Top 10 Parental Control Apps 2021

1. Xnspy

Xnspy is an all-in-one monitoring solution that enables you to keep track of the digital activities of your kids, even when you are not around them. Its ease to use and vast array of functions make it the best app to monitor kids. Xnspy lets you filter inappropriate content including pornography or adult content by simply blocking sites or apps remotely, without letting your kids know. Xnspy lets you set virtual boundaries for your kids to make this world a safer place for them. Its user-friendly controls and advanced functionality make this app one of the best invisible parental control app.

Compatibility

Android: Compatible with all Android devices running between Android 4.0 and 11.0.

iOS: Compatible with all iOS devices running between iOS 6.0 and 14.8

Price

Installation procedure

• Ensure the compatibility of Xnspy with your device.
• Subscribe to Xnspy by opting the required plan with a suitable pricing option.
• You will need physical access to the monitored device.
• In case of iOS devices, you will need iCloud credentials of the device.
• Download the app onto your kid’s device from the link provided in the confirmation email.
• Monitor and control the digital footprints of your minor through Xnspy’s secure online portal.

Features

Xnspy offers bounteous powerful and unique features, including:

Call monitoring

• Access contact list of your kid’s phone
• View call logs (dialed, received or missed)
• Block incoming calls
• Record your kid’s phone calls
• Record surroundings
• Add particular contacts to your watch list to get instant notification

Messages monitoring

• Read text messages and iMessages
• Monitor IM chats, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, etc.
• Add specific words and phrases to your watch list to get an instant alert

Location tracking

• Track GPS locations
• Geofencing – set virtual boundaries for your kids

Content filtering

• View browsing history
• Monitor emails and bookmarks
• View all the multimedia files saved on your kids’ phone
• View all the installed apps and block inappropriate apps
• Add specific keywords or phrases in your watch list

Remote controls

• Lock your kid’s phone
• Wipe off data
• Take a screenshot

Xnspy Analytics

• Get a list of the top 5 callers
• Get details on the top 5 call durations
• Access top 10 frequently visited sites
• Get a call time activity punch card with the date, time, and geotags

Customer support service

Xnspy provides 24/7 online customer support service.

Rating 9.4/10

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2. UnGlue

If your kids are always glued to their devices, and you want to teach them how to balance their online time, Unglue is the best parental control software you need. Unglue enables you to set screentime restrictions and internet schedules for your children. You can get an instant alert if your kid's screentime limit is consumed. You can teach your kids how to manage their entertainment time as kids can view their own screentime, check their usage schedules, earn more time by doing chores, and even add up their unused minutes for next day or any particular day of their choice.

Compatibility

iOS version: UnGlue supports iOS devices with operating systems version 9.0 and up

Android: It works with Android devices running Android 4.4 and upwards.

Price

Installation procedure

• Choose a suitable subscription plan
• Download the UnGlue Parent app on your smartphone
• Download the UnGlue Kids app on your kids’ devices
• Add your kids’ mobile devices to your parent app
• Customize limits and controls

Features

Internet scheduling

• Personalize internet schedule for each child
• Set limits for school days and holidays
• Pause the internet anytime

Customize entertainment limits

• Add apps, sites, and games into the entertainment bucket
• Add weekly entertainment limits
• Decide how much entertainment time each kid gets every day, and during what times

Self-managed time

• Allows kids to choose their allotted screen time
• Kids can track their own phone usage

Block adult content

• Toggle the feature on, and easily block adult content and other red-flag sites

Chores for time

• Kids can earn more time by completing the chores that are added by parents

Activity report

• Get a summary report on the most frequently visited sites and apps

Customer support service

Unglue doesn’t provide customer support service. You can only get assistance from the online support articles available on their website.

Rating 8.5/10

3. mSpy

mSpy is one of the popular apps to control kids phone. It makes your digital monitoring task easy. Its hustle-free installation, easy functionality, and advanced parental controls have made it popular among parents. It enables you to track the whereabouts of your kids, anytime and anywhere. With the help of this monitoring app, you can reach out to your kid timely if they need help.

Compatibility

Android version: Compatible with Android device running OS 4.0 and above

iOS version: Compatible with iOS devices running iOS 7–8.4; 9.0–9.1

Price

Installation procedure

• Buy a subscription plan
• Get physical access to your kid’s phone
• Download the app in your kid’s device you want to monitor
• Access the fetched information through your mSpy web portal

Features

Manage Calls

• View all the incoming/outgoing calls
• Block the unwanted caller IDs from reaching your kids

Read messages

• Read texts and iMessages that have been sent/received on your child’s phone
• Review messages sent/received on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook, LINE, Tinder, Hangouts, Telegram, Snapchat, etc.

