Best Parental Control App in 2026 (Android & iPhone)

With numerous parental control apps, you might find it hard to pick the best one that will prevent access to harmful content, manage screen time, and monitor who your kids communicate with. That’s why I spent days investigating the best parental control apps, along with the Cybernews research team. I evaluated different criteria to make the best choice, such as features, ease of use, and price.

But if you’re like me, and you’re really impatient to learn more, keep reading my detailed review.

Quick-look: our top 7 parental-control apps

1. Aura Parental Control – best all-around
2. Qustodio – best cross-device
3. Bark – best for smartphones
4. Norton Family – best for pupils
5. FamiSafe – best for teen drivers
   
6. Google Family Link - best for Google users
7. Microsoft Family Safety - best for Microsoft users

Parental control app feature comparison table

	Aura Parental Control	Qustodio	Bark	Norton Family	FamiSafe	Google Family Link	Microsoft Family Safety
Our rating	4.8/5	4.7/5	4.6/5	4.5/5	4.4/5	4.2/5	4.2/5
Best for	All-in-one solution	AI-powered search and message alerts	Social media monitoring	Specific school websites filtering	Teen drivers monitoring	Tracking Android and ChromeOS devices	Gaming devices monitoring
Price (monthly price range)	$8.33-50/month	$5.00-8.33/month	$4.08–39.00/month	$49.99-99.99/year	$59.99/year	Free	Free
Free trial	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌No	❌No
Number of protected devices	Unlimited	1, 5, or unlimited	Unlimited	Up to 15	Up to 40	Up to 5	Up to 6
Web filtering	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Screen time management	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Conversation monitoring	❌No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌No	✅ Yes	❌No	❌No
Location tracking and geofencing	❌No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Remote lock	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Best parental control apps of 2026 – detailed list

Now that you’ve seen the most crucial aspects, it’s time for me to take you into the more specific overview of each parental block app. In my seven detailed reviews, you’ll be able to learn more about their features, platforms, ease of use, and pricing. So, let’s begin.

1. Aura Parental Control – best online safety for kids overall

Price:	From $8.33/month
Platforms:	Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	No

Visit Aura Parental Control

Who it's best for: Aura is the best parental control app that combines surveillance with kids' privacy. If you're a parent focused on guidance alongside online activities control, Aura smartly combines both. It issues alerts without revealing exact screenshots, respecting your kids' growing independence. However, it also does not track location because of that.

Key features: My favorite aspect of Aura is the AI-powered Child's Digital Wellbeing suite. It outlines kids' online daily routines, but also determines their online personas. Parents are notified of any deviations from regular behavior or risky situations. Aura also monitors over 200 popular games to identify cyberbullying or grooming.

Pricing: Aura Parental Controls cost $99.99 for the first year. You can use a 14-day free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee if you decide not to keep it.

Platform limitations (Android vs iOS): Aura's safe gaming features are currently available only on Windows devices and don't support smartphones. It utilizes Apple's screen time control options, so its iOS app gives more control to the parents. However, the service is unavailable on macOS.

For more details, check out our comprehensive Aura review.

2. Qustodio – best multi-device tracking

Price:	From $5.00/month
Platforms:	Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, and Kindle
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	Yes

Visit Qustodio

Who it's best for: Qustodio is your best option if your children have multiple devices. It works on Amazon Fire tablets, Kindle, and Chromebooks. It also supports location tracking and is very easy to use if you're new to parental controls.

Key features: Screen time limit, game and app blocking, web content filtering, and other necessities are all there. I highly value the Qustodio panic button, which, alongside an emergency help call, sends the child's location and updates it every 90 seconds. I also like that Qustodio checks calls and messages, extending protection to traditional communication.

Pricing: The Basic plan costs $54.95/year, but I highly recommend the Complete plan for $99.95 for a full set of benefits. There's a 3-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Platform limitations (Android vs iOS): There are some noteworthy limitations. Firstly, the panic button is available only on Android devices. Also, call and message lookup on iOS requires a Mac or a Windows computer.

If you want even more information, you can also visit our in-depth review of Qustodio.

3. Bark – includes safe smartphone

Price:	From $4.08/month
Platforms:	Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, and Chromebooks
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	Yes

Visit Bark

Who it's best for: Bark plans include a Samsung Galaxy A-series (A16 5G or A36 5G) smartphone. It is modified with parental control features, so this can be your top choice for children's first device.

Key features: Bark's deals include a smartphone, a USB-C charger, and a case. They also sell smartwatches (Schok Chronovolt CV16) with text monitoring and location tracking. Bark monitors six email clients, including Gmail and iCloud email, apps like Reddit, Pinterest, and X. All plans include app, browser, and email monitoring and work on an unlimited number of devices.

