Best parental control apps for teenagers in 2025

The best parental control app for teenagers allows parents to seamlessly integrate child safety into their daily routine. A good parental monitoring app can help prevent excessive screen time, flag inappropriate content, regulate social media usage, and detect and prevent cyberbullying.

Together with the Cybernews team of experts, I reviewed top parental control apps on the market to study how well they enforce digital safety for teens. Keep reading to see my top 8 parental control apps in 2025.

Top parental control apps for a teenager - shortlist

1. Aura parental control – best overall parental control app for teenagers
2. Qustodio – cross-platform teen monitoring app
3. Norton Family – top parental control app for Windows and Android
4. Bark – best social media monitoring app for teens
5. mSpy – parental control app with keylogger and screen recorder
6. SpyX – discreet parental control mobile app
7. uMobix – sufficient parental control app for teens
8. Eyezy – most user-friendly parental control app

Key features to look for in a parental control app for teenagers

Choosing the best app for monitoring teenagers means finding one with all the key features you need. Some families may only need a screen time control app, while others require advanced features like social media monitoring. Below are some of the features of parental control apps you should look out for:

• App and website filtering. This feature lets you choose which apps and websites can be used by your teen, banning dangerous and inappropriate content.
• Screen time management. Parental control apps allow you to monitor screen time and set daily time limits for each app. For instance, you can enable education apps to be used freely but limit social media apps to only 1 hour per day.
• Location tracking and geofencing. This keeps you updated on your teen’s location as they go about their day.
• Call and text monitoring. Teen monitoring apps can screen calls and texts for inappropriate content.
• Social media supervision. These apps enable you to monitor social media activities across different platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and more.
• Real-time alerts and reports. Get notified if your teen tries to access restricted content or if they request more time on certain apps.

Top parental control apps for teenagers compared

For an overview of all the parental control apps on this list, refer to the table below. Overall, Aura is the best parental control app for teens, with Qustodio being a close second.

Feature	Starting price	Free trial	Supported platforms	Screen time management	App blocking and management	Web filtering	Activity monitoring	Location tracking and geofencing	Social media monitoring	Remote access
Aura	$10/month	14 days	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Qustodio	$4.58/month	3 days	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Kindle	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Norton	$49.99/year	7 days	Windows, Android, iOS	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
Bark	$5/month	7 days	Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, Chromebook	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
mSpy	$11.66/month	❌ No	Android, iOS	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
SpyX	$11.66/month	❌ No	Android, iOS	❌ No	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
Umobix	$12.49/month	❌ No	Android, iOS	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Eyezy	$7.99/month	❌ No	Android, iOS	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Best parental control apps for teenagers – detailed list

Find the best parental control app for your family by reading my detailed review below.

1. Aura parental control – best overall parental control app for teenagers

Starting price:	$13/month
Platforms:	Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	No

Visit Aura Parental Control

Aura provides a diverse set of monitoring tools in an easy-to-use package. While reviewing Aura, I enjoyed the customizability of its content filtering, which allowed me to restrict apps and websites based on age and over 25 categories (e.g. gaming, shopping, dating, and more). I could also easily monitor screen time and set daily time limits per app.

If your teen likes to play online games, you’ll enjoy Aura’s Safe Gaming feature. Aura scans all gaming-related communications and alerts you via email if it flags any cyberbullies or predators. Safe Gaming covers over 200 games, including Fortnite, Apex Legends, Overwatch, Roblox, and Minecraft.

Unfortunately, Aura doesn’t yet offer location tracking. While this may not be a deal-breaker for some families, I still wish Aura would add this feature to its roster for a complete suite.

2. Qustodio – cross-platform teen monitoring app

Starting price:	$4.58/month
Platforms:	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Kindle
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	Yes

Visit Qustodio

Qustodio is a powerful parental control app with a free version to test the app before committing to a purchase. Cybernews’ in-depth Qustodio review showed that it has all must-have features, from web and app filtering to screen time management, location tracking, and activity reports.

The unique Routines feature lets you schedule different rules for different times of the day. For example, you can enable the preset routine “Study” during the daytime, allowing your teens to use only educational websites. All other apps and sites get blocked. The “Entertainment” routine, on the other hand, allows all apps to be used, which I recommend you schedule for a few hours after homework time. Routines are especially useful for families who want to automate their parental control and foster healthy tech use habits.

Qustodio’s Panic Button allows your teen to click an SOS button if they’re lost or in danger. Qustodio will then instantly send you an alert, which includes your teen’s location. You can also set up to four trusted contacts so your child always has someone they can call.

