Five Popular Parental Control Apps to Keep Your Child Safe Online

Qustodio is a comprehensive parental control solution that works across multiple platforms and stands out for its intelligent social media monitoring and rare ability to track calls and texts.

Pros	Cons
Broad platform support Intelligent social media monitoring tool Call and text monitoring	Web filtering can be bypassed with VPNs

Key Features

Web Filtering
Websites can be blocked individually or filtered across 29 categories, with the option to create custom browsing rules or receive alerts when children visit specific sites or browses content from certain categories. However, these web filters can be bypassed with VPNs.

App Management
Parents can block or set time limits for Android apps and more than 25,000 iOS apps. A standout feature is Qustodio’s AI-powered social media monitoring tool, which analyses conversations on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Snapchat, TikTok, X, and LINE, alerting parents about potentially concerning topics including bullying, self-harm discussions, school absence mentions, or health-related worries.

Screen Time Management
Beyond apps, screen time can also be managed at the device level through daily limits, scheduled screen-free periods, or pausing internet access entirely.

Location Tracking
Location tracking includes geofencing notifications that alert parents when a child enters or leaves specific areas.

Call and Text Monitoring
Qustodio is one of the few parental control apps capable of logging texts and calls, viewing message content, and blocking specific phone numbers. This feature requires sideloading a special version of the app from its website.

Pricing
Qustodio offers three pricing tiers to suit different family needs:

• Free plan – Protects a single device with limited features
• Basic plan – USD $54.95/year; covers up to five devices with core features
• Premium plan – USD $99.95/year; covers unlimited devices with access to all features

Exclusive deals are available for Singtel subscribers.

Download Qustodio here.

Net Nanny is best known for its intelligent web filtering, which goes beyond standard parental control tools by using advanced text analysis to evaluate websites in real time. See what Net Nanny can do in this video.

Pros	Cons
Intelligent content filtering and profanity masking	Does not cover Android devices

Key Features

Web Filtering
Websites can be blocked individually or filtered across 14 categories, with the option for parents to be alerted when children view content from certain categories. Parents can also create custom filters to detect or block content types that are not automatically monitored. Unlike most parental control apps, Net Nanny scans each website in real time instead of relying on static blocklists. This allows it to distinguish between contexts. For example, blocking access to gambling sites while still allowing a Wikipedia article about gambling. A profanity filter also masks explicit language with special characters, enabling children to browse without exposure to offensive terms. When a site is blocked, children can request access for parental review.

App Management
Parents can block over 100 iOS apps. For social media, Net Nanny allows filters to be applied to seven apps—Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Tumblr, Twitter, and YouTube. Parents can also review a child’s YouTube watch history and search activity. However, private conversations in social media apps are not monitored.

Screen Time Management
While screen time limits cannot be set for individual apps, they can be applied at the device level through daily caps and scheduled screen-free times. Parents can also pause the device or block internet access when time is up.

Location Tracking
Location tracking includes geofencing notifications that alert parents when a child enters or leaves specific areas. However, these areas must be locations that have been previously visited by the child.

Pricing
Net Nanny does not offer a free plan. Instead, it provides two paid options:

• USD $54.99/year; covers up to 5 devices
• USD $89.99/year; covers up to 20 devices

Find Net Nanny’s installation instructions here.

Kaspersky Safe Kids offers excellent value by covering unlimited devices under a single subscription, making it particularly cost-effective for larger families. See what Kaspersky Safe Kids can do in this video.

Pros	Cons
Covers unlimited devices Battery life monitoring	Limited functionality on iOS devices Limited social media monitoring

Key Features

Web Filtering
Websites can be blocked individually or filtered across 14 categories, with the option to trigger warnings when a child visits websites from selected categories, allowing them the choice to proceed or navigate away.

App Management
App controls vary by platform. Parents can block or set time limits on all Android apps and iOS apps with age restrictions. Android apps can be further managed through category-based filtering. Social media monitoring is available only for Facebook. Parents can view copies of their child’s posts and track friend counts, but private conversations are not monitored.

Screen Time Management
Parents can set daily limits and schedules, but enforcement differs significantly between platforms. On Android, devices can be locked when the limit is reached, leaving only calling and SMS functions available. On iOS, time limits only generate warnings without actual restrictions, potentially limiting effectiveness.

Location Tracking
Location tracking includes geofencing notifications that alert parents when a child enters or leaves specific areas. A useful feature is battery life monitoring, which helps ensure parents know if a child’s device is running low on power.

Pricing
Kaspersky Safe Kids offers two pricing plans:

• Free plan – covers unlimited devices with basic features
• Premium plan – SGD $24 annually; covers unlimited devices with access to all features

Download Kaspersky Safe Kids here.

Norton Family stands out for its extensive web filtering capabilities and its emphasis on fostering communication between parents and children.

Pros	Cons
Extensive web filtering with 47 categories Tools that encourage parent-child communication on online boundaries	Does not cover Mac devices App management limited to Android devices No social media monitoring

Key Features

Web Filtering
Websites can be blocked individually or filtered across 47 categories, each tagged with an age restriction that can be customised. Parents can also choose to monitor their child’s activity within a category or set it to “warn”, notifying the child that a site may be risky before they proceed. Children have the option to request access permission and explain their reasoning when a site is blocked, encouraging parent-child communication on online boundaries.

App Management
App management works only on Android devices, where parents can block applications. On the social media front, Norton Family does not monitor social media conversations or text messages.

Screen Time Management
While screen time limits cannot be set for individual apps, they can be applied at the device level through daily caps and schedules. Children can request additional time remotely, and an instant lock feature allows parents to immediately restrict access if harmful activity is detected.

Location Tracking
Location tracking includes geofencing notifications that alert parents when a child enters or leaves specific areas. Parents can set up notifications to be informed of their child’s location at specific times of the day, and children can voluntarily share their whereabouts using the check-in feature.

Pricing
Norton Family does not offer a free plan. Instead, it provides a single paid plan at SGD $29.99 per year, covering unlimited devices.

Download Norton Family from the Apple App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android. Learn how to set up a Norton Family account — watch this video for iOS and this one for Android.

Google Family Link is a free parental control app designed specifically for Android and ChromeOS devices. While it lacks the depth of paid competitors, it provides essential tools for families who want straightforward control over screen time, app usage, and Google Play purchase.

Pros	Cons
Deep Google Play integration	Does not cover iOS and Mac devices

Key Features

Web Filtering
Web filtering is limited to a single category—mature sites. Children have the option to request access permission when a site is blocked.

App Management
Apps can be sorted by time spent, by name, or by most recent installation. Parents can block apps or set daily time limits, and also control individual app permissions on their child’s device.

Screen Time Management
Parents can set daily limits and downtime for Android devices and Chromebooks.

Location Tracking
Location tracking includes geofencing notifications that alert parents when a child enters or leaves designated areas, but it does not provide location history. A useful feature is battery life monitoring, which helps ensure parents know if a child’s device is running low on power.

Google Play Control
One of Family Link’s strongest features is deep integration with Google Play. Parents can set purchase approvals for all content, all purchases made with the family payment method, or for in-app purchases only. Content restrictions can also be applied across five categories— Apps & Games, Movies, TV, Books and Music.

Pricing
Google Family Link is completely free.

Download Google Family Link app from the Apple App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android. Note that Google Family Link allows parents to manage their child’s Android devices and Chromebooks from either an iOS or an Android device. Find out more here.