Gone are the days when a single parental control utility on the family PC was sufficient for keeping your kids safe and productive. Modern kids use all kinds of internet-connected devices, and parental control systems must keep up.
Before settling on a particular parental control utility, you need to make sure that it supports all the device types in your household. While all the products in this roundup support Windows and Android, compatibility with macOS and iOS varies. Apple's Screen Time features for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS are quite capable and come with the added benefit of first-party support. Microsoft (Family Safety) and Google (Family Link) both offer first-party parental control tools, too.
Messaging and Social Media
As kids get older, content filtering may start to seem pointless. At some point, you start to worry more about their interaction with the wider world. Sure, if their friends come over in person, you can at least meet them, but what about friends on social media and other contacts your child never mentions? Who are they, really, and what are your kids discussing with them? Although some supervision is acceptable, you still need to respect your child's basic right to privacy and encourage open discussion, rather than using parental control software as spyware.
Some services let you monitor contacts and messages and keep an eye out for potentially dangerous or unsanctioned situations. You can even block new contacts or view message content with some parental control software. Keep in mind that this primarily applies to SMS texts; messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Signal do not fall under the same scope. Social media tracking can also provide a glimpse into your child's social life, though many services now only monitor Facebook or have given up monitoring social media entirely.
What Is FlexiSPY’s Parental Control Software?
FlexiSPY is a powerful monitoring app that you install on your child’s phone, computer, or tablet to keep them safe from online predators, inappropriate content, and cyberbullies.
With FlexiSPY, you are able to remotely track your child’s phone calls, online conversations, internet usage, and more — so you can step in at the first sign of trouble or risky behavior.
Our parental control app captures all information sent and received by your child’s device and uploads it to your personal online portal — which you can then access from the convenience of your computer or mobile device.
How Can Parental Control Apps For Cell Phones Help Protect My Child?
FlexiSPY has more monitoring features than any other iPhone or Android parental control software – this means you can monitor all forms of mobile communication, including email, SMS, chat apps, phone calls, and more.
See what websites your son is viewing and what pictures your daughter is sending, use our GPS monitoring app to track kids’ phone locations while you are traveling, or listen to and record live phone calls if you worry your children are involved in less than desirable activities.
Downloading the world's best parental monitoring software takes minutes and instantly puts your mind at ease.