The Best Parental Control Apps for Android and iPhone 2025

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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 parental monitoring app can help protect your child from cyberbullying and harmful interactions.

In this guide, I’ve reviewed the best 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 Ranked

  1. mSpy – Best Parental Control App Overall
  2. EyeZy – Best Parental Control App for Smart, AI-Driven Monitoring and “Magic Alerts”
  3. uMobix – Best Parental Control App for Ease-of-Use
  4. Cocospy – Best Parental Control App for Remote Surveillance
  5. Qustodio – Best Parental Control App for Budget Conscious Parents

mSpy – Best Parental Control App Overall

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EyeZy – Best Parental Control App for AI-Driven Monitoring

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uMobix – Best Parental Control App for Ease-of-Use

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Cocospy – Best Parental Control App for Remote Surveillance

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Qustodio – Best Parental Control App for Budget Conscious Parents

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What Are Parental Control Apps and How Do They Work?

Parental control software encompasses a broad range of apps and tools that are designed to help parents remotely monitor and regulate what their children are doing on their digital devices. They can also help parents track the physical location of their children. Most of them work by being installed on the device, or multiple devices, of the child the parent wants to monitor — the parent can then access the data gathered by the monitoring app remotely on their own computer or device.

The best parental control apps alert parents to any threats or dangerous activity so that they can intervene and keep their child safe at the right time. Most of them are compatible with multiple types of device (smartphone, tablet, laptop) and operating system (iOS or Android). Some of them even provide educational tools to help children learn about how to develop health digital habits and to stay safe.

It’s important to balance the benefits of monitoring a child for their safety with respecting their privacy. Most apps allow you to customize the level of tracking and monitoring based on the child’s maturity and, age, and genuine need to be monitored.

The Best Parental Control Apps Reviewed

To help you find the best parental control software for your Apple or Android device, below I’ll review in detail the top performers that made it onto my shortlist based on my hands-on testing of the apps. For more information on this type of product, you can visit our page on the best free parental control apps and free parental control app alternatives.

1. mSpy — Best Parental Control App Overall

mSpy logo

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

mSpy 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, all wrapped up in an easy-to-use platform.

  • GPS Location Tracking: mSpy’s GPS is pinpoint accurate, giving you peace of mind knowing your child is in a safe environment.
  • Web Browsing History: This allows you to see exactly what your child is searching for so you can identify anything potentially dangerous or harmful in their searches.
  • Keyword Alerts: In addition to the above you can set up alerts for certain dangerous or inappropriate words or phrases so you are notified when your child searches for these online.
  • User-friendly Interface: The mSpy platform lets you easily navigate and access important information without needing technical expertise. You’ll be able to view everything in an easy-to-navigate dashboard that you can view in real time.
  • Stealth Mode: This allows you to monitor your child’s phone discreetly, but this isn’t only advantageous for tracking a child without their knowledge (which not all parents want to do). It simply means you can have mSpy installed on the device you want to monitor without it interfering with the child’s use of their phone. mSpy supports various devices and operating systems, including both iOS and Android.
  • Excellent Customer Support: I found the responses of the mSpy customer support team swift and helpful.

mSpy does also offer social media tracking. 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. These social media monitoring tools can help you safeguard your kids from the dangers of sexting and cyberbullying

Do note that some features, like a keylogger and screen recorder, are exclusively available on Android.

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.

Read our full mSpy review.

Pros 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 cons

  • Requires physical access to target device on Android

2. Eyezy — Best Parental Control App for Smart, AI-Driven Monitoring and “Magic Alerts”

Eyezy logo

Best For Live Monitoring
Free Trial/Demo Demo
Compatibility iOS, Android
Max Devices Up to 3
Money-back Guarantee 14-day refund window

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

A standout feature of Eyezy is that it uses artificial intelligence to ensure the app sends you the most useful alerts possible based on locations, searches, language, or people you have flagged as unsafe.

  • Magic Alerts: 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.
  • Location and Geofencing Alerts: Geofencing allows you to set virtual boundaries on a map, and when your child crosses these boundaries, Eyezy sends you a notification. For example, if you’ve drawn a geofence around their school, and then they unexpectedly leave this are during the school day, you’ll know about it.
  • Accurate Keylogger: based on my testing of Eyezy and dozen of other parental control apps, I was impressed with the accuracy of Eyezy’s keylogger. This 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.
  • Social Spotlight: This tool lets you see who they’re chatting with on social media, and what images or media they exchange.
  • Remote Blocking: 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.

Installing the app on Android is more straightforward than iPhone, but neither device takes very long to get going.

Who It’s Best for

Eyezy is ideal for parents who want an alert-based system for parental control, meaning they’re alerted to potential issues as they arise, and so don’t have to be looking at the app or their child’s activity at all times. Its AI-driven insights do a lot of the work for you and will send you smart alerts so you can still keep your child safe.

