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Safe web surfing for kids: a mother is connecting with her child

Parental Monitoring App Review and Guide [2020 updated]

Looking for apps for monitoring child's phone? We have good the best collection of child phone monitoring apps which makes online parental monitoring easy!9 min


Nowadays we hear more and more about the dangers of the online world, and a large portion of its victim are teenagers. The online world ornates itself to be very attractive, but once you are in its attraction field, things can go wrong if you are not careful.

Parents are worried about the children exploring the online world because there are many ways one can go astray. But you cannot take away their smartphones because these devices are used for learning purposes and help parents stay connected with their child when they are not near.

This is where the importance of Spy Apps come in. Parents resort to apps for monitoring the child’s phone so that they keep an eye on their child’s online activity without them knowing.

Part 1. Why Should Parents Monitor Kids Phone?

Monitoring someone’s online activity is considered as a breach of privacy. Yet, why do parents seek methods to monitor kids phone? The reason is simple and frightening. The rate of cyber crimes involving children has risen significantly in the last few years.

The number has been further increased online instant messaging and content sharing apps.

  • it is estimated that 42.1% of kids were exposed to pornography online
  • 1 in 20 children arranged a meeting with a stranger they met online
  • 25% of children pretend to be older to get accounts

These statistics are troubling, to say the least. And did you know that 3 in 10 parents allow their kids to use the internet without any restrictions?

With kids having access to more and more devices, these numbers are likely to increase in the future. So it’s time that parents step in and know what’s happening with their children lives and having unfiltered access to their smartphones is the best way to do so!


1.1 Web Filters, Time limits, and Apps

Time flies when you are surfing on the internet and this happens to all of us. For kids, they can spend hours on end without taking a break, and eventually, they will run into something that they should not have seen. When you use a kid monitoring app, you will be updated in real time about the websites that are being browsed by your child.

If you think that they are spending too much time on the internet, time limits can be set so that they don’t end up wasting hours on it.

With spy apps, parents can also block their kids out from certain apps that they think might not be suitable for their child. It is a good choice to monitor the social apps that make it easy for children to befriend strangers on the internet.


1.2 Messaging and Social Media

The use of social media has risen significantly over the past few years and teenagers undoubtedly make a significant part of its user base. Social Media sites like Facebook were made so that people can be in touch with their friends and family.

Now it has become a place where people can get to know each other even though they have no prior connections before. And it makes it easier for people who don’t know you and befriend them.

Before you know it, your kid might be exchanging texts, and then pictures and very private matters. The rise of instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp has made it easier for us to now send not only text but also pictures and video to each other.

It is important that parents know about the different messaging apps used by their children and to whom they are in communication with. A powerful parental control spy app will let you know the type of messages sent by your kids and their contacts list.


1.3 Remote Notification and Management

Having parental control over your child’s phone is a great way to know that they are up to. However, the parents need to be alerted as soon as the child starts to browse the internet.

There is no use of a child phone monitoring app if there is a massive delay in notifying the parents about the whereabouts of their child. Prompt notifications lead to parents taking prompt actions.

Modern spy apps do not just notify the parents of their child’s online activity, they will also let the parents control some aspects of the target device. So if the parent feels like an app is beginning to become harmful for the child, they can block it. Or if they feel like their kid is spending too much time on the internet, then time limits can be set on apps to prevent them from overusing it.


1.4 Avoid school / cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a real issue nowadays and children who are subjected to cyberbullying show very low levels of confidence. There are many campaigns around the world aimed at stopping cyberbullying, but parents have to make the first stand.

A feature-rich spy app comes with features like a Keylogger. So the parents will be able to know what their children are texting. And the monitoring aspect of the app lets the parents know about the incoming messages.

By using the spy app, the parents can save their child from cyberbullying or prevent them from doing the same to other children.


1.5 Block porn sites or game app

The statistics show that nearly half the children in the world have been exposed to online pornography. The easy availability of mature content makes it easy for anyone to do a search and have access to sexually explicit content.

Spy apps let the parents safeguard their children from such miseries by helping them block such sites on their child’s phone. So even they try to a search, it won’t return the results that may expose to them to such content.

Gaming is also another issue troubling most parents these days and the reason is pretty simple. Their children are glued to online games and not giving enough importance to studies or other important things in life like spending time with each other or socializing.

Blocking such apps lets them to venture more into real life, experience things and have their chance at being a better version of themselves.

Part 2. Top 5 parental monitoring app review and guide

We have discussed how spy apps can be of critical importance in helping you keep an eye out for your child, helping them from the dangers of the online world.

However, which app will you choose? There are many parental monitoring apps available, but which one works and which one doesn’t? it a tedious process to try them all out, and nobody has the time to do so. But do not worry, we have done all the hard work for you!

We have tested multiple parental monitoring apps and these are our top pics;


2.1 Spyzie

spyzie

Spyzie is a parent phone monitoring app that helps you monitor your child’s online presence quite easily. The app lets you monitor their web searches as well as the apps that they are using. Parents are then given control over the usage of these apps, in which you can decide to ban or block certain apps on your child’s phone.

Some of the user intuitive features of Spyzie are:

  • Location tracking: The app lets you know the location of your child in real time.
  • Phone call tracking: know who speaks to your children, time of the call and what they speak.
  • Keylogger: Know every single line of text entered by your child in real-time.
  • Sim tracker: Get notified if and when your child switches the Sim Card on their device.
  • Complete social media support: Monitor Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, WeChat, line, etc.
  • Watch deleted file: View the files being deleted by your child.

