Best Parental Control App: How to Monitor your Kids' Phones in 2025
Nowadays, parents have one big and important priority in their lives, and that is keeping their kids safe both offline and online. Today’s digital-focused world offers a lot of online entertainment for kids, but one thing is certain: it's not risk-free.
As all kids have access to smartphones, tablets, and laptops at increasingly younger ages, it has become vital to ensure their screen time is both secure and healthy. That’s where a reliable parental control app comes in.
Whether you want to monitor your child's phone, track their location, or block inappropriate websites, the best parental control apps in 2025 are more powerful and user-friendly than ever.
Whether your kid uses an iPhone or Android, these tools can help you stay informed and in control.
Before jumping to the best parental control apps that we’ve picked, let’s dive more into the criteria of how we picked them.
KEEP YOUR KIDS SAFE WITH THE BEST PARENTAL CONTROL APP
How Do We Choose the Best Parental Control Apps: Top Criteria
When selecting a child tracking app or phone monitoring app, we evaluate essential factors that ensure safety, usability, and value. Here are the key factors that we consider while testing our top picks.
- Compatibility with different operating systems: The best apps work seamlessly on both iPhone and Android devices.
- Simple navigation and easy to use: A great location tracker for kids should be simple to set up and intuitive, even for non-tech-savvy parents.
- Features that cover parents’ needs: Look for tools to track location, see browsing history, and access kids' texts. Apps that you can use as a call tracker or call recorder.
- The best Stealth monitoring: If privacy is key, opt for apps that let you track a phone without them knowing.
- Budget friendliness and affordability: While free options like Google Family Link exist, premium apps often provide more advanced control.
- Privacy and security: Choose brands with solid privacy policies, encrypted data, and trustworthy reputations.
- Customer support: Ensure the app has responsive support channels, including live chat or email help
Top 5 Best Parental Control Apps in 2025
Now, time to move forward with the best options for parental control apps. Keep reading to explore the best apps and features to look for in 2025.
Parentaler
Parentaler is a feature-rich solution, ideal for families who want a balance of monitoring and usability. It supports both Android and iOS devices. Here are the key features that Parentaler covers.
- Track your child's location in real-time
- View web and app activity logs
- Keyword alerts for flagged content
- Stealth mode for discreet monitoring that allows hiding the app from the child’s app menu
Parentaler also has affordable subscription plans starting from $9.60 per month if you choose the annual plan. To get started with it, pick the subscription plan or take the free trial, download the app, and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
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Moniterro
Moniterro is known for its detailed monitoring abilities. It lets you access call logs, texts, and social media activity, all from a user-friendly dashboard. Moniterro also allows you to access your child’s WhatsApp and Snapchat accounts and have control over messages. Main features include:
- Monitor calls, SMS, and chats
- Block websites and set screen time limits
- Receive instant alerts for suspicious behavior
- Works across multiple platforms
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EyeZy
EyeZy shines in stealth monitoring. It works quietly in the background, perfect for parents who want to track a phone without knowing about it. It will help you keep up with your kids and provide access to the following features:
- Invisible mode for undetected tracking
- Advanced keylogger and screenshot capture
- GPS location tracking with geofencing
- AI-based alerts for dangerous content
With advanced encryption protocols, EyeZy ensures safe and secure monitoring for parents and keeps monitored data private.
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M.Spy
Our next choice is M. Spy. M.Spy remains a reliable favorite. It's excellent for reading SMS and emails, accessing call logs, and browsing history. And of course, you can do it all without being detected.
- Read text messages and emails
- Track browser history and saved bookmarks
- Works on both Android and iPhone parental control app versions
- Intuitive dashboard for easy control
- See where they’ve been and where they’re going
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Scannero
And last but not least, we’ve picked Scannero. This tool focuses on real-time location tracking. It's lightweight, easy to install, and gives accurate results. It works with the phone number, so you enter the phone number you want to locate, and Sannero will work its magic.
Let’s see what else it offers:
- Location by link: This feature allows generating a link, sharing it, and when they click on the link, you will access their location.
- Simple interface, ideal for beginners
- Fast setup and minimal configuration
- Best for families prioritizing location monitoring
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How to Monitor Your Child's Devices
We’ve already reviewed the best 5 apps for parental control. You can choose one of them based on your specific needs. For general oversight, Parentaler and M.Spy are strong choices. For simple GPS tracking, Scannero will do the job. Now, let’s see what the next steps are if you have already chosen the app.