Read our full Eyezy review.

Pros 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 cons

  • Some of its features require jailbreaking on iPhone

3. uMobix — Best Parental Control App for Ease-of-Use

uMobix logo

Best For Live Monitoring
Free Trial/Demo Demo
Compatibility iOS, Android
Max Devices Up to 3
Money-back Guarantee 14-day refund window

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.

  • Call and Text Message Logs: See caller or texter names and numbers as well as call durations, timestamps. You can see all this information in real time, and even retrieve deleted SMSs and removed contacts.
  • GPS location tracking: uMobix’s location tracking in accurate up to 7-10 meters, and there is a dedicated Map View in the monitoring dashboard where you can see where your child is and routes they’ve taken.
  • Reddit Monitoring: uMobix is 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.
  • Remote Control and Blocking: This can help you keep your children safe from harmful content by blocking their access to websites and apps they shouldn’t be opening or visiting. Additionally, you can lock their phone remotely using uMobix, meaning they won’t be able to use it until you unlock it. This can help you set screen time limits when it’s past their bedtime or when they’re studying.
  • Display Deleted Messages: A uMboix feature that stood out to me 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.
  • Customer Support: uMobix offers plenty of helpful resources and customer support options, so if you encounter any snags or have a question about a particular feature, you have somewhere to go.

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.

Read our full uMobix review.

Pros pros

  • Great app for beginners
  • Robust customer support and guides
  • Feature-rich monitoring app
  • Top-tier social media coverage
  • Remote device locking

Cons 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 offers real-time tracking of a wide range of activities in a discreet way. In addition to core parental control feature such as monitoring call logs and text messages, the app has the following standout features:

  • Sim Location Tracking: Not to be confused with standard GPS tracking, Cocospy’s sim tracking can locate a phone’s location using network information. It can also tell you if a phone number is changed or if a sim card is removed from a phone (potentially to swap it for a secret one). Finally, it can be used to identify the sim’s IMEI which will help the network carrier track the phone down if it is lost or stolen.
  • Stealth Mode: Cocospy lets you see everything on your child’s device remotely without it 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.
  • Social Media Messaging Monitoring: Cocospy offers insights into what your kids are doing on more than 16 social media and messaging apps, which is more than most of its competitors. 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.

Read our full Cocospy review.

Pros 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 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 or free 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 free spy apps are just completely fake, but Qustodio is one of the few exceptions, so I’ll give a a bit more information on its free offering as well as it’s premium plans:

  • Free Essential Parental Control Features for One Device: This makes it an appealing choice for families looking to enhance their children’s online safety on one device without any cost. The free plan will let you monitor your child’s web activity, set time limits on their device usage, and manage their app permissions.
  • Free Basic Reporting Tools: These 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.

I must note that you get a whole lot more with Qustodio’s paid plans, such as:

  • Comprehensive Web Filtering: Allowing you to block inappropriate content and set time limits for specific apps and websites
  • Robust and Detailed Activity Reports: Meaning you can learn more about your child’s online behavior across multiple devices
  • Detailed Social Media Monitoring: So you can see what they’re doing on platforms like Facebook and Instagram
  • Simultaneous Monitoring of Unlimited Devices: Perfect if you need to monitor multiple children. In fact, it’s one of the few parental control apps that covers multiple devices under one plan.
  • YouTube Monitoring: Qustodio’s YouTube tracking features are quite robust. You can use them to monitor and block inappropriate YouTube content in real time, set screen time limits, and give you detailed activity reports.
  • Real-time Alerts and Notifications: These alert you to potential risks your child might be encountering in real time, allowing you to respond quickly. You can set up alerts for certain keywords and activity.

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.

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.

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.

Read our page on Qustodio vs mSpy.

Pros pros

  • Best-in-class customer support
  • Works across PC and mobile
  • Lets you pause and unpause the internet
  • Affordable

Cons cons

  • The free version has minimal features
  • No social media monitoring

Methodology

How We Review And Test Parental Control Software

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:

  • General Features: We evaluate the comprehensive feature set of each app, including but not limited to features such as App Management, Time Management, Call Monitoring, Device Control and GPS Tracking.
  • Ease of Use: We gauge the user-friendliness of each app, considering factors such as installation process complexity, the necessity of jailbreaking (for iOS) or rooting (for Android) the target device, and more.
  • Device Support and Compatibility: We thoroughly examine the compatibility of each parental control app with different devices and operating systems, including iOS and Android. We also assess whether the app offers a unified dashboard accessible from both desktop and mobile devices.
  • Customer Support: We test the responsiveness and effectiveness of customer support provided by each app developer. We evaluate the availability of support channels, such as live chat, email, or phone support, as well as the satisfaction ratings of customer assistance.
  • Price and Value for Money: We assess each parental control app’s pricing structure in relation to its features and functionalities, aiming to determine its overall value proposition. We analyze whether the app offers different subscription tiers, flexible payment options, and discounts for long-term commitments.
  • Privacy and Security: We prioritize the privacy and security of user data in our evaluation. We scrutinize the app’s data encryption measures, adherence to privacy regulations, and commitment to regular security updates to safeguard user information from unauthorized access or breaches.

