How to use iPhone parental controls [in-built settings and third-party apps]

The iPhone has certain settings, like Screen Time, Restrictions, and Family Sharing, that need to be activated for parental control. But dedicated apps have even more options for conscious parenting.

As a parent, it is important to be aware of children’s online dangers. Cyberbullying, stalking, and exposure to inappropriate content are all risks children can face when they are not properly supervised.

A study showed that 34% of kids in the US suffer from cyberbullying at some point in their lives, i.e., they are harassed, threatened, or humiliated through technologies, including social media or text messages that are intended to hurt or embarrass them.

Fortunately, there are measures parents can take to protect their children from these potential risks. iPhone parental controls and third-party apps are just two examples of how parents can ensure their children are safe and secure when using the phone.

• In-built parental controls in iPhones are designed to offer basic functions such as restrictions on age-inappropriate content, the ability to set time limits for certain apps, and limiting access to app purchases.
• Third-party applications offer more in-depth features, such as monitoring browser history, creating a safe list of allowed websites, and even blocking certain contacts or phone numbers.
• Parental apps also provide parents with the ability to set up notifications for when their children attempt to access dangerous websites or download inappropriate content; this is not applicable to in-built parental controls.

“By setting up these parental controls, parents can be confident that their children are protected and secure when using their iPhones. However, remember, that savvy kids can often find ways to bypass these controls. Thus, it is important to use these apps with other monitoring methods, such as talking to your child directly about their phone usage.”

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Table of top-11 Apps to Monitor Kids’ iPhones

There is an infinite number of services that claim to be the best for parental control. But are they really the best? Here is our top after thorough research and tests.

• Total apps researched – 35
• Total apps shortlisted – 11

We took some resources from the top reviews of the best, and almost all of them were awful. So trust only verified sources of information or blogs of specialized services related to telecommunications. For example, like our HeyLocate blog.

Best Parental Control App for iPhone

A parental control app is software that empowers parents to monitor and regulate their children’s digital activities.

As a parent, it can be tricky to agree with your teenage child that they need to install parental controls on their devices. Boys are more prone to get into bad company and street gangs, as they want to seem cool. At the same time, girls more often became prays of stalkers. However, if you care about your children and their safety, you’ll find a way to use parental control.

To protect your children, you need to be able to monitor their devices and activities online. Installing parental controls may not be easy, but it is worth it for the peace of mind it will bring you as a parent.

By setting up these parental controls, parents can be confident that their children are protected and secure when using their iPhones. However, remember, that savvy kids can often find ways to bypass these controls. Thus, it is important to use these apps with other monitoring methods, such as talking to your child directly about their phone usage.

mSpy

mSpy is a comprehensive parental control app for iPhone. The software was launched in 2010 by a London-based tech company. The app has 1.5 million happy customers, supports 180 countries, and has an average rating of 4 stars.

mSpy allows you to track your kid’s online activity, manage their device use, block inappropriate content and apps, monitor calls & messages, and more.

Why parents choose it:

• comprehensive monitoring of calls, messages, and social media activity;
• geofencing to ensure safety;
• allows parents to check even deleted messages and photos.

Price:

$48.99/month.

User Experience:

mSpy made the user experience a breeze for me. Upon selecting which device I was tracking (in this case, an iPhone), mSpy required the iCloud credentials and a security code – though accessing the latter was simple and straightforward.

Within seconds, I had access to mSpy’s dashboard, where I could see my kid’s entire phone activity – calls, messages, maps, photos, and more.

Plus, since mSpy operates anonymously, parents like myself don’t have to worry about it being visible on the child’s device.

Try mSpy

Parentaler

Parentaler is a comprehensive tracking solution for monitoring a child’s phone features. It can monitor texts, phone conversations, web activity, and geographical position. 

To protect your child from internet risks, you can use Parentaler to track your child’s whereabouts and monitor their digital activities.

Why Parents Choose It:

• it can track keystrokes;
• displays live location and location history;
• monitors the phone in the background.

Price:

• $40.68/mo;
• $22.83/mo paid quarterly;
• $9.60/mo paid annual.

