Money-back Guarantee: 14-day refund window
- Price: Starting from $12.49/month
Why I Picked It
Cocospy excels in its remote surveillance, and it lets you track a wide range of activities on your child’s devices, including calls, text messages, GPS location, and social media interactions, all accessible from a secure online dashboard. Its stealth mode means your child will never know it’s there, so you can see what they’re up to without being invasive.
Features
Cocospy simply does remote surveillance better than other parental control apps out there due to its seamless combination of comprehensive monitoring features, ease of use, and discretion. Unlike many other apps, Cocospy offers real-time tracking of a wide range of activities without requiring rooting or jailbreaking, which can compromise device security and leave your child’s device open to malware and warranty violation.
If you want to monitor your child’s iPhone, you’ll see their contacts, call logs, WhatsApp data, GPS location, calendar events, and messages, all without jailbreaking. However, for advanced features like Instagram and Facebook monitoring, you will have to jailbreak the device. Similarly, most features work without rooting on Android.
Because it does everything in stealth mode, Cocospy lets you see everything on their device remotely without being invasive. It has an easy-to-use and intuitive dashboard that gives you access to vital information, so you can quickly see and then respond to any concerns that might come up—before they get out of hand or become dangerous.
Cocospy includes all the traditional parental control features, such as call, SMS, and location monitoring. However, it goes further by giving you an insight into what your kids do on more than 16 social media and messaging apps. These include WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and other popular apps, but also heavily encrypted apps such as Telegram and Signal.
For each social media app, Cocospy provides a dedicated tab on its dashboard. Here, you can access the messages your child sends and receives, complete with timestamps, contact details, and even deleted messages. Additionally, Cocospy will tell you if your child is online, allowing you to tap into their conversations in real-time.
Like the other parental control apps on this list, Cocospy offers monitoring for Android and iPhone. However, you’ll have to turn to Qustodio to monitor macOS and Windows devices.
Who It’s Best for
Cocospy is perfect if you’re looking for an app that excels in remote surveillance, ideal for parents concerned about their child’s exposure to inappropriate content on social media, dating, and messaging apps, including encrypted ones. With its dedicated tabs for 16 apps and the ability to track messages your children delete, Cocospy ensures you won’t miss any details.
Pros
- Superior stealth monitoring
- Monitors 15+ social media, messaging, and dating apps
- Shows deleted messages
- Accurate GPS and SIM location tracking
- Logs outgoing and incoming calls
Cons
- Fewer features for non-jailbroken iPhones
- Inconsistent impact on the target device’s battery
5. Qustodio — Best Parental Control App for Budget Conscious Parents
- Best For: Budget
- Free Trial/Demo: Free Plan
- Compatibility: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
- Max Devices: Unlimited
- Money-back Guarantee: 14-day refund window
- Price: Starting from $4.58/month
Why I Picked It
Qustodio works across all PC and mobile devices, and it has a free-forever plan, making it an excellent all-in-one solution for families on a budget who just need basic monitoring features.
Features
I am generally not one to recommend no-cost parental control apps, as there are many dangerous providers out there that advertise themselves as free but contain malware or steal your child’s data. Many others are just completely fake. But Qustodio is one of the few exceptions.
Qustodio provides essential parental control features, making it an appealing choice for families looking to enhance their children’s online safety without any cost. This plan will let you monitor your child’s web activity, set time limits on their device usage, and manage their app permissions.
It also gives you basic reporting tools that give insight into your child’s online behavior and usage patterns so you can prevent technology addiction and ensure they are managing their time effectively—for example, if you want to check if they are doing their homework or studying when they’re supposed to be.
While Qustodio’s free version has some limitations compared to the premium plans, it still provides valuable tools for monitoring your child’s online activity. This option is also a good idea if you’re just looking to try out its basic features before committing to a paid plan.
Qustodio’s paid plans give you much more when it comes to parental control features. You’ll get comprehensive web filtering, so you can block inappropriate content and set time limits for specific apps and websites. You’ll also get more robust and detailed activity reports, so you can learn more about your child’s online behavior across multiple devices. Furthermore, Qustodio’s premium plans give you more insight into their social media activities, so you can see what they’re doing on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Its parental monitoring features for YouTube are quite robust. Qustodio can monitor and block inappropriate YouTube content in real time, set screen time limits, and give you detailed activity reports.
Finally, it will give you access to real-time alerts and notifications so you can quickly respond to potential risks. Perhaps best of all, you’ll be able to manage unlimited devices simultaneously, so if you have a big family, it’s perfect. In fact, it’s one of the few parental control apps that covers multiple devices under one plan.
Qustodio offers unmatched customer support quality, especially if you opt for its Care Plus add-on, which comes free with its Complete plan and grants you access to phone support.