Pricing: The Bark Phone plan starts at $29/month, or you can get the Bark App without devices for $14/month. There's also the Bark Home plan, solely for screen time management and website filtering, for $6/month or a $79 one-time payment.

Platform limitations (Android vs iOS): on iOS devices, Bark does not monitor Discord, TikTok, and Snapchat. Browser support on Windows is also limited to Chrome and Edge.

If you want to examine Bark’s features in greater depth, check out our comprehensive Bark review.

4. Norton Family – best for school time control

Price:	$49.99/year
Platforms:	Windows, Android, and iOS
Blocking:	Yes, on Android and Windows
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	Yes

Visit Norton Family

Who it's best for: Norton Parental Control is best if you homeschool your children or if they are easily distracted in a classroom. Keep in mind that Norton is one of the biggest cybersecurity brands, and you can expect robust benefits.

Key features: School Time is Norton's standout feature. I found its dashboard rich with data, like app time statistics, what your kids browse, including blocked apps and web searches. You can also restrict access solely to educational websites and track kids' location. Norton also partnered with the National PTA to create a free Smart Talk website that helps parents introduce children to the complexities of internet technologies.

Pricing: Norton Family costs $49.99, and it does not have a renewal price increase. It also has a 30-day free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Platform limitations (Android vs iOS): The most crucial limitation is that Norton Family is unavailable on macOS devices. If your children use a MacBook, check our other best parental control apps like Qustodio that support it.

If you want to dig deeper, visit our complete review of Norton Family and its features.

5. FamiSafe – best for tracking child’s location and movement

Price:	$59.99/year
Platforms:	Android, iOS, Kindle, Windows, macOS, Chromebook
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	Yes

Who it's best for: FamiSafe is your top choice if your child just got the driving learners permit. This parental control tool is overall packed with features, but elaborate driving reports make it stand out.

Key features: FamiSafe driving reports include total distance, top drive speed, high breaking situations, and store up to three weeks of driving logs. It also supports a one-way audio stream so you can hear the vehicle's environment. It scans social media, call, and message history updates every hour, which I find an all-encompassing approach to parental controls.

Pricing: The basic plan costs $59.99, going up to $79.99 for Premium. FamiSafe also offers a lifetime plan for $159.99, but the free trial is only 3 days with a 7-day money-back guarantee.

Platform limitations (Android vs iOS): On iOS, FamiSafe does not support one-way audio streams and does not take child environment screenshots. Although it monitors driving just as efficiently on iPhones, the Android app offers a wide range of parental controls, like hidden app detection.

6. Google Family Link – free parental control for Androids

Price:	Free
Platforms:	Android and ChromeOS
Blocking:	No
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	No

Who it's best for: Google Family Link is a free parental controls tool. It works best within the Google ecosystem, but is also available on iOS, although with a highly limited version.

Key features: This app offers screen time management, app control, search engine result filter, location tracking, and informs of kids device remaining battery. Apart from the last feature, it's a standard setup that's free, and I easily set it up on Android within 10 minutes.

Pricing: You can get it on the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store completely free. There are also no paid or expanded versions.

Platform limitations (Android vs iOS): This app works best and should only be used if your children use Android devices. If they have Apple iOS smartphones, most features will be inoperable due to Apple's strict application permission policies.

7. Microsoft Family Safety – best for monitoring gaming devices

Price:	Free
Platforms:	Windows, Xbox, Android, and iOS
Blocking:	Yes, on Microsoft Edge and Bing
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	No

Who it's best for: Microsoft Family Safety is free and a good choice if your children use Windows devices. It lets you set Xbox device limits, controlling screen time or blocking apps like Roblox, but it cannot read conversations.

Key features: This tool packs essential parental control features. You can set screen time and app limits, block harmful websites, but only on the Bing search engine. If your kids use the Windows Store, you can see what they're downloading. You also get internet activity summaries.

Pricing: Microsoft Family Safety is completely free. You can upgrade to the paid Microsoft 365 Family plan for $129.99/year, but I couldn't verify what exact parental control features it adds.

Platform limitations (Android vs iOS): This app works best when used on Windows devices and within its ecosystem. If your kids use Microsoft Edge and the Bing search engine, you have more control over these platforms. Otherwise, app functionality on iOS or Chrome browser is limited.

