5 Parental Control Apps and other Hacks for Android Users
A lot has changed over the years when it comes to parental control apps. In the past, there were kid modes in devices that turned off the UI which would trap the child in a specific app. However, kid mode does not work that well and is easy to work around with. Better alternatives are present out there. The new options in these apps allow your kids to have more freedom while you still keep them in control. In case you need some other methods to keep your children in control below are few of the best parental control apps for Android. Because they are way too outdated, there are no kid mode apps on this list. Here are 5 Parental Control Apps for your kids!
1. Find My Kids
Price: Free / $2.99 per month / $16.99 per year / $25.99 once
This is a lighter version of a parental control app. Find My Kids keeps track of your child’s location all the time. Where they go, where they are, and where they’ve been is all displayed by this app. This app is truly simple. You can immediately see where all of your kids are when you open it. There is a notification that is shown in the app if your child’s phone is having some problem in sending a location. You can also see what apps they are using. Other features include a family chat so that you can speak to them anytime you want to, some security controls, and a battery monitor for your child’s device. Compared to most of its competitors, it is surprisingly cheap. Even if that license works on only three devices at once, you can buy it once for $25.99.
2. AppLock by IvyMobile
Price: Free
To keep kids out of your phone, an app lock is the best way to proceed with it. This app is one of the 5 Parental Control Apps mostly used for the parents of younger kids who from time to time use YouTube Kids or play kids’ games on their phones. This app provides password protection to other apps. Hence, if your kids start to click on your private apps such as Facebook or banking apps, they cannot go any further. IvyMobile’s is free and relatively simpler to use than the other app locks. Until they’re old enough to know better, this should keep kids away from your sensitive stuff.
3. Safe Lagoon
Price: Free
A lighter version of Google Family Link, Safe Lagoon has some different stuff to show. Things like apps and games can be viewed that kids use. Additionally, you can lock the phone if necessary, find their location, and control time limits in apps and games. You can also do other stuff such as set up locations they cannot go to, monitor instant messages, and also do some other neat stuff. You can use it for other purposes besides its sole purpose of fighting against cyberbullying. It is a good alternative to Google Family Link and is relatively simpler to set up.
4. Google Family Link
Price: Free
The first and foremost choice of every parent is the Google Family Link. You get the satisfaction of seeing everything that your kid is doing on his/her phone. The family Link is recommended first because it integrates directly into the Android OS itself and also has so many more features than that. The ability to see all the apps your kids use, see their usage habits, lock the device, and see their location are some of the features of this app. The setup process is the only downside to the app. We have a tutorial on how to use it because it is a bit of a drag.
5. Parental Control Apps from Antivirus Companies
Price: Free / Varies
Some antivirus suites come with parental controls. For an all-in-one punch parental control extensions in the antivirus apps can be used. Some instances of the parental control extensions in these antivirus apps are ESET and Norton. These apps allow you to see what apps your kids are using and downloading, their web activity can be monitored, and they sometimes even support wearables. To use the whole antivirus product first, they require a license to purchase and they tend to work alright.
Speak with your Kids
Nothing compares to the involvement of a parent in a kid’s life and sometimes that is all they require. Educate your child about the dangers of the Internet, steps to take when cyberbullied, and where to go and not to go. There will be a day when your kids will be old enough to block you from monitoring their activities. Hence, they need to be ready for that day. Monitoring is very beneficial for your kids and you when they are young but always remember to relax once they are old enough to know better and you trust them more. The value of an involved parent must never be underestimated. Schools cannot teach everything to your child about the world.
Apps for other Platforms
There are some parental control apps available that support platforms other than Android. Generally, you need the apps to be specific for that particular platform only and companies are making regular efforts for releasing mobile apps for non-mobile platforms.
Microsoft Family Safety and Nintendo Switch’s parental control app are some of the examples. Both these apps have mostly the same function. Microsoft app helps you to monitor your kid’s Xbox and Windows PC usage and also limit them and various other things. Nintendo app lets you view what games your kids are playing and also monitors their screen time. We recommend any of these for use on other platforms besides Android because there aren’t many of these apps available.
Use Google Play Parental Controls
There is a fairly robust set of parental controls available on Google Play. Some of these include a password lock to your banking app so that kids cannot go rampage on your debit card and buy unnecessary in-app purchases form the games that they play. You can go even deeper with this kind of thing. You can also restrict access to apps and games once you add your kids to your family account.
There are also instances where you can allow Google Play to show your kids stuff that is rated for a teen or lower and the Play Store will eliminate anything above 17 or 18 years of content. We recommend this app alongside the Google Family Link to an extent for maximum results. There is a whole tutorial on Google Play for parental controls.
Synopsis
These are the most popular and effective 5 Parental Control Apps to use for Android users. It will not only keep a check on your kids’ online activities but will also keep them from unwanted content on the internet.