As parents, the number one priority is to keep our children safe.

However, safety extends far beyond teaching them to look both ways before crossing the street or how to dial 911. In the digital age, protecting children has become increasingly complicated.

The rapid rise of AI technology and the influence of social media platforms have left many parents struggling to find effective ways to protect their kids online. While parental control apps have grown in popularity over the years, many adults remain unaware of how these tools work, what they offer and how essential they can be in safeguarding kids’ privacy.

Several decades of research have indicated that social media can cause poor sleep and academic issues for school-aged children. Emerging studies have also looked into the impact social media has on kids’ mental health. In 2019, a group of researchers found that teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to experience poor mental health outcomes.

Lisa Honold, who currently serves as the director of the Center for Online Safety, has highlighted several digital features that raise serious safety concerns — including disappearing messages, anonymous chats, group chats and location sharing. These new elements make it even more difficult for parents to stay in the know.

“The biggest risks I see for kids right now are harmful content, predatory contact and unhealthy design features in apps,” shared Honold. “Kids are being targeted with sextortion scams, exposed to inappropriate or extreme content and pressured by algorithms designed to keep them hooked on a platform, whether it’s a gaming system or social media.”

Honold believes it’s important for parents to start teaching their children about internet safety as early as they start swiping on a screen. She also recommends that parents utilize tools and resources that can assist in monitoring their children’s activity and blocking harmful content. Parental control apps remain a popular and effective choice for many families.

“Parental control apps aren’t about spying. They’re about creating digital guardrails,” Honold explained. “They can filter out explicit websites, set time limits on apps and give parents alerts if something unsafe happens. Unfortunately, there’s no other way to know what’s going on behind your child’s screen and as their parent, you need to know when to intervene.”

There are several affordable and easy-to-use parental control apps available. Options like Qustodio, Bark, and Aura Parental Control offer many features that allow parents to do everything from set screen time limits to track device location, filter inappropriate content and monitor online activity.

Below, the Post has put together a list of the best parental control apps of 2025. For more information on how to select the right app for your family and your needs, head to the FAQ section.

Qustodio allows parents to filter content and apps, set varying access levels to the web, apps, or AI platforms, while also monitoring activity, managing screen time, locating family members, tracking calls, and receiving real-time reports or SOS alerts. Its standout features include AI-powered alerts and app insights that warn about potentially harmful content and emerging risks, enabling parents to intervene early before issues escalate. Qustodio functions smoothly across iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Chromebook, ensuring consistent protection regardless of device. Available in 9 languages, Qustodio is trusted by over 8 million families worldwide, and users are impressed that it not only monitors safety but also helps create healthier device habits, allowing them to enjoy meaningful family time. For additional support, the optional Care Plus add-on offers expert phone assistance. With a free trial, flexible plans, and competitive pricing, Qustodio makes advanced parental controls accessible to all families. Use code QALL12 to get 12% off today.

Bark is another popular parental control app, and a favorite of Honold and several other experts who appreciate the personalization and advanced features. Bark’s AI technology works by scanning your child’s text messages, over 30 social media apps, web browsers, emails and other online activity, to keep parents informed with personalized reports. It’s not just a matter of feeding the information back to parents; Bark also provides expert guidance with every alert, helping adults handle those difficult moments. For kids (and adults), Bark also offers free access to mental wellness tools with TalkSpace Go, an app that offers teen-appropriate self-guided exercises, content and videos. The company also offers its own Bark phone and watch, with all the monitoring and filtering technology already built in. For parents who take monitoring very seriously, Bark is an excellent choice.

Parental control apps offer a wide range of tools to monitor children’s online habits, but for parents of gamers, the stakes can feel even higher. Aura Parental Control stands out by going beyond standard app tracking, offering AI-powered voice and text monitoring within video games. This advanced feature is powered by ProtectMe by Kidas, a cybersecurity solution designed specifically to safeguard young gamers. When Aura detects potential predatory threats during in-game chats, parents are immediately notified. Currently, the feature supports over 200 of the most popular PC games on Windows. While Aura includes many of the standard parental control tools (like screen time limits, content filtering and location tracking), this unique gaming-specific protection sets it apart from some competitors.