How we test parental control apps

To provide you with the best solution, I worked with my colleagues in the Cybernews research team to simulate and test as many scenarios as possible. Of course, I also followed the testing methodology for parental control apps. So, let me guide you through the process:

• Core features effectiveness (35%). Then, I always check several core features necessary to track a child’s online activities. These include location tracking, monitoring web searches and app activity, limiting screen time and internet access, and restricting various inappropriate content.
• Real-world usability (30%). First, I mimic real-world use cases to test the effectiveness of parental controls. In this case, I use the parent’s and child’s devices (mobile or desktop). To do this, I installed the apps on iOS 18 and Windows 10 Pro devices. I use the parent’s device (iOS 18) to monitor the child’s online activities, restrict screen time, filter out content, and check for alerts. Meanwhile, the child’s device (Windows 10 Pro) must have parental controls installed and simulate regular internet browsing.
• Resistance to bypassing methods (20%). Last but not least, I test whether children can bypass the parental control apps. I try to circumvent the limits by uninstalling the app, using a VPN, searching on different browsers, restarting the device, GPS spoofing, changing the DNS address, disabling the internet and GPS on the child’s device, and accessing websites using proxy-like tools.
• Devices and OS compatibility (15%). I also always evaluate the supported devices and operating systems and check if all of the features are available on all of them.

How to choose the best parental control app for your family

Monitoring adolescents and younger children can be complex as they develop and assert more independence than younger children. Your teens and tweens likely don’t want you to oversee and control their online activities. This means there is a balance to strike between trust and control features.

Many apps will help you monitor your kids’ devices through their basic features, like screen-time limits and app blocker options. However, there are more advanced features, like geofencing and location tracking.

I’ll help you choose the best parental control app based on your children's ages and your preferences. So, let’s see how to select a parental control app that will provide your kid with a balance of safety and freedom:

• Range of parental controls. You must ensure the app covers all your areas of concern, such as content filtering, screen time restrictions, location monitoring, geofencing, and monitoring online activities. Also, make sure it supports multiple children monitoring if you're a large family. I recommend Aura, Qustodio, or Norton Family for large households.
• Filtering tools. Look for advanced filtering and content-blocking capabilities. This functionality will help prevent access to adult content, explicit lyrics, and communication with strangers or people you don't know. Consider getting Bark, which blocks over 30+ social networks, emails, and apps.
• Ability to set time limits. Consider choosing an app that allows you to set intuitive and customizable time limits for device usage. This way, you can adapt the parental restrictions to your kid’s schedule.
• Ability to track location and monitor online activities. Features like geofencing and location tracking ensure your child’s safety and enable quick response to unexpected situations.
• Ease of use. Always select an app with an intuitive user interface, clear explanations of features, and a straightforward setup process.
• Pricing. If you require advanced AI-powered monitoring, opt for paid services that detect cyberbullying (Aura) or update kids' location in 90 seconds intervals (Qustodio). However, for the basics like screen time control or web filtering, you can use free services from Google or Microsoft.
• Cross-platform compatibility. Ideally, choose an app that works seamlessly across all devices you and your child use, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, gaming systems, and smart TVs.

Free vs paid parental control apps

You can find many paid and free parental control apps on the market. Therefore, you need to know which one to choose. So, I’ve got your back. The most crucial difference between a free and paid app to control kids’ phones is in the functionalities.

That said, free versions of parental control apps usually offer basic features. These include necessary options, such as web filtering and screen time limits. For example, while Google Family Link has these functionalities, it doesn’t offer geo-tracking or web blocking.

On the other hand, paid parental control apps have a lot more functionalities, allowing you to protect your kids at a deeper level. Some of the features you’ll enjoy with these apps are social media monitoring and detailed activity reports.

Many apps, like Aura Parental Control, even implement AI-powered insights, recommendations, and alerts. Therefore, they offer more comprehensive protection for your children and teenagers.

Setting up and using parental control apps

Setting up the best parental control app is typically easy, but you must follow instructions carefully for it to work to the fullest. Make sure you grant the app the required permissions to access the child's online activities, monitor installed apps, and track device location.

Installation and device pairing

You must install separate parental lock apps on multiple devices. Firstly, you install the parent app on your device. You will have to create an account, specify parents, and add child members. Proceed with installing the child version of the app on your children's device(s).

After a successful setup, you must link both apps through device pairing. Typically, it happens via QR code, but it may also ask for a pairing token from the parent app, which is a generated code.

Keep in mind that the child app differs significantly for Android and iOS. Android allows system-level controls, and the parent app can practically take over the child's device. Meanwhile, due to software sandboxing, child apps on iOS have much more limited capabilities. For example, they cannot control or turn off the microphone.

