Best Parental Control Apps for iPad & iPhone

It is one thing that your children have access to the various resources on the internet. From attending virtual classes to watching informative YouTube videos, plenty of things are possible on the web. However, it does not mean that you can let your kids roam around freely on the internet.

There are so many digital threats that you have to stay away from. Adults themselves cannot protect them from these threats on their own, and about children is worse. Therefore, a comprehensive parental control suite for iPad and iPhone becomes more of a necessity. Several studies have shown that parental control apps help create a safer internet experience for most users. And, most parents find the parental control app and its features useful. More importantly, the industry is growing at an impressive speed.

You can choose from many parental control software options on the market, depending on what you want. In this article, we have covered the best options, focusing on their iPad and iPhone apps.

Top parental control software options for iPad/iPhone

#1 Qustodio

Designed for both schools and families, Qustodio is an all-in-one parental control and digital wellbeing suite that is available for iPad and iPhone.

However, here, we shall look at how the program functions as a way to keep track of your children’s safety and digital privacy. As you can guess, the parental control apps from the service are available for Windows, macOS, Android, and Kindle. You can pick from a variety of free and paid options for Qustodio.

The service does not hold back when it comes to parental control features. While not all the features are not available for iPad/iPhone, you can expect the core functionalities. For instance, regardless of the plan you pick, you get features like games and app blocking, web filtering, location monitoring, and daily time limits. You also have an option to pause internet access on your kid’s devices whenever necessary.

Another impressive feature on the list is advanced reporting. You can get comprehensive reports on daily, weekly, or monthly activities. It could be a good way to know how your kids spend their time on the web. However, if you want these advanced features, including call and SMS monitoring, you may need another plan. But, the ability to choose between these two premium plans is convenient.

Coming to the case of the iPad/iPhone app, Qustodio does not disappoint. The app comes with an intuitive UI, which anyone can master in a few hours. The setup does not take a lot of time, either. So, even if you do not have prior experience with parental control apps for iPad/iPhone, you can get started with ease.

Qustodio makes the best use of the integration between Apple devices like iPad and Mac so that you can have uninterrupted control over your kid’s smartphone or tablet.

#2 KidsGuard Pro

KidsGuard Pro is another great option that you can find on the market these days. Compared to our primary pick, this service offers advanced monitoring options for iPhone/iPad and other devices.

You have the option to jailbreak or root your children’s devices if you want to have complete control. But, if you do not want to take such advanced steps, KidsGuard Pro will do the basic tasks, nevertheless. More so, regardless of the methods you use, your kid wouldn’t know about the parental control app on their iPad/iPhone.

In terms of features, KidsGuard Pro offers the most comprehensive package. You can use the single suite to keep track of contacts, call logs, messages, reminders, voice memos, and app activities. It is also easy to set up and use features like the keylogger. And, when you want to know the real-time location of your kids, the service offers four options: GPS, location history, Wi-Fi location, and geofencing.

There are many control-based features as well. For instance, you can use KidsGuard Pro to record calls and capture screenshots. You can also use your kid’s device as a microphone to understand where they are. Most of these features are useful when you want the maximum protection for your kids. We also noticed that the setup process takes only a few minutes.

You may also want to note that KidsGuard Pro has great features for monitoring schoolkids. For instance, it is a great way to know if the kids are coming across thoughts about self-harm or depression. And, with the right strategy, parents can take the best reparative measures.

Together, considering how much the service costs, KidsGuard Pro is an excellent choice to enable parental controls on an iPad/iPhone.

#3 Net Nanny

Net Nanny is a great parental control app that is available on the iPad/iPhone. So, if you want to have a digital nanny, who monitors the activities of your children on the internet, you should consider getting this service.

In addition to being available for macOS and iPadOS/iOS, Net Nanny is also known for its affordable plans. It is also one of the very few apps that use Artificial Intelligence to keep your children’s internet experience secure and private.

It comes with many features that let you monitor, limit, and protect your children while they are using the internet. For instance, the Monitor aspect lets you understand what your kids are doing on the internet. On the other hand, the Limit feature lets you set up a time limit on how much time they can spend on the internet. Finally, the Protect module will keep your kids away from malware.

We are also impressed by the parental controls that are offered by this service. For instance, it is effortless to filter adult content or send alerts of online activity. On the other hand, when you want to make sure the security of your kids is on the right side, you can use features to track the current location or understand the content that your kids are accessing on the web.

