Best Android Monitoring & Tracking Apps

Studies show that children learn from their parents as they constantly watch them. But at times, parents unintentionally do things they don’t want to see in their children. Excessive mobile/tablet usage is one of the habits which children learn from their parents.

One of the biggest reasons for mobile/tablet usage is online gaming which is becoming so severe that in 2019 WHO recognized Gaming Disorder as a mental health condition.

Gaming addiction is present in people of every age, but its numbers are increasing among children. Some stats show that over two billion people play video games, and 48% to 56% of them are young, from which 8.5% of them are addicted to games.

It is a matter of serious concern as this habit affects the mental and physical well-being of the child, such as sleep deprivation, mood swings, low IQ level, and many other psychological issues. So, it is the responsibility of parents to monitor and track the digital footprint of their children.

Nowadays, many apps in the market can help parents monitor/track their children what they are doing online and restrict them from excessive usage of gadgets. Let’s discuss every app in a bit more detail.

RELATED: Best iPhone Monitoring Apps Without Permission for Parents

Top 10 Android monitoring/tracking apps

As we are all aware, Android is one of the popular platforms for mobile and tablets. Many users like to use Android-based devices due to their versatility, ease of use, and a large range of app availability.

This operating system also helps parents to track their children’s online activities and allow them to keep an eye on their digital footprints by providing several parental control apps.

We will discuss some of the apps in this article that help you select the best to serve all your needs. Let’s start examining them one by one.

• For seamless monitoring: KidsGuard Pro for Android
• For cross-platform monitoring: Mobicip
• For social monitoring: Bark
• For custom web filter: Net Nanny
• For hidden spy: uMobix
• For WhatsApp spy: Cocospy
• For Line monitoring: KidsGuard for Line
• For family help: Google Family Link
• For Security: Kaspersky Safe Kids
• For all-around protection: Qustodio

Disclaimer: These tools are designed solely for legal and ethical purposes. Before downloading, installing, or utilizing any of them, it is crucial to check and comply with your state or country laws. Users are advised to consult with a legal professional to ensure compliance. The subscriber assumes full responsibility for notifying and installing the tool on the phone of their child or minor, obtaining proper consent beforehand. Failure to do so may lead to severe penalties, both monetary and criminal, imposed on the violator. The tool cannot be held accountable if the subscriber opts to monitor a device in violation of their state or country laws.

For seamless monitoring: KidsGuard Pro for Android

Price: $99.95/year

Trusting your child is necessary, but on the other hand, it is equally essential to be aware of their online activities because they can be an easy target for cybercriminals.

To help parents safeguard their children, KidsGuard Pro is a sweet app available for Android and iOS. You can track your child’s online and offline activities, such as

• Photos and Videos
• GPS location
• App activities
• Text messages
• Call log and recordings

This app is easy to install and even easier to use. It periodically fetches the information and uploads it to the ClevGuard server from where we can access all the logs. The Android version of KidsGuard Pro runs in stealth mode, so your child will never know its presence on the target device. Some of its commendable features are as follows:

Features

• Compatible with Android / iOS / Windows
• Location Tracking
• Geo-Fencing
• Social app monitoring
• Call logging / SMS monitoring
• Remote Control
• Web monitoring
• Media File Access
• Wi-Fi location logging

Pros

• Jailbreak or root access are not required
• Stealth mode
• Real-time data sync
• Simple installation and usage
• High accuracy

Cons

• The company needs to revisit the interface design
• Data sync issues with older version phones

For cross-platform monitoring: Mobicip

Price: $95.88/year

Mobicip is well known for its multi-platform support; it is one of the best choices available. It means whatever device your child is using, only a single app can monitor all of them.

The most versatile feature of this parental tracking app is its multi-platform compatibility across Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, and several others. If you want to know where your kids are, this app will assist you via its location tracking ability.

This app provides accurate time content filtering on the bases of specific keywords. Additionally, you can access multiple logs of your child’s devices with a single account. It also maintains the inventory of apps your child uses the most.

The great thing about the app is you can block your child from the screen to reduce their screen time. All in all, it is a simple yet powerful app for parental controls and even collaboration.

Features

• Screentime & Schedules
• Website blocking
• Family locator
• App Blocker
• Social Media Monitor
• Parenting Expert Advice
• Activity Summary
• Collaborations

Pros

• Real-Time and Dynamic scanning
• Data encryption over public WIFI
• iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Kindle, and Nook
• Simple installation & usage
• Simple UI design

Cons

• No live customer support is available
• Lack of customization in monitoring
• No real-time notification on questionable content
• Kids can bypass this
• No Geo fencing support

For social monitoring: Bark

Price: $99/year

The bark is a social media monitoring app based on extensive and trend-based research that makes it distinct from its competitors.

