10 Phone Tracking Apps for Parents Worth Using
Do you suspect that your teenage child is falling into the wrong crowd? The world of technology has something to offer to help allay your concerns. These tracking apps for parents will help them understand what they are doing, from seeing their location to monitoring their activities on social media. So join us as we look at the best solutions in this niche.
uMobix – Best Tracking App for Parents
If you are looking for the perfect cell phone tracking apps for parents, uMobix is highly recommended. It is considered one of the best phone trackers available, offering robust GPS tracking, social media monitoring, and constant release of new features. With a free trial, responsive 24/7 live chat, and compatibility with Android and iOS, it should not pass by you.
Should Parents Use Tracking Apps? Some Reasons to Consider
As a parent, you should give your child freedom, especially during their teenage years. However, you may need to use a tracking app. If you suspect that your child is engaging in illegal activity or a potential predator is talking to them, you may want to look for iPhone and Android tracking apps. If your child claims they’re at a friend’s house, but you believe they’re someplace they’re not supposed to be, you may resort to GPS tracking apps. If your child is a minor under 14, using cell phone tracking apps will ease your parenting burden.
How Do Parental Tracking Apps Work?
Whether you’re comparing Android or iPhone tracking apps for parents, they generally work the same way. The parent creates an account, pays for a subscription (or a trial if they’re lucky enough to find free tracking apps for parents), and installs the app. Usually, they do it manually on their child’s phone by scanning a QR code or following a link to download a file. However, Apple users may be able to download the app remotely via iCloud.
Once the phone tracking app is installed, it will help parents while running discreetly in the background without giving itself away. The app collects information like texts received, Internet activities, and more. The parent can then view the activities via a dashboard on Android and iPhone.
And that’s generally how these phone tracking apps for parents work. Some of them may have differences, but they generally follow this formula.
The List of Best Tracking Apps for Parents
Now, let’s look at some of the high-tech location tracking apps for parents in 2024. These apps have proven themselves to work and are great at learning more about what your child is doing. So, without further ado, here are some iPhone and Android apps for parental tracking.
uMobix – The Leading Tracking App for Android and iPhone
uMobix is one of the best phone tracking apps available today. It stands out from others due to its stability and user-friendliness. Once installed on your child’s phone, uMobix allows you to keep track of their browser history, monitor their text messages, and set limits, including advanced screen time control. Moreover, viewing all the newly installed apps and device gallery files is possible.
The only downside to uMobix is that it lacks geofencing, but it makes up for it with real-time location tracking and Geofinder. The latter allows for monitoring by phone number without installation remotely and anonymously. If you’re looking for free phone tracking apps for parents, you are lucky. It offers a $1 trial for 48 hours. Reach out to customer support via live chat or email for more details.
On top of that, it’s worth trying as an iPhone parental control app since it offers full access to Facebook and Instagram on iOS without jailbreak, which none of its competitors can boast of. Overall, it’s a great mobile app that flawlessly supports various gadgets.
Cocospy – High-Technological Cell Phone Tracking App
Next, we have Cocospy, a cell phone tracker with perks. For one thing, it does have all the potential to get the whereabouts data. If your child leaves specific GPS boundaries, you will receive an alert. With that said, this app shines on any Android device and is less popular when it comes to iOS.
Therefore, you may be hesitant if your target has an iOS device. Also, it lacks a free version, and the premium version allows for the monitoring of only one device. So, if you have a few kids, the cost can add up! But despite all the nuances, Cocospy сonfidently maintains a leadership position among top tracking apps for parents.
FamiSafe – Location Tracking App Providing Kid’s Safety
Introducing FamiSafe – an app that helps you keep track of your child’s activities and real-time location. However, FamiSafe offers much more than that. It works both ways, meaning your kids can also see your location and alert authorities if they need help. This makes it suitable not only for parents but also for kids. Furthermore, you can try the app for free for 3 days, making it an excellent option for parents who want to keep tabs on their children’s whereabouts.
While being on the list of great parental tracking apps for iPhone and Android, it does have some downsides. Your kids may be able to bypass its filters if they are clever enough. But overall, it’s a worthwhile option.
