Phone Control Apps for Your Kids

As soon as a parent finally decides to entrust a smartphone to their child, they will be overwhelmed with a wave of worries and concern. The concern comes from that online world that’s about to unravel to their child and the knowledge of all the dangers that lurk hiding in plain sight. With all the games, apps, content sites, video streaming websites and much more that is revealed to the kids and the easy access to it makes the use of some sort of phone control apps a must.

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How Do Smartphone Control Apps Work?

If your child is spending an increasing amount of time using the smartphone and has loaded it with messaging apps, you need to start paying attention. If they also hide their screens from you, it’s time to be concerned and take action by trying to gain some phone apps control.

There are many good parental-control apps available, but how to use them? Well, first of all, don’t hide them from your children. They might find them anyway, and that would create tension in your relationship. So, give your children some credit and involve them in the process. Explain to them that there are serious dangers online that they cannot discover by themselves. Make sure to stress that you aren’t trying to invade their privacy but merely building up a shield against online threats. They may not like it but at least the thought that you are watching will make them behave better.

Who should try apps to control phone usage? These apps are mainly used by parents to keep their children and teenagers safe from being approached by creeps. But they can also be very useful for looking after your elderly relatives, for instance.

How Do We Rate Mobile Phone Control Apps?

Since there is a rather big market for these apps it’s important to know how to choose the right one for your specific needs. First of all, you should look for an app that not only tracks your children’s online path but actually takes charge and imposes limits before they can be exposed to any dangers. Here is a list of the most important features to look for in parental control apps for your phone.

1. Installation: This is especially important if you are not exactly a tech enthusiast. You want something that is easy to install and configure both on your phone and your child’s. It’s also important to check which platforms the app is compatible with. Not all apps offer the same level of filtering so you must find one that blocks all the threats you can think of.
   
   
2. Time Limit: Check out how effective the control app is in limiting the time your child spends online every day.
   
   
3. Location Tracking: Phone control apps can be even more efficient in tracking your child’s position than a GPS They keep a record of their movement and may even allow you to use geofencing and let you know if they are venturing outside the established area. It’s true that no price is too high for a child’s safety, but parents have to be able to pay it. So that’s another thing to consider, especially if you have more than one child to look after.

What Are Some of the Best Phone Control Apps?

Every parent knows exactly what they need their control app to do. But to make it easier to decide, here is a list of the most popular and serious phone control apps:

FamilyTime is definitely one of the high-quality choices and one of the best apps to remote control Android phones. Some of its special features are a handy SOS button, new contacts alert, and the option to save phone usage time for later.

Qustodio is a more expensive app but it has many advantages. It offers great cross-platform support, time scheduler and is easy to use. But when it comes to social media, it only covers Facebook.

OurPact has the advantage of involving the child in the process so that it feels less restrictive. It’s great at blocking apps and has a user-friendly interface. On the downside, it doesn’t do such a good job with web filtering.

ESET is only available for Android devices. Its strengths are great location features and web filters as well as the fact that it can be used on as many devices you want. However, it offers no text or calls monitoring, and its interface is rather dated.

WebWatcher is compatible with many platforms and offers 24/7 customer service. The most interesting feature is the Alert Log Tool. It also reads everything your child has typed, even if they delete it.

Why Should You Consider Using Parental Control?

There are many important reasons to turn to apps to control phone usage. The most simple one is to limit the time your children spend on their smartphones. But the essential advantage of these apps is preventing your kids from accessing dangerous or inappropriate sites and being contacted by deranged or malevolent individuals. Your remote access also stops them from downloading dangerous apps or venturing outside the area you have established together.

Conclusion

Whether you are a parent who wants to keep their children protected from online dangers or you just want to make sure your elderly parents are safe, phone control apps are essential. But don’t keep them a secret, involve your loved ones in the process, to make sure you keep good communication with them and that your relationship doesn’t suffer.