10 Best Parental Control Apps in 2025
Why Use Parental Control Apps
In the digital world of today, children of all ages have access to vast amounts of information online, through websites, apps, and social media, all available on their handy, pocket-sized smartphones.
However it can be difficult for children to understand the perils of the internet, and they can easily fall victim to scammers, cyberbullies and other unscrupulous people.
Parental control apps have been developed to assist parents in guiding their children through the digital environment, monitoring online activities, limiting screen usage, and building a healthy relationship with technology.
Used correctly, parental control software can help to safeguard your kids from unsuitable online content and excessive screen time and promote responsible behavior.
Read on as we review the top 10 parental control apps available today.
1. FamiGuard – The All-In-One Phone Tracker for Parental Control
FamiGuard Pro is seen as the market leader for parental control software, packed with features and making it a one-stop-shop for all parental control needs.
Once the app has been downloaded, the first place to look is the easy-to-navigate dashboard, which shows the status of the target phone and all current activity. Recent history of online activity is also displayed, along with sites and apps visited and screen time spent online.
From there, the target phone can be controlled remotely to limit screen time, block or even uninstall apps that are seen as unsuitable, and block access to websites that have inappropriate content such as violence or pornography.
FamiGuard also monitors access to social media sites. These are good entertainment for kids and are useful for staying in touch with friends and family, but can be used by strangers to make contact with the children for unknown purposes.
The live recording is also a feature, not only in the on-screen activity but also in the area around the phone, capturing conversations etc,
FamiGuard offers GPS location tracking so parents can see where the kids are with their phones, and the parents can also enable geofencing, which is setting a boundary that the kids are expected to stay within, with alerts sent to the parent if the boundary is exceeded.
2. ClevGuard – Best Real-Time Location Tracker for Kids
ClevGuard through the KidsGuard range has a number of parental control products aimed at different online segments, such as KidsGuard for WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.
The premium product, KidsGuard Pro, has all the features in one package. Most features are similar to other parental control apps, but KidsGuard location tracking is a stand-out app.
Using a combination of GPS and WiFi location tracking technology, KidsGuard Pro makes it easy to always know where the device is located and is being used, along with location history, so parents can always know where their kids are, and where they have been.
The KidsGuard location tracker has 4 modes:
GPS location: You can track the real-time location of Android and iOS phones with details on address, date, and time.
Location History: View the location history of the phone with both list view and map view.
WiFi location tracking: By tracking the WiFi location, parents can see the WiFi name, address, date/time, and how long the device was connected to the WiFi at that location.
Geofence set up: Easily set up a boundary area with geofence, and get notified as soon as the device crosses out of the zone marked on the map.
3. Famieyes – Ideal for online rule-setting
Famieyes from ClevGuard is an excellent parental control tool for a parent to ensure their child's safety online. It provides a number of features to help parents to monitor and control their kids' online activities.
Famieyes allows parents to manage their kids' screen time use, and set limits on the time allowed. It can even lock the screen remotely as required.
An interesting feature is the ability to monitor and supervise media messages. All messages containing media files such as photos or videos are monitored so parents can check that the children are not exposed to inappropriate material.
Famieyes tracks and monitors all social media apps, and also has a real-time location tracker, with geofencing and location history.
The software also seamlessly monitors SMS messaging and call logs, to keep parents aware of who their children are communicating with, and what messages have been sent and received, along with a list of contacts.
4. Monimaster – Best for activity scheduling and monitoring
Monimaster is an all-in-one solution for monitoring Android, iOS and iCloud devices, with over 40 features that allow parents to access and examine all phone files. Data is collected from over 30 apps including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Whatsapp, Skype and Discord etc.
Parents can use the app to control and limit the amount of time the kids spend online and can set up schedules for the kids online activity, leaving free time for chores and other interests.
Monimaster can check someone's online calling history, and it can also capture live recordings of the target device in any location.
This handy Android and iPhone monitoring app enables parents to see all the data on their kids' phones without rooting the target device, and in stealth mode, the online dashboard ensures 100% secret monitoring.
Monimaster provides detailed insights into all phone files and from the dashboard the parents can check the phone logs and text messages. They can also access lists of contacts, media files, browser history, and installed apps.