User Experience:

Parentaler was a helpful choice for enacting parental controls on my child’s iPhone. The app offered a smooth, behind-the-scenes monitoring experience, allowing me to watch my child’s internet habits like browser history and iMessages.

Parentaler ensured I could control my child’s online activities by receiving alerts about potential threats. The app’s user-friendly design made blocking apps, monitoring calls, and viewing browser history much easier.

I liked Parentaler’s many features and 24-hour 24-hour assistance for safe digital parenting.

Try Parentaler

uMobix

uMobix is another excellent parental control app for iPhone, developed by ERSTEN GROUP LTD a UK-based tech firm. Their groundbreaking parental control and monitoring apps have seen great success among users, with top-level customer service creating an excellent user experience.

Why parents choose it:

• monitors over 30 social apps;
• geofencing for ensuring safety;
• downloads media files remotely.

Price:

$48.99/month.

User Experience:

I was pleased with Umobix’s user experience. After I subscribed, I received an email with a login and password to access the uMobix dashboard.

All I needed to do was provide the iCloud credentials for the phone, and uMobix handled the rest of the sync automatically. From my dashboard, I had access to all sorts of information about the kid’s phone – from text messages and emails to GPS tracking, calls, and more.

The software also allows you to set up an activity log alert that notifies you whenever something suspicious is going on.

The app also works anonymously, so parents can be sure that their children won’t know they’re being monitored.

Try uMobix

EyeZy

EyeZy is the best parental control app for iPhone and iPad. Developed by Fortunex Limited, the company has been creating parental control and monitoring apps for years.

EyeZy has an impressive 4.5-star rating on the Apple Play Store due to its professional team comprised of developers and IT professionals passionate about creating the best parental control apps available.

Why parents choose it:

• support for analyzing Wi-Fi networks and tracking geolocation;
• tracks every keystroke inputted on any desired device;
• find and remotely view multimedia files saved on the target device.

Price:

$47.99 /month.

User Experience:

The EyeZy user interface is extremely straightforward, so it was effortless to set up and start tracking my kid’s phone activity. I simply had to pick my desired plan and device type – either iPhone or Android – enter the relevant credentials, and within minutes, EyeZy directed me to their website dashboard.

I had access to a variety of real-time data about the target device, including calls, messages, and internet activity. Plus, I was able to set restrictions on the apps my kid used and create an alert system that would notify me whenever something suspicious happened.

The app also works on the back end, so parents can be assured that their kids won’t know they’re being monitored.

Try EyeZy

Cocospy

Cocospy is a world-renowned phone monitoring software created by ERSTEN GROUP LTD, an innovative player in the high-tech industry. Cocospy has been developed to offer users a convenient solution to monitor their kid’s phone activities and is used by millions of people located in 190+ countries.

Why parents choose it:

• detailed information like timestamps and visit frequency is tracked on different apps;
• accurate GPS tracking of the kid’s device;
• manage calls, messages, and browsing activities remotely.

Price:

$39.99 per month.

User Experience:

To get started, I signed up for Cocospy through their website and chose the phone and subscription plan I wanted to use.

Once my subscription was set up, I received an email containing a login and password to access the Cocospy dashboard. All that was required of me was to provide my iCloud credentials for the phone, and Cocospy did the rest of the work for me automatically.

On their website dashboard, I had access to all sorts of information about my kid’s phone activities, including calls, messages, and internet activity.

The app is also designed to work anonymously, so kids will never know that their activities are being monitored.

Try Cocospy

OverWatch

OverWatch is a powerful parental control app created by ERSTEN GROUP LTD, registered in the United Kingdom in 2002, a company that specializes in creating software solutions for families and businesses.

The app was developed to provide effective yet non-intrusive parental control tools to parents and guardians so that they can monitor their kid’s digital activities remotely.

Why parents choose it:

• monitors all keystrokes typed in any app;
• tracks chats and messages sent/received on social media apps;
• takes screenshots of the target device screen at regular intervals.

Price:

$24.95 per month.