If you’re fully committed to integrating parental controls into everyday life, Troomi is a clear choice. Unlike traditional parental control apps, Troomi offers a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and kids’ smartwatches with monitoring and filtering systems that are already built into the device’s operating software. One of Troomi’s most seamless features is SafeListing, which ensures that children can only receive calls and texts from parent-approved contacts; this not only promotes safer communication but also blocks spam calls and unwanted messages, providing an additional layer of protection. Troomi also offers several resources, courses and expert advice to foster safe, positive digital experiences for kids and their parents. For kids who are already set up with their own phone, it is possible to add their old number to their new Troomi phone.

You may know Norton as the award-winning cybersecurity company known for its antivirus and malware protection software. Norton Family is an extension of their services, designed specifically to help parents monitor and guide their children’s online activity. With Norton Family, parents can view their child’s search history, watched videos, and browsing activity, to help ensure content is age-appropriate and safe. The platform also allows for screen time limits, scheduled device usage, as well as location tracking. Norton is also a bit more affordable compared to some of the other parental control apps. However, the software does lack some advanced features offered by other parental control apps — including social media and message monitoring, app blocking, and comprehensive iOS functionality. For a basic solution, Nortion Family is a solid choice.

For insights into digital safety, The Post consulted award-winning internet safety expert and Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee, Fareedah Shaheed, and the founder of the Center for Online Safety, Lisa Honold. Both experts have extensive knowledge in cybersecurity and children’s social media use.

While Fareedah explained that trust and communication should be the foundation of online safety, she does believe that parental control apps are helpful resources.

“They are useful tools, especially for younger kids, to make the online environment age-appropriate,” she explained. These apps can restrict risky features, keep profiles private or send alerts. The internet wasn’t designed for children, and the decision to add parental controls helps tailor it into a safer space aligned with your family’s values.”

“Absolutely. Honesty builds trust,” shared Honold. “In fact, my favorite parental control app requires that kids be involved in setting up the app. If you secretly track your child, it risks breaking the very connection you need when things go wrong.”

Honold said that parents should be up front, saying something along the lines of: “‘I’m going to use an app to help you stay safe online. It’s going to send me alerts when there are situations that need an adult involved. It’s not meant to invade your privacy; in fact, I won’t even see any of your texts or interactions unless I see a potential problem I need to know about.'”

Potential problems might include explicit os sexual content, evidence of bullying or the exchange of personal information. Honold also added that parents may decide to pair the app with a Family Tech Agreement, so kids know the rules and the reasons.

Effective parental control apps should include features that filter or block explicit and potentially harmful content. However, not all apps offer the same level of protection, and it’s important for parents to understand that these tools are helpful, but not 100% effective.

“It depends on the app,” Fareedah noted. “Some actively block or filter harmful content, though nothing is perfect. Others focus more on monitoring and sending reports. Parents need to understand what each app actually does and that no tool is foolproof.”

According to Honold, the best apps combine three things:

For many families, free parental control apps are a great place to start, while paid options provide more insights into children’s social media and messaging habits.

“The safer free options are usually from companies you already use,” explained Fareedah, who cited that Google, Apple and Microsoft have some free options.

“Premium apps can add more features across multiple devices,” she added. “But, no matter what, you’ll also need to use the built-in free parental controls in your devices and on platforms like TikTok, Instagram or YouTube.”

This article was written by Miska Salemann, New York Post Commerce Journalist. As a Gen Z first-time mother of one, Miska tests baby, maternity and postpartum products ranging from stylish new kids clothes to long-trusted diaper brands with her daughter. She evaluates baby- and mom-approved products for practicality and quality, and consults medical and parenting experts to weigh in on safe ingredients, usage and more. Before arriving at the Post, she covered the lifestyle and consumer verticals for the U.S. Sun.