- The next step is the installation process. Installation typically requires access to your child’s phone. Once set up, you can access a dashboard to monitor activities, from browsing and messaging to app usage.
- Set screen time schedules, block harmful content, and use geofencing to get alerts when your child leaves designated safe zones.
- Lastly, be transparent. Having an open discussion about why you're using a parental control app can foster trust and cooperation.
Let’s get into more details on monitoring your child’s devices and see what else you should check.
Managing Screen Time and Online Safety While Tracking Kids’ Phones
When you install a parental control app on your child’s devices, don’t forget to manage their screen time. Excessive screen time can affect sleep, attention, and social behavior. Use parental control tools to set healthy screen time boundaries. Some OSes also have screen time features, but they don’t cover full control over your child’s phone.
Block inappropriate websites, set app usage schedules, and monitor device activity. Apps like Moniterro and Parentaler allow detailed time controls and content filtering.
With these, you can pause the internet during study time or prevent access to social media late at night.
How to Monitor Kids' Text Messages
Text monitoring is one of the most sought-after features. With it, you can keep tabs on conversations happening through SMS or apps like WhatsApp and Instagram.
Parentaler and M.Spy allow you to read texts and monitor chats. EyeZy adds a keylogger feature that captures anything typed, even if it’s deleted later. You can also set up keyword alerts, and the app will notify you whenever a specific keyword or phrase is written.
This helps detect cyberbullying, inappropriate messages or searches, or risky interactions with strangers.
How to Track a Phone Without Them Knowing: Stealth Mode
One of the greatest features of parental control apps is Stealth mode. If you need discreet tracking, apps like EyeZy and Moniterro run invisibly on your child’s phone, with no icon or notifications. So the app will run in the background, allowing you to track secretly.
This "stealth mode" is perfect for situations where open monitoring may not be possible. Just ensure you’re following local laws around consent.
Stealth mode allows you to monitor location, texts, calls, and browsing without alerting the user.
Why Location Tracking Matters?
With the help of a kids' location tracker app, you will ensure your child’s safety in real-world situations. Whether they’re walking to school or visiting a friend, knowing their whereabouts can provide peace of mind. There are lots of online and offline threats that can be harmful to children, so keeping an eye on their activity can prevent the potential bad things from happening to your child.
Apps like Parentaler and Scannero offer geofencing and real-time updates. And if you're searching for the best child tracking device hidden within an app, look for one with stealth features, like EyeZy.
Google Family Link: A Free Tip for Parents
Google Family Link is a popular free parental control app for parents with younger kids. It offers core features like app approval, screen time limits, and Android GPS tracking. Also, you can manage content filters, security, and privacy, and have filtered browsing for your kids.
However, it doesn’t include tools to read texts, listen to calls, or use stealth mode. Still, it's a great starting point if you're looking for a basic and cost-free solution.
A reliable parental control app gives you the confidence to let your kids explore safely. Whether you want to track your kid's phone, monitor screen time, or check their texts, there are apps tailored to your exact needs.
From robust options like Parentaler and Moniterro to simpler solutions like Scannero, the tools are available. Choose the right one, stay involved, and have those important conversations with your kids.
START MONITORING YOUR CHILDREN'S PHONE TODAY
FAQs
Can I track my child’s phone without them knowing?
Yes. Apps like EyeZy and Moniterro include stealth mode to let you monitor devices silently. Check local laws for legality.
How can I see my child's browsing history?
Apps such as Parentaler and M.Spy provide full browsing history, including incognito mode and bookmarked pages. You will just need to open Google settings while monitoring and click on history.
Which is the best app to monitor my child's text messages?
For monitoring your child’s text messages, use Parentaler, EyeZy, or M.Spy, also to read texts and messages from platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.
What’s the best parental control app for iPhone?
All major options, including Parentaler, EyeZy, and M.Spy, work well as parental control app for iPhone as well as Android. The best parental control app should always cover different platforms and OSes.
Is there a free parental control app?
There is an option for a free parental control app, and it’s Google Family Link. It’s good for free basic controls, offering screen time limits and location tracking for younger kids. You can also use free trials of the best apps that we’ve reviewed above to try before getting a subscription.