User Experience:

With a thought about how to track my daughter’s iPhone location, I decided to try one more app. So, I signed up for OverWatch through their website and selected a subscription plan that best fit my needs. I then downloaded and installed the Hovewatch app to my kid’s device and my phone, as well as waited for OverWatch to send the login details to my email.

After receiving the details, I was able to log in to their website dashboard, where I could view all the activities of my child’s phone in real-time. It may sound a little complicated, but in fact it takes around 10 minutes.

The app is also designed to be discreet, so kids won’t know they are being monitored. I monitored every keystroke typed in any app, and tracked chats sent and received on social media apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

The software also takes screenshots of the target device at regular intervals, which allows me to have a full view of the device’s activity.

Try OverWatch

XNSPY

It is a powerful cell phone monitoring software owned and operated by ERSTEN GROUP LTD, a UK-registered company. XNSPY has been voted the best in its class for cell phone monitoring services by reputable organizations like Engadget and Entrepreneur.

XNSPY makes it possible to monitor your children’s smartphone activity and locate their phones.

Why parents choose it:

• monitors calls, texts, emails, and web browsing activity;
• tracks location of the target device in real-time.

Price:

$8.33/month per user.

User experience:

I decided to try XNSPY to keep an eye on my teen’s phone activity. I went through their website and opted for a subscription plan. After signing up, I received an email containing a link to the app download and the login information for the app’s dashboard.

I had to download the mobile app and install it on the target device. Once installation and logins were completed, I had access to the XNSPY dashboard, where I could keep an eye on my child’s activity in real-time.

XNSPY provided me with a comprehensive view of my child’s smartphone activities, including calls, texts, and emails sent/received, browsing history, location tracking, etc. The app also offers a parental control feature, allowing me to block certain websites and apps for my children’s safety.

Previously, I thought about how to track my son’s iPhone, and this app has appeared to be one of the best. It works discreetly in the background, so my teen won’t know they are being monitored.

Try XNSPY

Qustodio

Qustodio is another parental control app focused on protecting kids from online threats. It was developed by Eduardo Cruz, Josh Gabel, and Josep Gaspa in 2012.

The app allows parents to monitor and control their children’s online activities across all devices.

Qustodio has earned countless recommendations from leading experts at PCMAG and Softpedia, as well as recognition from major news outlets like The NY Times, CBS News, Wired, and more.

Why parents choose it:

• SMS and call tracking;
• child locator;
• app blocking allows you to set limits on how long your child can use a particular app for.

Price:

$4.58 per month.

User Experience:

I decided to try Qustodio for my child. After signing up, I first chose the plan that best fit my needs, installed the app on my kid’s device, and then linked the app to my account. After that, I was able to view all the activities of my child’s device from the Qustodio dashboard.

I could easily monitor calls, texts, emails, and web browsing activity on their devices. The app also provides a range of parental control features like blocking inappropriate websites and apps, setting limits on how long a certain app can be used, and tracking the location of my child’s device.

Qustodio works in a discreet manner without alerting my child, so they won’t know that they are being monitored.

Try Qustodio

Famisafe

Famisafe is a cutting-edge parental control app developed by Wondershare Technology. The app is designed to help parents monitor, track and control their children’s online activities.

Famisafe has a rating of 4.5 stars on the Apple Play Store and is well-regarded for its ease of use and reliability.

Why parents choose it:

• detection of explicit content for messages, social media apps, and websites;
• real-time location tracking;
• screen time activity report.

Price:

$10.99/month.

User Experience:

I decided to try Famisafe to monitor my kid’s online activities. I chose the subscription plan, installed it from the app store, then launched the app on my child’s device. I also installed the app on my phone. After that, I paired my child’s device with my phone and logged into the Famisafe dashboard.

The app provided me with a comprehensive overview of my kid’s online activities, including calls, texts, emails sent/received, browsing history, etc., and it also allowed me to block certain websites and apps for their safety.

However, the app is not stealthy since the installation process requires my child’s consent.

