The Most Suitable Phone Monitoring App for Parents in 2025

Internet and device usage has become a major part of our children’s lives. While these have numerous benefits, they have raised parents’ concerns regarding online safety.

Kids are undoubtedly exposed to various risks while using a phone that need to be prevented using the right tools, such as a phone monitoring app for parents.

Part 1: What Does A Phone Monitoring App Offer for Parents?

A phone monitoring app is a tool designed for monitoring and tracking activities on any mobile device. It is a great way for parents to stay informed regarding all that is happening on their kids’ phones without actually accessing them physically.

These apps run discreetly in the background and collect all data while the user goes about their daily routine.

A phone monitoring app has much to offer parents, such as location tracking, recording call logs, monitoring app usage or text messages, and much more. They provide detailed and quick insight into the child’s phone’s activity, ensuring that parents are able to keep an eye on all that is happening on it without invading their privacy.

Part 2: What are The Key Things Parents Need to Consider When Choosing a Phone Monitoring App? 

As a parent, when you embark on the quest of finding the right phone monitoring app for your child’s device, there are certain features that need to be prioritized.

• Comprehensive Data Filtering – Is the app able to block inappropriate content, such as apps, websites, and videos on the basis of age-appropriate categories?
• Tracking Location – Does the app offer real-time location updates to help you know where your child is?
• Detailed App Monitoring – You should be able to see the details of all the apps being used by your child and for how long they are using them.
• Restrictions for Screen Time – The app should be able to set time restrictions for overall phone usage or certain apps.
• Alert Systems – A good phone monitoring app will send notifications to parents as soon as it suspects suspicious activity, such as attempts at accessing blocked content or location changes.

Part 3: Why Is It Important to Depend on a Phone Monitoring App for Parents? 

Let us all face the difficult truth: we, as parents, cannot be with our children physically 24/7, hovering over their devices to keep a check on them. It is an even more difficult thing to do if your child is a teenager who demands their own space, and any kind of parental supervision is looked at as an invasion of privacy.

Phone monitoring apps for parents come to the rescue in such situations, letting them track their children’s phone activities from the comfort of their homes. Your child can be anywhere in the city or even the country, and you will still know what they are up to at all times.

Part 4: The 10 Most Recommended Phone Monitoring Apps for Parents 

There are several phone monitoring apps available. Here are our top 10 recommendations for parents to choose from.

4.1 SafeMyKid Phone Monitoring App for Parents

The best free phone monitoring app for parents is the SafeMyKid service.

Sign Up Free View Demo

Features to Recommend

• Text Message Monitoring – Monitor text messages being received and sent on your child’s phone discreetly
• WhatsApp Tracking – Keeps track of WhatsApp contacts and chats
• Website and App Blocker – This lets you limit specific websites and inappropriate apps on the child’s phone remotely
• Facebook Tracking – Monitors Facebook activities smoothly
• GPS Location Tracker – Tracks real-time GPS location
• LINE Tracking – Helps view all Line messages conveniently
• Geofencing – Sets safe zones for your kids, ensuring that they don’t cross boundaries

Advantages to Highlight:

Disadvantages to Avoid:

Cost

• Basic 1 month plan for one device ($39.99/m)
• Premium 12-month plan for one device ($9.99/m)
• Family 1-month plan for up to 5 devices ($79.99/m)

Overall Rating

10/10

4.2 Kaspersky

Features to Recommend

• Covers basic content monitoring, such as recent websites visited, recent search queries, and how much time was spent on each application.
• Detects all installed apps on the phone, blocks and sets time limits for each of them
• Allows restricting web browser activities
• Allows location tracking and geo-fencing

Advantages to Highlight:

Disadvantages to Avoid:

Cost

• Basic plan ($18.99/y) – Unlimited number of devices and child profiles
• Premium plan ($59.99/y) – Combines parental control app with its antivirus software

Overall Rating

9/10

4.3 Bark

Features to Recommend

• Provides monitoring for 30 online activities, including Instagram, texts, YouTube, and other social media accounts
• Sends alerts to parents in case of a potential threat event
• Can set limitations on children’s phone usage time
• Location sharing to keep tabs on where the child is

Advantages to Highlight:

Disadvantages to Avoid:

Cost

• Parental Controls Junior ($5/m)
• Parental Controls Premium ($14/m)

Overall Rating

8/10

4.4 Boomerang

Features to Recommend

• Check detailed text logs on the child’s Android phone
• Customization of keyword detection so that the parents can be notified whenever inappropriate words are used
• Notifications for the detection of unknown numbers
• Set screen time limits for the device
• Extend time and time-out options in parent mode

Advantages to Highlight:

Disadvantages to Avoid:

Cost

• Single-device license ($15.99/y)
• Family plan for 10 devices ($30.99/y)

Overall Rating

8/10

4.5 FamilyTime

Features to Recommend

• One-touch content filter for blocking games and explicit apps
• Provides alerts if your child’s device is low on battery
• Block sensitive or age-inappropriate websites
• Get instantly alerted when a contact on the watch list reaches out to your child
• Receive panic alerts from your child if they require help

Advantages to Highlight:

Disadvantages to Avoid:

Cost

• One license ($27/y)
• Two licenses ($35/y)
• Five licenses ($69/y)

Overall Rating

8/10

4.6 MMGuardian

Features to Recommend

• Allows viewing and monitoring of your child’s messages on their phone
• Send child safety alerts when it detects bullying, grooming, suicide ideation or drugs
• Monitor and control child’s app usage by setting time limits on the social media apps
• Track your child’s location easily