It is indispensable to keep an eye on the digital presence of your kids as they might go through a trauma that they can’t share with you. In such a situation, parental control apps such as Bark bridges the gap between you and your child.

Bark allows us to monitor text messages, emails, and 30+ social media and web apps. It has an award-winning dashboard and an exceptionally innovative interface, all of which you may experience in this app with a 7-day trial period.

It shares some similarities with the Qustodio, but when it comes to social media monitoring, it takes things a step further with effective tracking of Facebook, Instagram, and other social media apps.

Features

• Compatible with Amazon Fire OS, Android, and iOS
• Monitor 30+ social and web apps
• View text messages and emails
• Screen time management
• Web filtering

Pros

• Award-winning dashboard design
• Parental Control
• Monitoring 30+ apps
• Real-time alerts for text and emails
• Android and iOS compatibility
• Tips for parents child interaction

Cons

• Lots of Alerts
• No geo fencing

For custom web filter: Net Nanny

Price: $89.99/year

As the name suggests, Net Nanny takes care of the children just like a virtual nanny when the parents are not around. This Android-based app has gained and maintained parents’ trust by monitoring children’s digital activities and save them from cyberbullying, pornography, weapons, drugs, violence, and other disturbing content.

It is a feature-rich app that is easy to install and use. This app provides us the location monitoring, web content filtering, screen time limit, app blocking, and real-time reporting of web searches. Although it allows for many monitoring functionalities, custom web filtering is its forte, ensuring that only vetted and approved web content is accessible through the mobile device.

Although it is a feature-rich app and provides almost every sort of parental control, the only thing it lacks is call logging and text monitoring. So, you should keep an eye on the performance after subscribing to this product.

Features

• Screentime & Schedules
• Parental Control
• Internet content filtering
• App/Web Blocker
• Real-time alert
• Parenting dashboard
• Social media protection
• Location monitoring

Pros

• Web filtering
• Screen time setup
• Location Monitoring
• Content blocking across web and apps
• Simple UI design
• Support android and iOS
• Smart design

Cons

• Only annual subscriptions are available
• Expensive
• Call logging and text message monitoring are unavailable.

For WhatsApp spy: Cocospy

Price: $199.99/year

Cocospy is a stealthy parental control software that allows you to keep track of your kid’s location, geofencing, social media activities, video and messaging apps (WhatsApp, Viber, etc.), and web monitoring.

This app does not require jailbreak or root access to the smartphone. It allows you to track your kid without thinking of any data leakage. It provides a sleek and clean design that is user-friendly and easy to understand.

This app also provides calendar tracking, swim tracking, and application tracking with all the standard monitoring. This app is a blessing for all parents who want to know what their kids are doing over WhatsApp or similar messengers. You get a detailed view of the WhatsApp text conversations, voice notes, shared media, and more, right from the tracker screen itself.

Features

• Social media protection
• GPS Location
• Geofencing
• Track SMS and Calls
• Stealth mode

Pros

• Calendar, Application, and sim tracking
• Feature Rich
• Easy signup
• Impressive 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Required rooting for some apps
• No Screen capturing
• No free version is available

For Line monitoring: KidsGuard for Line

Price: $99.95/year

ClevGuard presents another great tool specially designed for Line app. It instantly tracks the activities taking place over the Line. It explicitly checks the Line files and shared media access such as video, photos, audio, etc.

This app works in 100% stealth mode and performs monitoring and tracking without rooting your phone. This app provides remote monitoring of your kids’ screen time and call logs, with a detailed view on how frequent the Line app has been used, messages and media shared, along with contact details.

If you want to provide freedom to access and talk to anyone to your kids but with control measures, this could be a great tool on your phone.

Features

• Track Line files easily
• Check group chats
• Provide a list of shared documents with timestamp
• Monitor photos and videos
• Keep audio recordings

Pros

• Easy installation
• Feature Rich
• Stealth mode
• High accuracy
• No rooting required

Cons

• Specific to Line
• Basic Interface Design

For hidden spy: uMobix

Price: $59.95/month complete plan

uMobix is a complete solution to track your loved ones to prevent them from involving in any online scam or chaotic situation. uMobix is your companion to track and monitor your kids for everything they do over their smartphones or tablets.

