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5 Ways to Monitor Handheld Devices

Remember when parents could protect their kids from inappropriate content on the web simply by installing filtering software on the family PC in the living room? Simpler times—sigh. Today, many parents put their foot down and say no to laptops, tablets, and cell phones. For some, though, if school assignments necessitate online access or you’re split between houses, personal technology can feel unavoidable and overwhelmingly scary.

So let’s meet this issue head-on! iMOM is here to help you decide which parental control app is best for your family’s needs. Check out these 5 along with some more need-specific apps. Many include a free trial, so you can decide if it’s the right fit for your family.

MamaBear

MamaBear is a private family communication hub providing parents with an efficient way to communicate, locate, organize, and protect their children.

Why it made the list: MamaBear allows you to share family news, monitor social media, track locations, and know when your teen driver is speeding or riding in a speeding car.

Bark

Bark monitors your texts, chats, emails, and 24+ social media platforms for cyberbullying, adult content, sexual predators, profanity, suicidal ideation, and more.

Why it made the list: Parents receive text/email alerts only when something problematic occurs online. This saves you countless hours of reading every social interaction your child has while allowing you to build trust and an open line of communication with your child.

Qustodio

This app will help you supervise, manage, and protect your child’s device in real-time. 

Why it made the list: Qustodio filters and blocks apps or inappropriate content even in private browsing mode. You can also set time limits for games and apps, view your child’s calls and texts, set a list of blocked contacts, and monitor YouTube.

FamilyTime

This app does a ton for managing content and screentime across all devices. 

Why it made the list: In addition to content filtering and blocking, FamilyTime can block contacts. Don’t want some people contacting your children? Add them to a watchlist and get alerts if they reach out. Its location history allows parents to track and view all the places the kids visit, such as school or the park.

Screen Time

If you’re looking for the best parental control app for limiting screentime, this one has some great features. 

Why it made the list: Parents can set daily limits, set blocked periods such as sleep time and homework time to avoid distractions, and instantly pause your child’s device. This is all in addition to web filtering, location services, and app usage monitors.

Specific Categories:

Covenant Eyes

If someone in your home struggles with an addiction to pornography, Covenant Eyes is a great accountability app. The software periodically captures, analyzes, and rates screenshots of your screen activity and stores them securely on your device. A report of concerning activity, circumvention attempts, and other activity is sent to you and your ally.

MobiStealth

No one wants to have to secretly monitor their child’s online activity, but desperate times call for desperate measures. MobiStealth monitors texts, calls and your child’s location. The app becomes hidden after installation.

YouTube Kids

Breathe a little easier as your kids browse their favorite videos and related content with this free service. 

What’s the best parental control app you’ve tried? 

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