Granting permissions and device access

Parental control apps are, at the core, surveillance apps, so they must have access rights to data. Depending on your chosen app, you may be asked to share the following:

• Device usage access, including app usage
• Location data for movement tracking
• Allow reading the screen to identify harmful content
• Device administrator rights to prevent app delete
• Allow displaying notifications for parents and children

If you deny some permissions, then the related features will not work. I also advise excluding such apps from battery optimization on Android, because it may occasionally terminate the app, posing a safety risk.

Child profiles and rule configuration

After setting it up and granting permissions, link specific devices to child profiles. This way, you can have different internet access rights for younger and older siblings.

On most occasions, you will set up different screen time limits, app blocks, web content filters, and downtime schedules. Keep in mind that many freemium parental control apps may restrict separate profile management.

Testing enforcement and restrictions

These are safety apps, so test them before handing the device to your children. Try accessing blocked apps or restricted websites to test how well the blocking works. Also, you can set a minute game time limit to verify that the app indeed turns off the game after a selected period.

Try uninstalling the app. The best parental control apps should be impossible to remove without parent permission. Check whether it asks for a parent PIN code or another kind of removal permission. Lastly, see how well it captures location by monitoring the child device movement on the parent app.

Monitoring activity and adjusting settings

I don't recommend considering these as set-and-forget apps. Spend time once every other week reviewing the child's online activities. Even though these apps issue alerts if they notice anything dubious, you may still find something surprising, like new Google search terms or an unknown conversation.

Typically, you will get app usage, browsing time, and blocked attempt reports. Modify the limits and set new filters based on this data.

Parental control apps by use case

Different parental control apps focus on different platforms, devices, and use cases. Here's a breakdown of how to choose the best one.

Best parental control apps for Android

Aura is the best overall parental control app and works very well with Android devices. Alternatively, you can use the Google Family Link, which offers core parental control features for free.

Best parental control apps for iPhone

I recommend Qustodio for iPhone monitoring. It has the best app for macOS and iOS devices, which are typically limited due to Apple's strict policies.

Best parental control apps for teens

Norton Family is excellent if you have teens. Its School Time feature restricts internet access to only educational material and helps teens focus in the classroom.

Best parental control apps for younger kids

For younger kids, check out Bark. It offers a secure smartphone with built-in parental controls, which can be your youngsters' first smartphone.

Common parental control mistakes to avoid

Nourishing kids' independence is crucial, and too much control can have a negative effect. Here's what to look out for to avoid common mistakes:

• Overblocking: restricting access too much will likely create tensions for curious teens. Also, you risk blocking access to otherwise useful or just fun and harmless content.
• Ignoring permissions: pay close attention to what the app asks for. You must grant it permissions to monitor your child's device, online activities, and track location.
• Not updating rules: as your children grow, they should have more online independence. Form a habit of reevaluating their access rights the older they get.
• Relying on apps alone: parental controls are just about education, and no app guarantees 100% safety. Spend time explaining to kids why screen time control is essential and the dangers of cyberbullying and grooming as they grow older.

Privacy, data collection, and safety considerations

Privacy issues are an unavoidable setback for parental control apps, as they must have access to a lot of personal data. The best parental control apps must encrypt stored information, typically in secured cloud servers.

You can also limit shared data. For example, if you don't need location tracking, do not allow the app to access it. You can also deny access to social media or search engine results if you trust your kids with that.

Parental control app alternatives

If you're more of a DIY tech-savvy parent, you can achieve some parental control features without relying on apps.

Firstly, check the built-in device controls. Apple's devices have built-in screen time management settings. Google also has safe search options that block harmful content to minors, like adult websites.

You can also configure strict router-level controls. Some ASUS routers support category-level blocking, like denying access to gambling sites. Some TP-Link routers allow screen time management, but you have to check your router's manual to know for sure.

However, if you need in-depth internet usage reports, you will have to subscribe to a paid parental control app. For example, apps like Aura and Qustodio can identify cyberbullying, which free apps or router-based controls cannot do.

Video review

If you want to discover the best parental control apps for 2026 and see the top 3 picks in action, check out the full video below.

Final verdict – which parental control app should you choose?

We covered paid and free parental control apps across multiple platforms so that you can choose according to your needs.

If you need all-in-one protection that's robust across all platforms and devices, opt for Aura. However, Qustodio has an excellent location tracking policy, and it is also available on macOS, so pick it if your children use MacBooks. If you also need a secure smartphone with your plan, then Bark is the only provider that offers it.

Google Family Link and Microsoft Family Safety are free, but restricted to Google and Microsoft ecosystems, respectively. And don't forget that educational tips you give to your children are invaluable and should accompany parental control apps.

FAQ