Life360: Free Tracking App for Parents
The best iPhone tracking app for parents generally requires payment. Some provide a free trial for a few days, but not all. However, Life360 is different from others. It includes everything that you expect from an outstanding phone tracker, such as parental control and live location tracking. And the best part is that it also offers a free plan.
This free tracking app for parents has limitations, but it provides the fundamental features to monitor your kids, such as smart notifications, driver reports, emergency dispatch, and much more. And if you want access to all the features, you may upgrade to a paid version.
iKeyMonitor: Free Android and iPhone Tracking App
Among the competitive services for parental tracking is iKeyMonitor. As you may expect, it includes features like location history, screen time, app blocking, parental control customization, and more. But what makes iKeyMonitor unique is that it comes in adjustable plans. You can focus on socials, photos, voice recordings, etc. This helps parents save money by removing any unneeded features. It is compatible with iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS.
Another advantage is its unlimited free plan (add-ons can be purchased for $9.99 for 3 days or $16.66 per month), which covers geofencing, call history, WiFi history, SMS, contacts, and more. Why not try? And if you are satisfied with the quality of operation, it is even possible to go further and try jailbreaking or rooting for extra features.
FamiGuard Pro: A Great App to Monitor Your Child’s Phone
FamiGuard is an app with all the parental control features you expect, such as location tracking and alerts on activity. What people like about this representative of monitoring apps for parents is that it’s compatible with many Android and iOS devices.
Noteworthy, some users have reported bugs related to location history and phone tracking. However, it can still be a good option if you’re looking for affordable software to give you peace of mind. Additionally, this app could be useful for families who want to assist each other and ensure safety.
Verizon Smart Family- Free Phone Tracking App
Smart Family may be worth a try if you have a Verizon plan. It’s an excellent parental control tool for your kid’s iPhone or Android device. App blocking and web filtering allow parents to track various activities and stay in the loop of kids’ interests.
Best of all, you get a 30-day free trial. Sadly, you must pay after that, but the cost is quite affordable. However, we do believe it should have been free for Verizon members. It’s great for watching your kids if you have a subscription. However, if you have another mobile phone plan, settle on another app for your child’s mobile device.
Qustodio – One of the Best Apps to Track Android and Apple Devices
Next, we have a service called Qustodio. This phone tracking app offers real-time location tracking and social media monitoring features. All of these features are available through a user-friendly dashboard, which also allows you to get alerts and stay informed at all times.
However, there are a couple of drawbacks to consider. To monitor texts and calls, you must sideload the target Android device. Moreover, it may seem costly for some users. Despite these faults, Qustodio still offers a wide range of features for keeping an eye on your children hassle-free. Give this service a try and see how it can assist you in safeguarding your child’s online activities. Moreover, judging by user feedback, this is one of the best and most proven tracking apps for parents.
Bark – The Best Android App in the US with a Competitive Set of Features
As the name implies, this tracking app is an excellent watchdog to monitor your child’s location data and app usage. It’s been praised as fast and efficient, with lightning-fast notification speed whenever your child is doing something worth investigating. Note that Bark can be used with iOS devices as well as Android.
The only thing to remember is that Bark lacks a geofencing feature, which is only available in certain countries. If you don’t live in the USA, Australia, or South Africa, you may not benefit greatly from this app. However, in contrast to common phone tracking apps, Bark allows users to purchase a phone with already pre-installed software and every safety feature already activated. By the way, it can be for both parents simultaneously. Overall, it’s worth checking out.
pcTattletale – Monitor Kids’ Apps and Device
Finally, we have pcTattletale on our list of phone tracking apps. This tool is designed for parents and employers as a way to track every activity on Android or Windows. You can receive a notification in the form of a video, which you can then watch at any time. It offers a 7-day free trial and supports multiple device tracking in a single subscription (up to 3).
While a great app, it’s last because it lacks an intuitive dashboard or geofencing and is not for iPhone. If you’re an iPhone family, you may need to look elsewhere since this one is more suitable for supervising employees but not for monitoring a child’s phone.
Last Words
All of these tracking apps for parents work great but offer a different set of features; some will let you use GPS to see your kid’s current location for free, while others require subscribing to premium plans for extra features. Pros and cons for each app vary, so do research and see which is ideal for your situation. Agree that the best tracking apps for parents should match your budget and expectations. These are the main points concerning parental control for Android and Apple devices to point out.