Kids can now access mobile devices and PCs. A report suggests that 53% of US kids own a smartphone at the age of 11. However, behind the educational and helpful content online are sinister platforms that can negatively affect a child.
With acts like sexting and child predation becoming the norm on the Internet, you’d want to protect your kids by seeking insight into their discussions via text and social media platforms.
But since you’d like to go about this act discreetly, what medium can you employ? Parental control applications!
Installing a parental control app on your kid’s iOS or Android device gives you unlimited access to all their discussions via text or revered social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Besides text message tracking, these apps will come in handy to monitor your child’s real-world location, media files, and emails. With parental control software, having peace of mind as a parent is assured.
This in-depth guide looks at the best 4 parental control apps you can use to monitor your kids’ messages 24/7.
Ready to uncover the individual who is texting your kid at odd hours and take appropriate action? Read on!
Best 4 Parental Control Apps to See Who Your Child Is Texting
Table of Contents
A simple Google search will point you toward multiple parental control applications. Nonetheless, upon closer review, you’ll realize that these applications aren’t what they claim to be. In fact, some alternatives are malware seeking to trawl personal information from your device.
You don’t want that, do you?
Thus, we’ve created a list of the best 4 parental control applications for parents looking to monitor their wards’ conversations and other vital data bits on their phones.
Notable mentions include:
#1 mSpy
mSpy is a revered parental control application that has been in the market for over a decade. mSpy works in Stealth Mode, meaning your kids are none the wiser about your spying activities.
Once you install mSpy onto your kid’s device, you’ll get access to their SMS and social media messages. Also, you can view the images and videos within discussions and act accordingly.
mSpy refreshes your dedicated “Control Panel” every 5 minutes. Thus, you’ll see the messages on your child’s device as soon as they enter.
Besides text message tracking, you can view your kid’s real-time GPS location via mSpy. Now, you can confirm if they’re truly at the mall or an unusual spot.
mSpy installation is easy, and if you encounter issues, there’s 24/7 support available to resolve your problems speedily.
Pricing
- 1 Month: $48.99
- 3 Months: $28.00 per month
- 12 Months: $11.67 per month
Pros
- Simple installation process
- Customer support is available 24/7
- Nifty Demo Mode available
- Patrons can seek refunds within 14 days
- Discounted tracking packages
Cons
- No Free Plan available
- Certain features require rooting
#2 Qustodio
Over 4 million parents globally rely on Qustodio to give them access to their kids’ smartphones. With Qustodio, you can view your child’s text messages and know the timelines they exchanged them.
However, text message monitoring isn’t Qustodio’s only forte. This parental control software also grants you full access to the GPS location of your ward.
What’s better?
You can control the installed apps on your kid’s iOS or Android device and set limits, giving your kid a healthy on-screen time that won’t impact their daily activities.
Pricing
- Small (5 Devices): $4.58 per month
- Medium (10 Devices): $8.08 per month
- Large (15 Devices): $11.5 per month
Pros
- Compatible with Android, iOS, Kindle, Chromebook, iPad, and Windows
- Affordable subscriptions
- Impeccable reviews from leading tech firms
- Clutter-free platform
- Multilingual website
Cons
- It doesn’t have sophisticated add-ons like VoIP call recording
#3 Bark
Seeking a “virtual hound” that gives you an overview of your child’s device 24/7? It may be time to consider the Bark app. Using this parental control software; you can view your kid’s chats via SMS or social media sites and know if they’re in danger or not.
One notable feature on Bark is set location alerts. This functionality alerts you when your kid enters or leaves a select location. Parents can also use Bark to restrict 18+ content from appearing on their kid’s devices.
Talk about a parental control app that fits the bill!
Pricing
- Bark Premium: $14 per month
- Bark Jr.: $5 per month
Pros
- Has a Free Trial plan available
- Accurate GPS location tracking add-on
- Cheap subscription packages
- Dedicated “Blog” segment
- Responsive live chat support
Cons
- The Bark Jr. subscription can’t track SMS messages, emails, and social media apps.
DID YOU KNOW: A recent survey indicates that 14.8% of those between 12 to 17 had sent sexts. If your kid is within this age bracket, it’ll be best to opt for a “Bark Premium” subscription to monitor their texts 24/7.
#4 Canopy
Last on our list is Canopy. This top-tier parental control app has numerous functionalities to protect your ward’s activities on the Internet.
Canopy ranks high in sexting detection. So, if your kid exchanges a chat showcasing nudity, Canopy issues a notification immediately.
Using the “App Management Tool” on Canopy, you can restrict apps while ensuring your kid has unfettered access to the most productive aspects of their phones.
Canopy also has a free trial. So, if your faith in parental control apps is low, this add-on should make the act of tracking your kids’ devices remotely look interesting.
Pricing
- 3 Devices: $7.99 per month
- 5 Devices: $9.99 per month
- 10 Devices: $15.99 per month
- 5 Devices (Annual): $99.99 per year
Pros
- Has “Demos” for notable functionalities
- Free Trial available
- Available on the Google Play Store and App Store
- Responsive customer support channels
- Operates in Stealth Mode
Cons
- 24/7 support isn’t available
Major Takeaway
As a parent, you have a duty to shield your wards from Internet ills. If you’d like to know who your kid is texting at odd hours, engage any of our best 4 parental control software alternatives. Besides texts, you can use these apps to track your child’s GPS location and media files.
Remember, a stitch in time saves nine.
Set the ball rolling today, and you’ll be glad you did!