Studies have demonstrated that parental supervision helps to keep children safe. Regarding the effectiveness of parental control apps, most parents have no qualms. The question is, what is the best parental control app once you realize the necessity of using one? Parental controls come in various varieties, and each one has unique features and functions. We'll list the top parental control apps in this guide. Each app has advantages and disadvantages, and what works best for you might not work best for someone else. In light of that, let's investigate the top parental controls accessible in 2023.
Parental controls built-in
The majority of operating systems come with built-in parental controls that can be used right away. Some of them are a component of the tool, while others are a component of the operating system. Some apps, like Google Chrome's website blocking feature, have their own features to assist you in keeping your child safe.
Parental Controls for Windows
Windows 10 introduced parental controls, and Windows 11 has them as well. When used on Windows devices, the features are excellent, but when used on non-Windows devices, they are quite meager. However, they're a great option for limiting apps and games on your child's Xbox gaming console based on age ratings. The Windows parental controls are compatible with a variety of laptop brands, including Dell and ASUS (ASUS tablets run on Android; see below for more information).
Parental Controls for MacBook
Due to its security features, the MacBook presents a significant challenge for third-party parental control apps. Because of this, many parents who own a MacBook and want to install parental controls on their computer choose to use MacBook parental controls. It's simple to use, like all built-in parental controls, but it's not the best choice available. Remember that installing parental controls on a MacBook differs from installing them on an iPad.
Controls for parents on Android
Depending on the type of device you're using, the parental controls on Android vary slightly. For instance, despite the fact that all Xiaomi, Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, Google Pixel, Sony, Vivo, and LG phones use a particular version of Android, the parental controls in their settings may have different names. The majority of them guide you toward installing Google Family Link, Google's parental control app.
Even though Google Family Link isn't pre-installed on Android devices, you must install it in order to activate parental controls on Android, so we haven't classified it as a third-party parental control app. One could argue that the best free parental control app for Android is Google Family Link. If you want to activate parental controls on Chromebooks, Google Family Link is a fantastic choice.
Parental controls for iPhone
For iPhone users who want to keep their kids safe, the parental controls are the simplest option. The parental controls are adequate to get started even though they don't offer as much as third-party apps. The best iPhone parental control app is comparable to these default controls, but not to paid parental control apps.
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Parental controls in-app
There are parental control settings specific to some apps. Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock, Hulu, YouTube, Disney Plus, Hotstar, Xfinity TV, NOW TV, GOtv, Prime Video, Roku, and Paramount Plus are a few examples of streaming services. Parental controls are available on some social media and music streaming services, including Facebook and Apple Music.
Brands of smart TVs that are still on the list include those from Samsung, Fire, TCL, LG, and Vizio. Parental controls are available on gaming consoles like the Wii U, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5. Parental controls are available on Wi-Fi routers and satellite boxes as well. Some examples include Zgemma, Sky WiFi, and Spectrum WiFi. Last but not least, you can also use parental controls for kids on Kindle devices, tiny electronic devices used to read books, and the Oculus Meta Quest, Meta's virtual reality headset.
Apps for third-party parental control
For parents who have the means to spend money, third-party apps are clearly the best choice. Each of these apps has benefits and drawbacks, and we have done our best to treat them equally.
Nanny Net
The majority of parental control apps from third parties have some differences between the features they offer on iOS and Android. The feature differences between Net Nanny's offerings on the two platforms are the least noticeable. The features of the app include:
- Locating your child in real time
- displaying the location history of your child
- page content-based web page filtering
- ability to block all Android apps and more than 100 iOS apps
- You are alerted by an app advisor to any potentially harmful apps your child installs.
When compared to the other options in this guide, Net Nanny is a little more expensive. Additionally, Net Nanny lacks the ability to monitor calls and texts, a feature that many parents desire in a parental control app.
Qustodio
The variety of devices that Qustodio is compatible with is its most remarkable achievement. Qustodio functions on Macs, PCs, Chromebooks, Android, iOS, and Amazon's Fire Tablet. The application can:
- managing every app on an Android device and more than 6000 apps on an iOS device
- Keeping track of a child's text and call history
- Set screen time restrictions for specific devices or apps.
Qustodio may be the best parental control app for Android at this point in the guide if you want to view your child's texts and call history. The disadvantage is that Qustodio can get expensive if you have many devices. Additionally, the web filtering isn't as effective as a parent would like.
Norton Safe Kids
Possibly because of its well-known antivirus app, Kaspersky is well known. Since the business specializes in cyber security, it has also dabbled in other pertinent areas like parental controls. Some fantastic features of Kaspersky Safe Kids include:
- very low cost
- Blocks searches even in the YouTube Android app thanks to its effective use inside apps like YouTube.
- Some features, including screen time restrictions, are accessible with the free plan.
- Any number of devices are permitted under the paid plan.
- carries an AV-TEST certificate of approval
There is another drawback to Kaspersky Safe Kids. The parental control app does not track calls or texts, similar to Net Nanny. Additionally, the app's mobile apps are difficult to use and its web portal is slow.
Family Norton
If you purchase a specific Norton Antivirus Suite, Norton Family is a free product; otherwise, you must pay for the features it provides. These characteristics include:
- control of screen time
- powerful web filters that function inside of apps like YouTube and Hulu
- Feature of School Time that keeps children concentrated while learning
- One of Norton Family's great features is geofencing.
The drawback of Norton Family is that some of its features, like screen time restrictions and app management, don't function as well in iOS as they do on Android and Windows. The app is not even close to being a contender for iOS's top parental control app.
Safes
We provide the parental control app Safes on a variety of operating systems, including iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. Chromebooks that have the Android version installed can also use Safes. Safes have a variety of features, such as:
- Separately regulating screen time for various devices or even various apps
- establishing a clever schedule for specific devices or apps
- By pressing a button, all apps are immediately blocked.
- using different search engines to filter web searches based on keywords
- preventing URLs in various web browsers
Geofencing
Especially on Windows, which is typically simpler, Safes has clever ways to block any method your child uses to get around the parental control app. For instance, if your child terminates the Safes process using Windows Task Manager, the application will immediately restart.
Safes School, a sister app to Safes, has many of the same features as Safes but was created with teachers and school administrators in mind. Its features, including class management, were created with teachers in mind.
Conclusion
This list includes all of the top parental control apps for 2023. Each of the apps listed here has advantages and disadvantages. Fortunately, the selection of parental control apps in this guide is sufficient to meet the needs of every parent looking for the top parental control app in 2023. Different parents have different needs. For instance, Safes is a paid item and is not a good choice for people looking for a free parental control app. Check out our list of the top parental control apps for teenagers if you have a teen in your home.