Try Famisafe

mLite app

Mlite app is a mobile parental control app developed by IPL Group PTY LTD and is registered in Australia. This app is designed to help parents monitor, track, and control their child’s online activities across multiple devices.

Mlite has an average rate of 4 stars on the Apple Play Store and is frequently recommended by top parenting bloggers.

Why parents choose it:

• record conversations remotely at any time;
• get panic alerts if anything happens;
• track the child’s location in real-time.

Price:

$49.99/month.

User Experience:

I gave Mlite a try to ensure my child’s online safety. After selecting the subscription plan, I installed the app on my child’s device and paired it with mine.

The app provides recordings of my child’s conversations, real-time location tracking, and panic alerts. This is helpful in bullying cases since it can record my child’s conversations remotely.

It also works stealthily without alerting my child.

Try mLite

OurPact

OurPact is a parental control app owned and operated by Eturi Corp. It is a versatile app that helps parents monitor, manage and control their children’s online activities across multiple devices.

OurPact has an average rating of 4.4 stars on Apple Play Store and is highly recommended by leading digital parenting organizations.

Why parents choose it:

• manage up to 20 devices;
• block & allow websites;
• family locator.

Price:

Free, but $6.99/month for premium features.

User Experience:

After selecting the subscription plan, I installed OurPact from the iOS App Store. I then signed in to my parent account’s dashboard, then chose my subscription tier, and connected my child’s devices using the app.

The app gave me detailed insights into my child’s online activities, including text messages, calls, and web browsing history. It works undetectable, so my child didn’t know I was monitoring their activities.

Try OurPact

How to Put Parental Controls on iPhone

To put parental controls on iPhone, you need to activate specific settings within the iPhone, such as screen time and content & privacy restrictions. Parental controls on iPhone can help you monitor and restrict your child’s access to content on their iPhone. You can limit specific apps, block explicit content, and control which features are available in the Settings menu.

With parental controls in place, parents have peace of mind that their children are safe while using their devices. To get started, you will need to enable Screen Time on your iPhone. This feature allows you to manage the apps, content, and features that are available on your child’s device.

To activate Screen Time:

1. Open the Settings app and tap on Screen Time.
2. Tap Turn On Screen Time, then select This is My Child’s iPhone.
3. Choose a passcode for parental controls to use when you want to make changes or disable them.
4. Choose the content and features you would like to restrict on your child’s device.

Once enabled, you can set up restrictions on content and features available on your child’s iPhone. You can:

• limit the type of content that is accessible by enabling age restrictions in the App Store;
• block explicit websites and content using Restrictions;
• set time limits for app usage with Downtime;
• control who your children can communicate with in iMessage, FaceTime, and other messaging apps;
• create allowances for certain activities, such as music and games.

Track the child’s location via SMS

With the advancement of technology, parents often worry about their children’s safety and whereabouts. To ensure that your child is safe and where you expect them to be, tracking their location via SMS is an easy and efficient way to do so.

Scannero.io and Detectico are one of the leading solutions that provide location-based tracking of your children’s phones via SMS.

These services allow parents to keep track of their children’s whereabouts in real-time, 24 hours a day. Simply by entering a phone number, then send an SMS with a link that is clickable and leads to your child’s location on the map. The services provide a user-friendly interface that allows users to easily track and manage their children’s whereabouts from any mobile device with an internet browser.

Conclusion

Parental controls on iPhone are essential for keeping your children safe while using their devices. With parental control apps and services, you can monitor and limit access to content on your child’s device. This way, you can ensure that your children only access age-appropriate content and avoid unwanted activities.

However, the built-in settings are only the first step, they do not have all the features which a third-party app provides. Services like uMobix, Cocospy, and mSpy are some of the best paid parental control apps that you can use to keep track of your child’s activities online. They have additional features like monitoring SMS, browsing history, call logs, and more. In addition to this, they offer a more precise location to be sure your child is safe.

Overall, parental controls can be an excellent tool for keeping your children safe online. With these settings and services in place, you can give yourself peace of mind knowing that your child is using their device responsibly and are in a safe place.