Advantages to Highlight:

Disadvantages to Avoid:

Cost

• Single smartphone - $4/m to $80 for a five-year subscription
• Family Android phone plan – Coverage for up to 5 devices costing $8 monthly, $70 a year, or $150 for a five-year plan

Overall Rating

7/10

4.7 Canopy

Features to Recommend

• Smart filtering for content
• Website and app blockage
• Removal prevention
• Alerts for location
• Prevention of sexting
• Email and phone support
• Management for screen time
• Compatibility with different operating systems

Advantages to Highlight:

Disadvantages to Avoid:

Cost

• Individual plan for up to 3 devices at $95.90/y
• Duo plan for up to 5 devices at $107.90/yr
• Family plan for up to 10 devices at $119.90/yr

Overall Rating

7/10

4.8 Aura

Features to Recommend

• The app allows for customization of all that your children can view online by restricting or limiting access to specific games, apps, and websites.
• Content filtering for whatever hasn’t been designed for children, such as mature and explicit material, social media, dating, gambling, and online shopping.
• Allows for setting of screen time limits
• Notifications in case of any breaches
• Monitors if your child accesses the Dark Web

Advantages to Highlight:

Disadvantages to Avoid:

Cost

• Between $8.25-$20.00 per month.
• The standard plan costs $8.25/m with unlimited coverage of a number of children with an antivirus program.

Overall Rating

8/10

4.9 Qustodio

Features to Recommend

• Creates a safe space for your kids by filtering apps and content and blocking inappropriate games, apps, and websites
• Allows parents to be fully involved in their children’s digital lives by viewing their activity timeline, YouTube, browsing history, screen time, and much more.
• Setting routines and time limits by the app allows for prevention of screen addiction so that healthy sleep patterns can be maintained
• Detect any suspicious calls and text messages being received by your child and block phone numbers
• Receive weekly and daily reports of all that your child is doing online

Advantages to Highlight:

Cost

• 30 day of free trial
• Qustodio basic at $54.95/y
• Qustodio complete plan $99.95/y

Overall Rating

8/10

4.10 Kids360

Features to Recommend

• Management of child’s screen time to build healthy habits with interesting tasks
• Setting time limits
• Setting blocks for study and sleep time
• Shows usage statistics

Advantages to Highlight:

Disadvantages to Avoid:

Cost

• A free trial is available for evaluation
• 12-month subscription at $70.99
• Family safety at an additional $7.99

Overall Rating

6/10

Part 5: A Clear Comparative Analysis of The 10 Phone Monitoring Apps for Parents 

Comparing all of the above 10 apps gave us important insights into the realm of phone monitoring apps. The best phone monitoring app for parents is difficult to choose. All the apps have their own advanced and a variety of features. They all offer different levels of functionalities that help in parental control over your children’s phones.

However, even with all their functionalities and features, many apps have several limitations that may give parents an incomplete parental supervision opportunity. In such circumstances, it is best to opt for the one that offers the maximum number of features with full functionality, such as SafeMyKid solutions.

Part 6: Steps on How to Use The Best Phone Monitoring App for Parents 

SafeMyKid offers the simplest installation steps to enable the service on the child’s phone without them knowing. For iOS monitoring, there is no requirement to set up any app. Though app installation is needed for Android tracking, it is easy and stealthy.

Follow the steps below:

Monitor Kid’s Android Phone

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Step 1. Create a Free Account

Go to the official SafeMyKid website and tap the Sign Up Free button to create a new account. Just enter your valid email address.

Step 2. Set Up The SafeMyKid App

Apply the onscreen guidelines to set up the SafeMyKid app on your child’s Android phone or tablet.

Step 3. Monitor Your Child’s Android Device

Open the online dashboard and select any feature to monitor their activities on the Android device.

Monitor Kid’s iPhone

Sign Up Free View Demo

Step 1. Create Your SafeMyKid Account

Open the SafeMyKid’s official website and press Sign Up Free. Next, enter your email address to set up a new account.

Step 2. Enter The Child’s iCloud Account Details

Share your child’s Apple ID email and password to verify their iOS device.

Step 3. Monitor Your Child’s iPhone Remotely

Go to SafeMyKid’s online control panel and select any feature to monitor your kid’s iPhone activities remotely.

Part 7: FAQs about Phone Monitoring for Parents

Here are some of the most frequently asked queries regarding the best free phone monitoring app for parents asked by people who wish to monitor their kids’ phones.

7.1 Is there an app where I can see everything on my child's phone?

Yes, SafeMyKid is one app that offers detailed activity tracking of your child’s phone. It allows for complete supervision of all the activities that your child is conducting on their phone.

7.2 Can parents monitor a kid's phone without his knowing?

There aren’t many phone monitoring apps that offer discreet supervision. SafeMyKid is one app where parents can monitor their kids’ phones and other devices discreetly without ever letting them know or invading their privacy.

7.3 Which is better, Bark or Aura?

Bark and Aura both offer quite similar features. However, Bark may come off as a better alternative as it offers a free one-week trial, which Aura doesn’t.

7.4 How to parental control your child's phone?

Use a reliable and reputed cell phone monitoring app for parents to have the best parental control over their child’s phone. One of the top apps is SafeMyKid.

Conclusion

Phone monitoring apps for parents offer invaluable tools to help parents effectively supervise their children’s online activities. By utilizing these tools in a responsible way, parents can ensure the safety of their kids in the digital world.