With Qustodio, you don’t have to worry about complicated installation processes, jailbreaking, or rooting iPhones and Android devices. Parents can download the monitoring app on their phones from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, where you’ll also find the complementary app for your children’s phones. Qustodio also has apps for Windows computers, Macs, Chromebooks, and Amazon Fire tablets.
Who It’s Best for
Qustodio is ideal for parents on a budget, as its free plan lets you test out the app before committing to one of its more robust paid plans. It excels in helping you manage your children’s screen time limits and lets you monitor unlimited devices with its top-tier plan.
Pros
- Best-in-class customer support
- Works across PC and mobile
- Lets you pause and unpause the internet
- Affordable
Cons
- The free version has minimal features
- No social media monitoring
Important Note: Parental control software is not legal to use without the device owner’s permission in many countries and states. When we test the software, we do so only with the explicit consent of the device owner and in compliance with local laws and regulations. To provide our readers with accurate and well-informed recommendations, we test the most popular parental control applications on the market to find the best options for you. Our methodology consists of the following criteria:How We Review And Test Parental Control Software
What is Parental Control Software?
Parental control software encompasses a broad range of programs and tools designed for various devices and technologies. These systems share a common purpose: enabling one user, usually a parent, to regulate and manage the usage and access of another user, typically a child.
What Will a Parental Control App Show Me?
There are several key benefits to using a parental control app to protect your child’s device.
Parental control solutions offer many different technologies to manage your child’s time on their phone, such as time-of-day locks, screen timers, remote app management, website blocking, and device use notifications. These all allow you to tailor your child’s use of their phone.
Many solutions also come with the ability to locate and manage the phone remotely. If you’re really worried about your contacts list falling into the wrong hands, some even come with the ability to delete your phone’s contents remotely.
One of the biggest problems with letting your child have unfiltered and unsupervised access to the Internet is the sheer amount of unpleasant content available. In fact, 56% of children under 16 have seen inappropriate content online.
With real-time updates on their physical movements, you’ll always know where your child is, which will give you complete peace of mind.
Parental control suites allow you to adjust what your child sees, who they talk to, and where they go, alerting you to potential problems long before they become serious.
Which Devices Can I Track With Parental Control Apps?
Depending on your needs, you can find parental control apps for iPhones, Android devices, and Windows and Mac computers. However, not every service offers the same features.
Most of these apps will work on Android devices. However, the best parental control app for Android should offer most, if not all, of its features without requiring root access on the target device. Rooting an Android phone can be a complicated process that may not be ideal for non-tech-savvy parents. Apps like uMobix are excellent Android parental control apps because you can use most of their features without root. However, you will miss out on some, like a keylogger and microphone and camera access.
Finding the best parental control app for an iPhone is a touch more complicated since it’s not easy to bypass Apple’s built-in restrictions. While you often don’t need physical access to the target device to install an iPhone tracking app for parents, you will have to know your child’s iCloud credentials. Even then, an iPhone parental control app won’t be as feature-packed as one for Android. Look at the iPhone-specific features a parental control app offers to ensure it covers your needs.
Most parental control apps are built for iPhones and Android devices, but a few options, like Qustodio and Famisafe, offer desktop tracking as well. Kids spend a lot of time on their computers, so it’s important to find the right parental control app to monitor these devices.
Will Parental Control Apps Block All Inappropriate Content?
While some apps and services have built-in parental controls, it may not be too difficult for your kids to bypass these restrictions. With the best parental control app for iPhones, Android devices, and desktops, you should be able to block access to all inappropriate content on your children’s phones and computers. Here’s what some parental control apps can do:
- Restrict access to inappropriate websites
- Remote block access to sites and apps
- Monitor browser history to see the sites your children are visiting
- Comprehensive social media monitoring to ensure they aren’t receiving inappropriate content from friends or strangers
- Keyloggers let you see everything your children type on their iPhone or Android
How to Choose the Best Parental Control App
There’s a lot to consider when choosing the best parental control app. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:
Not all parental control apps are built equally, nor are they all intended for the same situation. Some providers on my list, such as FamiSafe, offer features more closely focused on content protection and online filtering to block inappropriate web content.
Others, like mSpy, are built to be a complete mobile monitoring platform. Consider your needs and then pick the solution that’s closest to them.
While most apps work across platforms, finding a parental control app for Android is much easier than for iOS. Parental control on an iPhone is a lot more complicated, but there are apps, like mSpy and Phonsee, that are better suited for iOS devices. You’ll have to look to apps like Norton Family, Famisafe, and Qustodio to monitor activity on Windows and Mac computers.
Most mobile phone monitoring solutions I’ve reviewed here don’t significantly impact the device’s battery life or processing power, but be warned. Turning on location features for long periods or with short update rates is likely to drain battery life and make the app’s use more noticeable.
When using a parental control Android or iOS app, you’re entrusting sensitive data about your family to a third party. You want to be assured that whichever provider you use is taking appropriate security measures to protect your data.