5. Bark – Excellent for social media monitoring
Bark is an online monitoring system that filters all online activity and alerts parents if anything inappropriate or threatening is found.
The Bark technology runs in the background on the target phone and scans all online activities to highlight dangers. It monitors texts, social media, apps, and sites visited for potential hazards, including photos or videos saved to the phone.
Bark can identify keywords especially related to bullying or self-harm and alert the parents to make sure the child gets the help they need.
Screen time rules and scheduling are another key feature, and Bark can make screen time rules that change with the time of day, for example it can block YouTube during the school day or limit nighttime apps to music only – whatever the family prefers as a rule.
6. Kaspersky Safe Kids – Budget-friendly and feature-rich
Kaspersky is a well-known name in internet technology and has been in the market for a long time. Although priced at the lower end of the scale in terms of subscriptions, it still provides all the features needed in a parental control app.
It operates not just on cell phones but also on Windows and macOS equipment, as well as Android and iOS.
The online content filter makes sure that the kids only have access to child-safe content, and anything unsuitable is blocked and reported to the parents. This includes a safe search function for YouTube and other video apps like TikTok.
Kaspersky Safe Kids allows screen time management, and scheduling so that the kids are only online at appropriate times as approved by their parents.
7. FamilyTime – Good for geofencing and app blocking
FamilyTime divides its key features into three main categories, for different age groups.
For the age group 3 to 8 years old the focus is on limiting screen time, with strict schedules to keep screen exposure to a minimum. It also automatically blocks unsafe apps and games through its safe search filters which also blocks access to inappropriate content.
For pre-teens aged 9 to 12 years, there is dedicated protection from online predators and explicit content. Their social media chats are monitored and there are web filters for safe searching and site viewing. There is also the facility to set daily limits on app usage to control addiction before it starts.
With teenagers 13 to 17 years old it is recognised that they want to experiment with new ideas and have developing interests and passions. Parents can view all recently visited content to get to understand their interests and set limits when they exceed agreed boundaries. Calls and SMS messaging are also monitored along with historical logs for parents to be aware of contacts and communication.
8. OurPact – Simple and effective screen time management
OurPact aims to help families to teach their kids healthy use of technology and good screen time habits, by giving parents insight into how the child uses their devices and the apps that are downloaded on them.
OurPact monitors text messages, blocks problem apps, sets up schedules for the use of apps such as TikTok and Minecraft, and can filter web content and also GPS location tracking.
OurPact allows parents to customize its features to schedule screen time as they choose and to block websites and apps they feel are not suitable.
The parents can set up rules to block distracting apps and games while allowing educational apps for learning.
OurPact also can set daily screen time limits to encourage healthy usage habits.
9. ESET Parental Control – Strong Android support and child tracking
ESET parental control software is primarily focused on Android smart devices. It is a child-friendly app that helps parents to manage their kids' online activity.
The Web Guard feature filters website content, and the App Guard feature filters apps by the age of the child.
There is a child locator feature that shows the child's location and allows parents to send messages, along with a geofencing ability.
ESET comes with a password manager that can create, store and organize passwords, and all data is encrypted to boost privacy and security.
The screen time management feature will schedule screen time appropriately and also has a vacation mode so screen limits can be switched off during holidays.
- MMGuardian – Robust text and call monitoring
The interesting feature of MMGuardian is that it offers a cellphone designed to use its parental control software without access to unsuitable online content, apps, and games. It can only be used for pre-approved usage.
The MMGuardian phone was developed to allow parents to provide age-appropriate access to a high-quality device with the controls needed to keep the child safe when it is used.
The parental control app developed by MMGuardian can also be downloaded onto existing phones but with fewer restrictions.
The key features of the MMGuardian app are: Voice call and text message monitoring, web filtering, location tracking, and screen time limiting.
Conclusion
Selecting the right parental control app can be a difficult task since most of them seem to have a similar range of features. The most important items for parents to control their child's activities are: content monitoring and filtering, screen time management, and location tracking. Also important is compatibility with existing devices.
The crucial point however is that it should be done in open communication with the child. Parental control apps should be seen not as spyware but as educational software, helping the children to learn safe digital habits, while giving the parents peace of mind.
By open discussion and choosing the right software a parent will be taking a major step towards creating a safe online environment for their children.