The only downside I found about Qustodio is that tech-savvy teens can use a VPN to try and bypass the app’s web filtering. This is especially true on iOS, macOS, and Windows devices.

3. Norton Family – best parental control app for Windows and Android

Starting price:	$49.99/year
Platforms:	Windows, Android, and iOS
Blocking:	Yes (Android and Windows only)
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	Yes

Visit Norton

You may already know Norton as a leading antivirus company. It takes security even further with Norton Family, which lets you monitor your teen’s location, web and app activity, search history, and YouTube activity. My Norton deep dive found the service a reliable parental control app for families that use Windows and Android.

Norton’s Search Supervision feature lets you monitor your teen’s search activity on popular search engines like Google, Bing, YouTube, and Yahoo. You can also enable search filters to prevent explicit content from appearing in your teen’s search results.

My favorite feature from Norton, however, is its Video Supervision. This lets you monitor which YouTube videos your teens watch, helping you ensure they only view appropriate content. While you can’t block videos using Norton, you can see video titles and track video consumption.

Unfortunately, Norton doesn’t have social media monitoring. For this reason, I find that it isn’t as well-rounded as I’d like a full-suite parental control app to be.

4. Bark – best social media monitoring app for teens

Starting price:	$14/month
Platforms:	Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, and Chromebook
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	Yes
Location tracking:	Yes

Visit Bark

When it comes to comprehensive social media monitoring, Bark is a popular choice. Cybernews’ Bark review covers how the app can monitor 30+ apps and flag cyberbullying, depression, and drug use.

Bark monitors texts, web browsing, photos and videos, and various social media apps on unlimited devices. This means you can use one subscription for the whole family, perfect if you have multiple teenagers.

Uniquely, you can monitor productivity apps like ChatGPT, Gmail, Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. You can also use Bark for social media sites like Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Reddit. Media apps like Spotify and Steam can also be monitored.

This extensive monitoring list makes Bark my top choice for parents whose primary goal is to ensure their kids only see age-appropriate content. However, Bark is only available in the US, Australia, and South Africa.

5. mSpy – parental control app with keylogger and screen recorder

Starting price:	$11.66/month
Platforms:	Android and iOS
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	No
Location tracking:	Yes

Visit mSpy

mSpy lets you ensure your teen’s safety with features like location tracking, call and text monitoring, and social media monitoring. However, while reviewing mSpy, I flagged that your teen may see it as invasive if you use its keylogger and screen recorder.

The Keylogger feature allows you to see every keystroke your teen makes, whether they’re texting a friend or typing up a research paper. Not many parental control apps offer this feature, and for a good reason: it can be too invasive. However, there are use cases where strict monitoring is recommended, for example, if your teen is suffering from depression. In these niche cases, mSpy may be a good option.

mSpy also has a Screen Recorder, which captures your teen’s phone screens at regular intervals and sends them to your mSpy control panel. You can also use its Call Recorder, though I advise reading up on local laws first – some areas have legislation against recording calls, even if it’s your child.

6. SpyX – discreet parental control mobile app

Starting price:	$11.66/month
Platforms:	Android and iOS
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	No
Location tracking:	Yes

Visit SpyX

SpyX is a discreet parental control app for Android and iOS devices. While reviewing SpyX, I found that you only need your teen’s iCloud credentials (iOS) or Google Account details (Android) to monitor their activity. SpyX utilizes a unique Google Cloud solution designed to operate invisibly so your teen doesn’t have to know they’re being monitored.

Like most other apps on this list, SpyX monitors social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat, Telegram, and Skype. I found that it also effectively monitors incoming and outgoing calls. For further protection, set up keyword alerts so SpyX can flag text messages with inappropriate or harmful content.

I also recommend using SpyX’s GPS location tracking and web history monitoring. All features can be remotely controlled from the SpyX dashboard, so you don’t need to always have your teen’s phone on hand to make changes.

7. uMobix – sufficient parental control app for teens

Starting price:	$12.49/month
Platforms:	Android and iOS
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	No
Location tracking:	Yes

Visit uMobix

uMobix is a relatively new parental control app that I found has enough features for most use cases. If you check my uMobix review, you’ll find it has no standout features compared to other apps. On the plus side, it does its job well enough and is a reliable mid-range solution. You can use uMobix for call and text monitoring, social media monitoring, GPS location tracking, browser history monitoring, and keylogging.

