Once the most powerful parental-control app for iPhones, OurPact was hobbled by an Apple rule change in late 2018 that nixed the service's geofencing, location tracking and time allowances on iOS. It’s never too early to look into parental control apps. Unfortunately, it seems most kids will always be more tech-savvy than parents. Family Link is a parental control monitoring app from Google and it’s completely free to use. Mobicip; 3. (There's a 30-day free trial, plus steep discounts for multiyear plans.) Kaspersky's location tracking and geofencing work in both iOS and Android, as do its web monitoring and device scheduling. Bark; 5. Elizabeth Brownfield is a writer, editor, and researcher. The parental control app is very powerful yet easy to comprehend. In fact, most parents want their kids to be somewhat independent when it comes to digital devices. So while no app is perfect, you may want to keep a close eye on how this one works before assuming your kids will be completely safe once it’s installed. This service's location-tracking, time-scheduling, and web-filtering and -monitoring capabilities work on both iOS and Android, but Norton's time allowances are only for its Windows and Android software. If you're the parent of children under 12, you absolutely want to be able to block objectionable websites, but you might also consider an app that's available on Amazon Fire tablets. Its free tier includes web monitoring, time limits and app management, and its full-featured paid plan is just $15 per year for an unlimited number of devices, including PCs and Macs. We tested each app on every platform it supported twice, from installation to testing to uninstall. FamiSafe is an all-in-one parental control app. Norton Family. Read our, Reviewed by Ann-Louise T. Lockhart, PsyD, ABPP, Cutting Down Screen Time Means Better Health and Grades for Kids, Restricting Your Child’s Screen Time May Not Have a Major Effect in Adulthood. Tom's Guide: really annoyed that the great and helpful comment I wrote got erased when I submitted. All these parental-control apps can do more on Android than on iOS, due to Apple's tighter app restrictions. Screen Time also has baffling upcharges for location tracking and web filters, both of which are arguably essentials and come standard with other parental-control apps. NetNanny has three price plans, but the best value is the 20-device Family Protection Pass, which covers five browsers plus mobile devices for $89.99 per year. ESET Parental Control One of the best-ranked apps in the play store is the ESET Parental Control app. Visit our corporate site. But new additions to iOS have closed the gap somewhat. — ESET Parental Control for Android is cutting its subscription rates for multiyear plans, with two years of service going for $45 and three years for $60, representing discounts of 25% and 33%, respectively. 1. Some of these apps let you block and log the calls and texts a child makes and receives, but only on Android. We have made a comprehensive list of the best iPhone Parental Control Apps. A Family Locator feature that shows you where all your kids are at once was added in September 2019. Bark comes with a 7-day free trial, so you can see if you like it before you purchase. 1. FamiSafe is an all-in-one parental control app. But many other reviewers experienced glitches that prevented certain functions from working properly. Web filtering is more powerful on iOS, while monitoring texts and calls works on only Android. 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