Track GPS location

• Track the current real-time location of your kids
• Set safe zones for your kids
• Get an instant notification each time your kid leaves or enters the virtual boundaries

Content blocking

• View list of installed apps and block unwanted apps
• Access all the saved multimedia files on the phone
• Read all incoming/outgoing emails and view all the bookmarks
• Monitor web browsing history and block the unwanted sites

Customer support service

mSpy offers 24/7 customer support service through live chat.

Rating 8/10

4. WebWatcher

Next on the list of top parental control apps is WebWatcher. It is another widely-used child tracking app that lets you monitor location, calls, and messages of your kids. It allows you to control the online activities of your kids in stealth mode. You can become a responsible digital parent by protecting your kids against different kinds of online and offline dangers. It may have its shortfalls, but if you look at it from different perspective, then you’ll find out why it is one of the best android parental control app around. WebWatcher is a multi-featured app that covers as many parts of your kid’s life as possible. By letting parents monitor their children’s phone details, including contacts, photos, messages, bookmarks, and others, WebWatcher ensures that your kids are safe from the digital perils.

Compatibility

Android version: Works with Android OS devices running OS between 2.2 and 6.0.1

iOS version: Works with iOS devices running iOS between 6.0 and 11.2

Price

Installation procedure

• Choose a subscription plan and buy WebWatcher
• Download the app on your child’s phone
• Log into your secure account

Features

Monitor mobile phone usage

• Access call logs and messages
• Read all deleted text messages
• Read, block, and limit messages
• Read IM chats including Tinder, Kik, and Viber
• Check contact list and calendar entries
• View photos and videos
• Get instant notification on any identified risky behavior or recognizing any risky photo

Track digital footprints

• View web browsing history of your kid’s phone
• Block all the unwanted websites and apps
• Manage social media activities and chats

Track location

• Keep track of the current GPS location
• Access route history of your child

Remote control

• Use SMS commands to control the device remotely
• Lock the device
• Wipe off data remotely

Customer support service

WebWatcher offers customer support service, but it is based on the ticketing system.

Rating 7.8/10

5. FamilyTime

FamilyTime offers a variety of comprehensive monitoring features. You can track and control the time your kids spend on their devices. Any best parental phone monitoring software should be easy to install and set-up and FamilyTree is no exception. It is a flexible screen time parental control app that prevents kids from wasting time on the internet, apps, and games.

Compatibility

Compatible with all Android and iOS devices

Price

Installation procedure

• Create your FamilyTime account
• Buy a subscription plan
• Install the app on your child’s devices
• Manage all the devices from the FamilyTime Dashboard app or web portal

Features

Family care

• Add all the unwanted apps to Blacklist app list to block them on your kid’s phone or tablet
• Block access to all websites, content, images, and videos from specified inappropriate categories
• Receive an instant SOS alerts in case of the emergency along with the location details
• Limit screen time during homework, dinner, and bedtimes or define custom rules
• Lock your child’s device with a unique password anytime
• Set driving speed limits for your teens, and get instant notification on the violation of limits
• Add specific contacts to the watchlist to get an instant alert whenever they contact
• Your kids can regulate their screen time by saving minutes or hours from their daily limit and deposit it into their TimeBank for future use.

Family Tracker

• View all the places your kids have visited over a period of time
• Create virtual geofences for your kids to know when they enter or leave those places
• Locate all your family members on the virtual map

Family Watch

• Monitor your kids’ call logs, text messages, and contact list
• Track their web browsing history and bookmarks
• View a list of all the installed apps
• Get app usage details to know your child’s app usage patterns

Family buzz

• Get instant panic alerts when your kids are in danger along with their location details
• Receive alerts when it is time to pick up your kids
• Get alerts when your kids try to access blocked apps or contact particular numbers

Customer support service

FamilyTime offers 24/7 customer support service.

Rating 7.4/10

6. Flexispy

Flexispy is a powerful monitoring tool that is easily installed on any Android or iOS device hence making it a worthy contender in the list of best parental phone monitoring software. It can be used to ensure your kids digital and real-life safety. Once installed, Flexispy takes control of the device and enables you to keep tabs on all the communication and activities from any computer with a web browser. No matter where you are, you can know everything that is happening on your kid’s device.