One notable feature of uMobix is its capability for multiple parent devices, so you and your partner can both monitor your teen at the same time. However, you can only monitor one child device per subscription, which can rack up costs if you have a large household.

Your teens can also bypass uMobix by using a VPN, disabling GPS and Wi-Fi, or changing their device’s DNS settings. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend uMobix if your teens are fairly tech-savvy.

8. Eyezy – user-friendly parental control app

Starting price:	$38.39/month
Platforms:	Android and iOS
Blocking:	Yes
Screen time limiting:	No
Location tracking:	Yes

Visit Eyezy

Eyezy is a parental control app with a user-friendly dashboard and advanced features like screen recording, keystroke capturing, and text message filtering. However, upon reviewing Eyezy, I was disappointed that it doesn’t have screen time management, which I feel should be standard for any parental control app.

When reviewing Eyezy, I noticed monitoring features for only 10 apps (including WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat), which makes it a poor competitor to apps like Bark, which can monitor over 30. The call monitoring feature also feels bare-bones, as I couldn’t block unwanted calls on the target device.

I also found that the dashboard doesn’t always get updated immediately when there is app activity on the target device. What’s more, the GPS alert system could take up to 15 minutes to send an email notification. This makes me hesitant to recommend this app as a go-to solution for your teen’s safety, as a lot can happen in 15 minutes.

How I tested and selected these parental control apps

When selecting the best parental monitoring solutions for your teenagers, I collaborated with the Cybernews research team and shortlisted top apps using the following process:

1. Global access (15%). First, I made a list of all the parental control apps available to multiple audiences worldwide.
2. Features (25%). Next, I shortlisted apps based on their list of features. Specifically, I chose apps that had most, if not all, of these key features: location tracking, content filtering, web and app activity monitoring, screen time management, and social media management.
3. Performance (25%). Next, I evaluated how well these apps performed. For instance, the app should accurately depict the child's device’s location. I also checked if the content filters were effective at blocking inappropriate and harmful content.
4. Bypasses (35%). Next, we evaluated how easily your teen can bypass these parental control apps. We reviewed the following common methods: uninstalling the app, using a VPN, using different browsers, using proxies and changing DNS addresses, GPS spoofing, and disabling the internet.

Here's more detail on how we test parental control apps.

How to choose the right parental control app for your teen

The decision of how to select a parental control app largely depends on your family’s specific needs. Here are considerations to factor into your decision:

• Age. Monitoring levels depend on age. For example, a 13-year-old may require stricter supervision than a 17-year-old. If you have teenagers of different ages, pick an app that offers great customizability and covers multiple devices, such as Aura.
• Device compatibility. Some apps only work on Android, while some only work on iPhone. Check your chosen parental control app’s device compatibility before subscribing to a plan.
• Level of control. Apps like Aura, Qustodio, Norton, and Bark provide comprehensive monitoring for most use cases. However, teens at risk may require even stricter supervision. Opt for mSpy if you need advanced features like a keylogger.
• Pricing. For consistent supervision, choose an app that’s well within your budget. Qustodio, Bark, and Eyezy stand out as affordable options, with Qustodio being the best free parental control app.
• Privacy. Avoid apps that collect unnecessary personal data. Unfortunately, uMobix allows excessive data collection and sharing.
• User-friendliness. I always advise picking an app that is easy to install and use so you can focus on more important tasks like setting up content filters and daily limits.
• Resistance to bypassing. Ultimately, using parental controls for teens requires cooperation between parent and child. If your teen doesn’t want to be monitored, they’ll try and find a way to bypass restrictions. In these cases, go for apps that aren’t vulnerable to tampering. Eyezy, for instance, can easily be bypassed, so I wouldn’t recommend it.

Conclusion

Choosing the best parental control app for teenagers is essential for ensuring safe internet use. Apps like Aura, Qustodio, Norton Family, Bark, and mSpy offer various features to meet different needs.

Aura is my top pick due to its customizable content filtering and unique Safe Gaming feature. It’s also one of the less invasive apps on this list, ideal for teenagers who want to explore their independence while staying safe.

Make sure you have open discussions with your teens about digital safety. Remember that cooperation is necessary to ensure a safe internet for teens. Explain why you feel the need for parental monitoring so they don’t resort to trying to bypass content and app restrictions.

Since no app offers a one-size-fits-all solution, consider factors like your teen's age, your device’s compatibility, and the level of supervision you want. Whether you want to focus on limiting screen time, monitoring social media, or keeping track of their locations, make sure your choice of parental control app is tailored to your family’s needs.

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