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.

  • Time Management: Parental control solutions offer many different technologies to manage your child’s time on their phone, such as time-of-day locks, features for managing screen time effectively, remote app management, website blocking, and device use notifications. These all allow you to tailor your child’s use of their phone.
  • Theft and Loss Prevention: 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.
  • Online Safety: 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.
  • Offline Monitoring: 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.

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

Benefits and Limitations of Parent Control Apps

While parental control apps can play a key part in keeping your children safe from online and offline harm, they can lead to unwelcome violations of privacy and broken trust if not used sensitively.

Some of the main benefits of parental control apps that can help keep you children safe include:

  • Content filtering: blocking a child’s access to certain websites, apps, or content that may be inappropriate or harmful
  • Managing screen time: setting limits on how much time a child can spend on their devices to prevent unhealthy behavior
  • Monitoring device usage and activity: monitoring what the child is downloading, what they’re installing, and who they’re calling or talking to
  • Social Media monitoring: preventing cases of cyberbullying or harmful content reaching the child over social media, which is increasingly common
  • Geotracking and geofencing: seeing the child’s current location, or setting geofencing parameters around “safe zones” like schools or friends’ houses so the parent is alerted if the child leaves these areas
  • Reports and real-time alerts: having detailed device usage reports as well as alerts the moment that potentially dangerous activity is happening.

Some of the limitations of parental control apps are:

  • Unwillingness to be tracked: Some children might not like the idea of being monitored; if you’re committed to only monitoring your child with their consent, it may be difficult to persuade some children of the benefits.
  • Access to the target device or iCloud account is required: it’s fast and easy to install parental control apps on the target device, but acquiring the device access you need to do this is still a crucial step of the process and can be difficult.
  • Breeches of trust or privacy: we’d recommend only tracking your children with them knowing. This helps to avoid breakdowns in trust which could, in turn, lead to more challenging behaviour or relationships.

My advice is that openness and transparency is the key, especially as the child you are monitoring becomes more mature and is a teenager or pre-teen. Communicating with your child about how and why you will use parental control apps can help to maintain trust and understanding.

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.

  • Android Most of these apps will work on Android devices. The best parental control app for Android should offer most, if not all, of its features without requiring “root access” on the target device, which means changing in-built device settings and configuration. Rooting an Android phone can be a complicated process that may not be ideal for non-tech-savvy parents. uMobix is an excellent Android parental control app because you can use pretty much all of its features “without root”. It’s worth checking if the app you want to use offers full functionality on Android operating systems before committing.
  • iPhone 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, and some apps offer certain features for Android or other systems only. However, there are plenty of parental control apps designed with iPhones in mind, such as mSpy. In some cases, you won’t even need access to your child’s physical device to start tracking activity on their phone; you just need to know the child’s iCloud credentials. If you are planning to track activity on an iPhone, I’d recommend that you make sure the app you choose offers all the features you want for iOS, and not just for Android.
  • iPads Similar to the above, you will find parental control apps that work very well on iPads, but you’ll need to make sure they are specifically compatible with iOS systems, and that they offer all the integral features you need for this operating system. I’d also check that iPads are listed as a compatible device for the app, and that people who are using them on iPad devices have rated them well in reviews, as phones seem to be the primary device that these apps were designed for. Again, mSpy is a good choice of parental control app for iPad.
  • Desktops 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

    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.

    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.

    1. Choose a Plan

      Go to the mSpy website and purchase your desired subscription, based on the features you need.

      <strong>Choose a Plan</strong>
    2. Install

      Get physical access to the target device to install mSpy on the device you want to track. This should only take a few minutes.

    3. Disable Play Protect

      Head to the Play Store, click ‘Settings’ and choose ‘Play Protect’ to disable it.

    4. Turn Off Notifications

      Next, go to the main screen to settings > apps > Google Play Store> notifications > show notifications. Turn this setting off.

    5. Install on Your Device

      Now to set up your view on your laptop, computer, or device. 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.’

    6. Complete Setup

      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.

    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:

    • Features: 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.
    • Device Compatibility: 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 other apps to monitor activity on Windows and Mac computers.
    • Resource Usage: 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.
    • Safety: 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.
    • Price: 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.
    • User Reviews: 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.

    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

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    Jenn Peters
    Editor
    Jenn Peters
    Editor

    Jenn Peters has been working in the content marketing space for many years, with nearly a decade of experience as a content writer, trainer, and managing editor. As managing editor at Techopedia, she showcases her passion for bringing great tech content to readers across a number of niches, which includes product reviews, instructional and buyers guides, and more.