Compatibility

Android OS – Compatible with all Android OS versions from 4.0.3 to 9

Apple iOS – Compatible with all iOS versions up to 9.1; iOS 9.2 – 11.4.1 supports tethered mode only

Price

Installation procedure

• Choose your Flexispy features and package
• Get physical access to your kid’s device
• Install and activate Flexispy on the monitored device
• Log into your user web portal of Flexispy to monitor and control your child’s device

Features

Monitor phone calls and chats

• View the contact list and call logs
• Listen and record live phone calls
• Listen to the surroundings of your kid's device by remotely accessing the microphone on their phone
• Send an invisible SMS to any number without letting your child know about it
• Read chats on popular messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Viber, Skype, Tinder, and many others

Monitor online activities

• Read all the sent/received emails
• Access browsing history and bookmarks saved on your child’s device
• List all the installed apps and view usage history

Location tracking

• Track the current GPS location of your kid

Remote controls

• Record video by remotely controlling the camera of your kid’s phone

Customer support service

Yes, Flexispy also offers online customer support service.

Rating 6.8/10

7. Norton Family Premier

Norton Family Premier enables you to keep track of your kids’ activities and their whereabouts by providing you an impressive range of parental control and monitoring features. It lets you make the web safer for your kids; helps your kids balance their online time; provides insights into the search terms; flags unsafe behavior, and provides summary reports on their online activities. Like any other best android parental control app, Norton Family Premier enables you to monitor social network activities so you can talk to your kids about smart social media habits.

Compatibility

Android OS – requires Android OS 4 or later

Apple iOS – requires iOS 9 or later

Price

First-year subscription for $49.99 (plus Tax)

Renewal price depends on the features you opt.

Installation procedure

• Signup on Norton and create an account.
• Buy Norton Family Premier subscription plan.
• You will need physical access to your kids’ devices.
• Download and install the app on each device.
• Log in to your Norton Family web portal to access all the information.

Features

Web supervision

• Monitor your kids’ web browsing history
• Block the sites you find inappropriate
• Get an instant alert via email whenever your kids try to access the blocked site
• View the words, terms, and phrases your kids are searching
• See how frequently kids log into their Facebook app
• See a list of the YouTube videos your kids watch on their devices (available for iOS devices only)

Time supervision

• Monitor their screen time
• Schedule specific time of the day or week each device can be used
• Specify the time for how long kids can use their device

Mobile supervision

• Access the list of all installed apps
• Block all the unwanted apps

Location monitoring

• Track the current location of your kids
• Access 30-day location history

Remote controls

• Lock the device remotely

Customer support service

Norton Family Premier does not offer an online customer support service.

Rating 6/10

8. SecureTeen

SecureTeen is one of the most commonly used apps to control kids phone, developed especially for parents. It assists parents to know where their kids are and what they are doing. With this powerful app, parents can know everything about their kids’ SMS messages, GPS location, web searches, and activities on social media. With the help of this invisible parental control app , parents can protect their children from bad stuff on the web, including pornography, violence, gambling, etc.

Compatibility

Android – works with all the devices running Android OS 2.2 and above

Apple – works with all the devices running iOS 5 and above

Price

Installation procedure

• First, you need to sign up for SecureTeen
• Select a pricing plan
• Install SecureTeen child app on the target device. In case of iPhone/iPad, you will need your child’s iTunes credentials.
• Log into your SecureTeen control panel and start monitoring the device

Features

Web filtering

• Access a list of all the websites and webpages your kid has visited
• Set online filters for the safe search to take out all mature and harmful content
• Block all the sites you find inappropriate for your kids
• Block pornographic webpages on your kid’s phone

App blocking

• View a list of all the installed apps
• Block the apps you don’t want your kids using

Monitor chats

• Read all messages sent or received on the cell phone
• Monitor chats of Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snap Chat, Viber, and Skype

Time management

• Set a time-based schedule for device usage by kids

Location tracking

• Track the current GPS location of your kid

Remote controls

• Send a remote command from SecureTeen dashboard to lock the device
• Also, unblock the device from the dashboard

Customer support service

SecureTeen offers online customer support service.

Rating 5.5/10

9. Qustodio

Qustodio is another extensively-used parental monitoring software mostly preferred by Android users. It is not the best iPhone parental control app around but on Android phones, it enables you to regulate your kid’s online activities by staying patient and friendly. Nowadays, kids spend more time connected than ever before. Qustodio lets you schedule their screen time to help them refocus on other activities.