This app makes you relax from your kids’ digital activities as it constantly monitors them. It is complete spying software that keeps track of their social media activities, call logs, SMS, Device access restriction control, Camera and microphone control, and even provides you the location information, all of which is done with complete stealth.

You can also keep an eye on the photos and videos of your kids, which they are sending & receiving. It will inform you whether your kid is involved in sexting or being a victim of cyberbullying or child pornography.

Features

• Location monitoring and tracking
• Social media protection
• Internet content filtering
• Call log monitoring
• Real-time alert
• Keylogging
• Remote media file download

Pros

• Impressive browsing history tracking
• Keylogging is a distinct feature
• Location Map integration over Google map
• Real-time message tracking
• Instant photo tracking

Cons

• Inconsistent social app updates
• No video updates after the initial sync
• Browser bookmarks not recorded

For family help: Google Family Link

Price: Free

The child’s safety is a matter of concern for many people, but now you do not have to worry about it as Google has the solution for it. Google Family Link is the parental control software that allows us to provide a smart gadget to our kids without worrying about the digital challenges.

It is a free solution and provides control over every app on a child’s device to their parents. This app lets the parent decide which app their child can download from Google Play.The best thing about this app is it links your kid’s account with you afterward; you can monitor all their activities.

Although it is a powerful app, it has certain limitations, such as it only provides a web filter against mature content and even on YouTube. If your primary concern is the apps your kids can use, it is a great option.

Features

• Compatible with Android
• Web filtering
• App downloading control
• Screen time management
• Free

Pros

• Free solution
• Parental Control
• Provides apps control
• No risk of information leak
• Enhanced design

Cons

• Only provide web filtering
• No geo fencing

For Security: Kaspersky Safe Kids

Price: $14.99/year

Kaspersky is a renowned name in the cybersecurity domain for decades now. It provides various security software from antivirus to DLP solutions, so while using its safe kids’ app, we have the assurance that our data is in safe hands.

Kaspersky safe kid is a feature-rich app supported over Android phones and available for PCs and Mac-based systems. This app provides location tracking, geo-fencing, web filtering, and set screen time for an unlimited number of devices. The biggest benefit here is the peace of mind you enjoy, knowing that all your sensitive data is processed on the secure Kaspersky servers.

Although the safe kid installs in child mode, your kids cannot uninstall it as this app requires a passcode for uninstallation. If you install this app, ensure that your kids are in super safe hands.

Features

• Compatible with Android
• Web filtering
• App downloading control
• Screen time management
• Location monitoring

Pros

• Very affordable
• Full feature on free and paid subscription
• Monitor PCs, Mac, and Android
• No risk of information leak
• Enhanced design
• Geofencing
• Extensive alert system

Cons

• No application control
• The parent’s app does not provide full reporting
• Can’t alert for device usage

For all-around protection: Qustodio

Price: $96.99/year

Qustodio is a fact that today’s kids are more attracted to gadgets, and now parents are looking for a single app that monitors and tracks all their kids’ devices, such as macOS, Kindle, Android, Chromebook, Windows, and iOS devices. It is where the Qustodio steps in.

Qustodio’s specialty helps you monitor and view the apps and webs on your kid’s devices. Bark has pretty similar functionalities as the Qustodio, but this app has some distinctive features, such as it provides SMS and calls tracking with location monitoring.

It restricts your child from playing an online game, or you can also limit the amount of time. It supports up to 15 devices for tracking.

You can handle all the operations on your kid’s device via its parental mode of the mobile app or online dashboard. It means you can track your child almost everywhere. Although it has a wide range of features, it lacks complete control over social media tracking.

Features

• Compatible with Android
• SMS/Call tracking
• App blocking
• Screen time management
• Social media monitoring
• Location monitoring
• Panic button

Pros

• Excellent design
• Cross-platform support
• Monitor PCs, Mac, and Android
• No risk of information leak
• Intuitive apps
• Geofencing
• Panic button alert

Cons

• Expensive
• Social Media monitoring limited to Facebook
• VPN can bypass web filters

Final verdict

Today we are blessed that we live in a technological era where we have technical solutions even to our daily life problems. Although parenting is a tough job, technological awareness makes it easy.

Several parental control apps are available to help us keep an eye on our children‘s online presence.

In our opinion, KidsGuard Pro and Qustodio are the tools that have it all to serve the purpose.

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