You will also love the screen time control feature from Net Nanny. For one, this feature allows you to set up screen time limits across the devices as per your convenience. Two, you can get real-time and comprehensive reports of these activities from a single dashboard.

However, we would have loved to see an option to instantly pause the internet connection. Ultimately, the Net Nanny package works to provide comprehensive parent control over your kid’s iPad/iPhone.

#4 Mobicip

Like the other parental control apps that we have covered so far, Mobicip is also available for a variety of platforms, including iPad and iPhone.

However, this service has been optimized for people who are too busy to keep a constant eye on what their kids are doing on the internet. While this may not be the case for everyone, you have an opportunity to limit, protect, monitor, and even collaborate while creating a safer internet experience for your children.

The service also makes sure that there is a way for parents to communicate with their children when it comes to setting up boundaries for the internet. It does so thanks to multiple features in each section. For instance, when you go to the Limit section of this parental control service, you get to have control over screen time, app limits, and schedules.

Similarly, when you go to the Protect aspect of the service, you get a number of AI-based parental control features. For instance, you can set up internet filters and create app blockers for certain timings. Mobicip is also precise when it comes to the real-time location and activities of your children. The best part? You can set up all these features without advanced technical knowledge of your iPad and iPhone.

But probably the best feature of the service and the unique one is the ability to collaborate with your children when it comes to setting things up. There is a Child Dashboard that gives a comprehensive idea of what your children are doing with your device. You can share these insights with other guardians as well.

Mobicip is also one of the more affordable parental control apps available right now. There is also a free trial that you can explore.

#5 Norton Family

Norton Family is another option you can consider when you need top-of-the-line security options to protect your kids from digital threats. Of course, these options are made available alongside parental controls.

Compared to the other parental control apps we have tested, Norton Family is designed with a focus on security; therefore, parents can use this app to see how the child is using the app and there are also options to set screen time and create appropriate content. There are also some additional features in the package.

For example, there is an option to set up a digital learning environment for your kid. This becomes a very useful feature in this age of hybrid education. Secondly, you can use the app to locate your children’s mobile devices. And everything is presented in an intuitive manner. Finally, there is another feature for parental and time supervision to ensure your children have a balanced internet experience.

On the bright side, you can stay confident about the level of protection you get, especially on the iPad. It is probably because the app comes from Norton, which is one of the pioneers in antivirus security. So, when you combine the parental control app with a service from Norton, you can get streamlined protection from a variety of digital threats, including digital identity theft.

This is not to imply that the Norton Family has no imperfections. On the other hand, there are issues with the lack of certain features. For example, you don’t have an option to track or modify the device. So, if you need those features in the parental control app, you may have to look for something else.

In the end, we recommend you check out Norton Family if you plan to use security apps from Norton on the other devices you own.

Things to consider while getting a parental control app

The first thing you have to consider is whether the parental control app is compatible with the devices that your children are using. In this particular case, you should ensure that the app is working fine with iPad/iPhone and different models of idevice for that matter. Problems with compatibility is a big issue when it comes to parental control apps because you have to keep this idea of parental control mostly hidden from your children. So any app that basically defeats the purpose is a concern.

Second, you should consider the set of features that you are getting with each of these parental control apps. As we have seen in how we have reviewed the different options, not all parental control apps come with the same set of features. While some apps focus on the security aspect, some apps are designed to give you better control over the device and how your kid uses the device. Therefore, depending on the changes that you want to make in the usage pattern, you should choose a suitable parental control app.

Reliability of a parental control app is also an important factor when you think about it. Because the last thing you want is the parental control app ruining the privacy and security of your kid. Therefore, you should purchase this app only from reputed developers. However, this won’t be a problem if you follow our guide since we have included choices from reputed developers who have tested these apps for security concerns from third parties.

Finally, you should also consider the budget restrictions that you have. As you can see, many of these parental concern services are available at different price ranges. And you should consider the actual amount before you commit to anything.

The bottom line

We believe this guide helped you at least to sort down the options you need for the parental app for the iPad and iPhone. However, we understand that none of these are universal options, and it is the reason we have included 5 different apps. So make sure that you go through each review and check out the official website for the complete list of features before you choose something for the home. You should keep in mind that while the setup process for most of these apps is easy, you do not want to change between the parental control apps as this disruption will affect the effectiveness of the parental control process.

If you have an Android, you may check Parental Controls on Android: Setup Tips and Apps.

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