Some tools are more expensive than others, with discounts for longer-term subscriptions. That said, take advantage of any demos, free trials, or money-back guarantees before making any long-term commitments.
Seeing what others say about an app can help you choose the one you prefer. To help with this, when looking at the feedback on the best apps for parental control, I only look at real user reviews.
What is the Best Parental Control App for iPhone?
When it comes to the best parental control app for iPhone, Eyezy stands out as a top choice. Its standout feature is the ability to monitor an iPhone without needing physical access to the device, thanks to its integration with iCloud. This means you can track calls, text messages, social media activity, and app usage directly through iCloud credentials, making it incredibly convenient for parents.
Eyezy also provides detailed insights into web browsing history and offers real-time location tracking, which is crucial for monitoring your child’s online and offline activities.
Another solid option is mSpy, one of the most popular apps known for its comprehensive monitoring features, including call tracking, message monitoring, and app usage insights. However, mSpy does have some limitations. mSpy does offer some monitoring features for iPhones through iCloud credentials, but its full range of capabilities often requires jailbreaking the device, which can be a technical hurdle and potentially compromise the device’s security. Eyezy operates without such requirements, and it’s also a bit more affordable than mSpy when paying for the annual plan, offering excellent value for parents.
Paid vs. Free Parental Control Apps – What You Need to Know
Some parental control apps out there claim to be free, but more often than not, they’re harvesting your data to fund hackers, thieves, and scam artists. When you monitor your child’s phone, you’re handling highly sensitive data, so you need to be confident it’s in good hands. With one of the paid apps on my list, you’ll be assured your data is safe.
Of course, Google and Apple have built-in parental controls on their smartphones, and some apps, like YouTube, allow content filtering. These aren’t particularly robust, though, and a tech-savvy child can bypass them easily. The Google Family Link service provides more granular control but still doesn’t match what the providers on this list can do.
Some paid providers offer a free trial version of the app, allowing you to try it before you subscribe. However, these free trials are often reduced to basic monitoring features like call logging and address book monitoring.
Overall, I recommend testing paid products with demos, trials, and guarantees and avoiding free parental control apps that advertise as completely free.
How to Use a Parental Monitoring App – A Guide
Parental control apps can be overwhelming to use at first. I’ve chosen the top provider on my list, mSpy, for a step-by-step guide that’ll walk you through all you need to do to get set up and started with one of the best parental apps for Android on the market:
- Go to the mSpy website and purchase your desired plan.
- Get physical access to the target device to install mSpy.
- Head to the Play Store, click ‘Settings’ and choose ‘Play Protect’ to disable it.
- Next, go to the main screen to settings > apps > Google Play Store> notifications > show notifications. Turn this setting off.
- Open Google Chrome and enter the link from the mSpy email to download the app.
- Click open when the download is complete, allow all permissions, and click ‘Install.’
- Launch mSpy and enter the registration code you got via email from mSpy. Click ‘Complete installation.’
Now, mSpy will monitor the target device. Simply access the mSpy dashboard from your own device to see the data it syncs. Note that all parental control apps on my list follow a similar installation process, and you’ll receive in-depth assistance on how to do it when you sign up.
Limitations of Parent Control Software
Naturally, parental control software has some limitations. To really benefit from monitoring, you need to be engaged with the process and able to review what is being accessed.
Communicating with your child about the appropriate use of devices and permitted content should help foster positive family relationships and the healthy use of technology.
If you choose to use a monitoring app without the child’s knowledge, though, there is a small chance that they will discover it—which, depending on their age and sense of personal independence, may result in feelings of distrust.
Trying to limit your child’s autonomy may also backfire as they pursue forbidden activities in response to restrictions. Of course, if they move their activities to another device, with or without your knowledge, then they’ll likely become impossible to track.
Given all this, it’s best to use a parental control app within a context of trust – otherwise, you’ll inevitably be working against each other.
Conclusion – What is the Best Parental Control App?
The best parental control app is mSpy, and for good reason. With its comprehensive range of features—including call and text monitoring, GPS location tracking, and social media oversight—mSpy provides an all-encompassing solution for keeping your child safe online.
Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate, while its stealth mode ensures discreet monitoring without alerting your child. Additionally, mSpy’s reliable customer support and compatibility with both iOS and Android devices make it a top choice for parents who are looking for effective and versatile parental controls. Overall, mSpy combines functionality, ease of use, and discretion, making it the number one choice for parental control.
FAQs
What’s the best parental control app?
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Which is the best free parental control app?
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References
- 10 Reasons to Monitor Your Child’s Internet Activity (uKnowKids)
- How Can You Stop Your Kids Viewing Harmful Web Content? (BBC)
- How to Manage Your Family’s Screentime (The Guardian)
- Learn About Inappropriate Content (Internet Matters)