Compatibility

Android – works on all smartphones and tablets running Android 4.0 and up

Apple - works on all iPhones, iPads, and iPods running iOS 9.0 and up.

Price

Installation procedure

• Buy a subscription plan according to your monitoring requirements
• Download Qustodio on every kids’ device
• Use the Qustodio parental control app or Family portal dashboard to monitor their activities

Features

Block inappropriate content

• Block inappropriate content even in private browsing mode

Balance screen time

• Limits screen time on all your child’s devices

Control games and apps

• Set usage limits for games and apps
• Block the unwanted apps

Monitor calls and chats

• Access your child’s call logs
• Read their messages
• Block contacts
• Monitor time spent on social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram

Location tracking

• Track your child’s current GPS location
• Enables your child to send panic alerts with their location details, in case of emergency

Customer support service

Qustodio doesn’t offer customer support service.

Rating 5/10

10. Net Nanny

Flexing its muscles next as one of the best iPhone parental control app is Net Nanny. It makes your parenting task easy by providing you an overview of all your family’s online activities at the tip of your fingers. This information assists you in making informed decisions about your child’s phone usage and keeps them safe and protected online. With the rising concerns of cyberbullying, sexting, and suicide among teens, parents can monitor their children’s Internet use and filter out inappropriate content to ensure their digital safety.

Compatibility

Android – supports Android 5.1 and higher

Apple iOS – supports iOS 11 and higher

Price

Installation procedure

• Subscribe to Net Nanny
• Create a Net Nanny account
• Download the app on your child’s device
• Manage your child’s device from your Net Nanny Parent dashboard

Features

Filter the internet

• Enable secure internet content by filtering secure websites
• Enforce Google SafeSearch, YouTube Protected Search and other protected search technologies on the popular search engines
• Get a usage report of child’s online activities
• Use dynamic contextual filtering for 14 categories including Abortion, Adult Novelty, Anime, Death/Gore, Drugs, Gambling, Mature Content, Nudity, Pornography, Provocative, Strip Clubs, Suicide, Tobacco, Weapons
• Block inappropriate websites

Screen time management

• Set Curfew – enables schedules for screen time
• Restrict internet usage at a particular time of the day

Track the location

• Track the current GPS location of your kid instantly
• View past locations visited by your kid

Family Feed

• Get an instant alert if your kids access inappropriate content like porn, drugs, weapons, etc.
• Block any app installed on your kid’s device
• Get daily app usage details

Customer support service

Net Nanny doesn't offer online customer support service. It offers a ticketing system. You can enter your query details, and the help desk will contact you based on the ticket.

Rating 4.3/10

Our Quick Conclusion

Due to the dynamic nature of most of these apps, we have had a pretty hard time making a decision as to who should get the title of best parental tracking app. But if you could look from our perspective, you will also see why Xnspy is the best parental control software.

If you didn’t notice, most of the apps discussed above are aiming at controlling the screentime of your children, not realizing that both Android and iOS have their own built-in parental controls. Therefore, Xnspy doesn’t focus on providing the same or tweaked version of something that parents could already use and that too for free. Xnspy helps parents look into a different side of children safety. It helps you look for signs that could tell if your child is depressed, if he had been making bad friends, or visiting dangerous places. And Xnspy gets you all this information in time with its email notifications. Xnspy also gives parents a certain level of control over their children’s smartphones, like when to lock their phones.

Our suggestion: If you need a screentime app, use the built-in parental controls; if you need something more than that, then try Xnspy! It’s affordable and works great all the time.

FAQs

• Can I put parental controls on iPhone?

  Yes, all iOS devices come with built-in parental controls. However, the nature of those parental controls is limited to just screen time checks. For a more extensive parental monitoring experience, we recommend using a third-party app like Xnspy.

• Can my child see the parental control app on their phone?

  It’s contingent on the app that you are using. Most parental controls allow for overt monitoring only. You can try a discreet parental control app if you wouldn’t like your child to see it on their phone.

• Can I monitor my child's phone without them knowing?

  Yes, many monitoring apps offer discreet monitoring. However, you might need one-time access to install and set up the app.

• Are parental control apps safe?

  Always get your parental control app from a reliable company. You could look for online reviews, check how long the company has been in business, and how their support assists you in making your purchase decision.

• Can my child delete the parental monitoring app?

  Apps like Xnspy work in stealth mode and hide any shortcuts of the app on the phone. Your child won’t be able to locate the app or delete it. However, if they ever factory reset their phone, that will remove all third-party apps from their phones, including Xnspy.

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