5 MUST-HAVE PARENTAL MONITORING APPS FOR SMART & SECURE PARENTING

We live in the smart era that calls for smart parenting. The worries of parents today are different than what they used to be. Today, you don’t give your kid a toy when they cry; you hand over a tablet or a smartphone to divert their attention and that’s how they grow up, using technology.

Since everything is influenced by technology, we cannot imagine surviving without a smartphone and an internet connection. After all, it is a great way to keep in touch with your kids when they are at school or away from you.

Parents need to use some controls to measure how much smartphones their kids use and what type of media they see and to what extent. As you teach your child to lock all the doors when they are home alone, you also have to teach them how to use their devices right. But that’s not all.

Parents must also monitor what they do with their devices, and thankfully, for that, parental monitoring apps are available. These apps also let you control how your kids use technology and instill healthy technological habits that will help them use their devices moderately without putting their mental health at stake.

So let’s have a look at the top 5 parental monitoring apps that all parents would consider a blessing:

1. Xnspy

Xnspy is the most affordable and reliable solution for monitoring and controlling how your kids use their smartphone as well as the internet. The app offers a combination of basic and advanced monitoring features. It comes in two versions: Basic and Premium. The starting price of this mobile monitoring software for parents is $8.33 a month for the Basic Version and $12.49 for Premium Version.

Here are some of its features that can aid you in providing a safe digital environment to your kids:

· You can monitor call logs on your kid’s phone, listen to their phone calls and even surroundings.

· You can read all the sent and received text messages.

· You can track the real-time location, location history and add geofencing.

· It supports complete social media monitoring by letting you read chats and access multimedia of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessages, Viber, Line, Skype, etc.

· You can view the list of apps installed on the phone and block them.

· You can access the phone’s calendar, notes, photos, and videos.

· You can monitor the web browsing history, check bookmarks, and even view emails.

· Its keylogger lets you check the type messages on WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Skype.

· You can apply remote control features like app blocking, live remote screenshots, remote device locking, and remote data wipe.

Xnspy is compatible with all Android and iPhone. It’s an affordable monitoring solution for parents who are concerned about who their kids interact with on social media, what kind of places they hang out at, and how much technology they use.

2. Spyzie

Here is another mobile monitoring and tracking solution for parents. It offers you a piece of mind since you are always informed of what your kid is up to. You will know where they are, what they are doing, how they are connected and you will hence know how to protect them. Its Ultimate Edition costs $39.99 a month and Premium Edition costs $29.99 a month.

Have a look at some of the features of Spyzie:

· View call history and analyze the call logs

· Read sent and received text messages

· Track GPS location to figure out the current location of the phone

· Browse contacts, access phone’s calendar, view photos and read notes

· Check the internet browsing history

· View the apps installed on the target phone

· Monitor Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, Line and other instant messenger apps

Spyzie has some nice parental control features. You can block apps that you think are not appropriate for your kids. You can also set a schedule to restrict the mobile phone usage. Then they have the Geo-fencing feature that sends you alerts whenever your kid crosses a certain zone. It’s an expensive option which is why it’s not preferred by parents.

3. Kidgy Parental control

Kidgy is like a digital assistant for parents who want to supervise the online activities of their kids remotely. It helps you in monitoring, managing, protecting and educating them. Kidgy has free and premium features. If you want advance monitoring features, you will have to pay for them.

Let’s have a look at its features:

· You can monitor the text messages of your kid’s device.

· You can track their location in real time remotely.

· With geofencing, you can mark the safe zones and get reported whenever they pass those zones.

· Block unnecessary applications from their phone.

· View all the calls made from and received by the phone.

· Monitor and manage the internet activities of your kids and apply internet filters to block the sites.

· Use the daily schedule planner to set tasks remotely and foster good habits in your child.

· Let your kid inform you they need your help with the panic button.

Kidgy is compatible with Android and iPhone too. It sounds like an amazing app but lots of customers have complains about it. Most of its features don’t work like it’s said. Also, its customer support is not reliable at all.

4. TeenSafe

As the name suggests, TeenSafe is another great app for parents who want to monitor the smartphone and internet usage of their kids. It also lets you know where your kid is and ensure protection. You will have to pay $14.95 a month to access its features. It also lets you monitor their social media so that you can detect the hidden dangers lurking inside the smartphone of your kid.

Let’s see some of the interesting features of TeenSafe:

· You can view the SMS and iMessages of your child.

· You can check their web history and see what sites they have visited.

· You can view call logs of incoming and outgoing calls.

· You can check the history of the phone’s location and also track their current location.

· You can across the address book on their phone.

· You can also tract the instant messages on WhatsApp, Viber, Kik and other popular instant messenger apps.

TeenSafe has all the basic monitoring features a parent would need to keep a close eye on their kid. It’s, however, not a complete solution to keep track of your kids. At the same price, you can get a subscription to better apps. Plus, there have been a few complains about its customer support service.

5. Qustodio Parental Control

Qustodio is particularly meant for those parents who want to manage the screen time of their kids. It is a weapon for parents who want to secure their kids from the digital dangers. The most affordable package is the one that costs $54.95 a year and it lets you protect up to 5 devices.

You will get to build a safe digital environment with its amazing features such as:

· You can block inappropriate content and make web browsing safe.

· You can limit your kid’s screen time across their devices.

· You can set limits for games and other apps.

· You can track your kid’s location in real-time. They can also send you panic alerts in case of an emergency.

· You can view the calls, text messages, read SMSs and even block contacts.

· You can monitor the time your kid spends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and other social media apps

Qustodio Parental Control is a nice option but it only supports limited monitoring. It doesn’t have Geo-fencing and you can’t monitor the social media chats on your kid’s phone. It is only recommended if you are looking for a screen-time management solution.