Spyzie got the top spot not for just its features, but also for the ease with which it can be used. Installing Spyzie is very easy and the process involves setting up spyzie on both the target and monitoring device. It is a onetime process so you don’t have to reach for the target device every time you want to set up a monitoring relay. The following guide will help you better understand how Spyzie works.

Step 1: Register an account with Spyzie by click the below button

Free Trail NowAndroid Free Trail NowiOS

Step 2: Set up Spyzie on the target phone. Choose Android or iOS based on the operating system on the device.

spyzie-setup

Step 3: Follow the instructions on the app to set up the monitoring app. The installation is different for Android and iOS device.

spyzie-permissions-access

Step 4: Login to Spyzie website and download the monitoring software. You can also monitor the target device through the online dashboard.

app-blocker-spyzie

The process is easy, fast and efficient. The one-time registration on the target device is really convenient because your child will not suspect anything and the app does a great job at staying hidden.

Spyzie is a parental monitoring app that we definitely recommend to any parent who is concerned about their child’s online safety. The intuitive features and user-friendly makes up for a great experience.


2.2 mSpy

mspy-map

The mSpy is another parental Monitoring application that comes loaded with features. mSpy is great at monitoring social apps and has a logging feature like Spyzie. This helps parents through browse through past reports.

If you missed a few days of monitoring and want to know what happened with the device and your child during that period, mSpy reports will give you a comprehensive idea on that time period.

Some of the noteworthy features of the mSpy are:

  • Internet usage monitoring
  • Location tracking with route history information
  • Social media monitoring support for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.

Users must keep in mind that using mSpy on an iPhone will require you to jailbreak the target device. A no jailbreak option is available if you choose a pricier plan. There is no such requirement if you are using the app on an Android device.

Step 1: Purchase a plan from mSpy through below button.

Free Trail Now7-Days

Step 2: Setup the target device by installing the monitoring software in it.

Step 3: Based on the device and the plan you pick, you might have to jailbreak your iOS device.

Step 4: Use the online dashboard to start monitoring the target device.

The mSpy parental control app is certainly a good option for people who want more freedom when it comes to pricing. We do not recommend jailbreaking a new iPhone as the procedure will result in the warranty being void.


2.3 Flexispy

flexispy-all

FlexiSPY adds in computer monitoring support to the mix in addition to Android and iOS support. They have partnered with Digital Endpoint to create another product that lets you monitor employees.

In this guide, we will be reviewing FlexiSPY, their parental control app, and it does that job perfectly. You can monitor your child through their app or online dashboard, and the software even captures audio recordings of the calls that are being made to and from the device.

Some of the noteworthy features of the FlexiSPY are:

  • Computer monitoring software can be used to monitor PC and Mac systems
  • Listen to environment features records background noise without the knowledge of the user
  • Creates comprehensive alerts and reports

Installing FlexiSPY is also an easy task, and they have laid out the instructions pretty well so that you don’t get confused.

Step 1: Click below button to register FlexiSPY subscription that suits your requirements.

Free Trail NowiOS & Android

Step 2: Download the software to the target device.

Step 3: Install the app on the target device and give it the required permissions.

Step 4: Activate the monitoring app using the activation code you receive with the subscription.

Step 5: Log in the online dashboard to monitor the target device.

FlexiSPY can be used to monitor both mobile phones as well as computers. The list of features that are available to you will depend on the plan you choose for yourself.


2.4 SpyFone

spyfone-package

SpyFone is an American company that pioneers in smartphone tracking. They pitch their product to parents and employers. One of the greatest strength of SpyFone is that it allows you to monitor more than one device at a time.

Some of the noteworthy features of the SpyFone are:

  • The live control panel provides various real-time data about the target device
  • Allows users to view deleted files and recovers them if needed
  • Doesn’t requires iOS devices to be Jailbroken

The installation of SpyFone is also something that is very easy as you will see in the following guide.

Step 1: Enable unknown sources in your Android device.

Step 2: Disable package verifier in the Google Play Store, the option is found in Play Protect.

Step 3: Download SpyFone to the target device.

Step 4: Install the application on the phone.

Step 5: Create an account with SpyFone from the app.

Step 6: Verify account through email.

SpyFone supports both Android and iOS devices. You can install SpyFone on your iOS device without jailbreaking, which is a great thing for usability.


2.5 iKeymonitor

iKeymonitor

iKeymonitor falls among the free apps to monitor the child’s phone. However, if you want to access powerful parental control features, then you need to purchase a plan that fits your requirements. The brain behind iKeymonitor is Awosoft, founded in 2005, and their software has been installed by over 400K users.

Some of the noteworthy features of the iKeymonitor are:

  • Social media monitoring support for more than 20+ apps
  • Screenshots and keystrokes monitoring support
  • App blocker support for banning or restricting app usage

Installation of the iKeymonitor is also very easy as you can do it by yourself. There are no tricky steps or complicated procedures involved.

Step 1: Disable Google Play Protect option from the Google play store app.

Step 2: Allow Unknown Sources in your device on the target device.

Step 3: Download and install iKeymonitor.apk from the official website to the target device.

Step 4: Visit https://ikeymonitor.com/openapp to open the app.

Step 5: complete the registration to use the app.

There is nothing more to it! and you can browse through their pricing list to see which plan you want to choose for your device.

Conclusion

Parental control apps certainly give the parents peace of mind when it comes to the online security of their children. We have given you 5 amazing choices as a parental control app, and the ultimate choice is yours. Spyzie is our pick for the best parental control app because of its unmatched featured and the easy to use nature of it.

Make sure you choose the software the best serve your purposes, and the main objective is to know as much information as possible about your child when they are away using smartphones. Remember, prevention is always better than cure!


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