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The Internet can be a treasure trove of information, games, videos and so much more, but it’s also like the Wild West out there. With young people becoming more tech-savvy than ever before, how can parents supervise and keep their children safe while online?

While it’s important to respect their privacy and independence, children may need a helping hand navigating the vast and complex online world. That’s why parental control apps are so important. These apps offer a range of functionalities such as limiting time spent on the device, tracking usage and location, or blocking certain websites.

Of course, there’s no substitute for direct supervision and guidance, but these apps can help make parents’ lives easier and teach children how to browse the internet safely.As part of our research into how smartphones are affecting our younger generation, here are our picks of the best free and paid parental control apps for your family’s devices.

FamilyTime – for families with both young children and teenagers

iOS and Android

Free trial and Premium plans available

• MyFamily – $27 per year
• MyFamily 2 – $35 per year
• MyFamily 5 – $69 per year

FamilyTime is a user-friendly app that lets you customise your control options to create a tailored plan for your family. The software offers a wide range of settings, such as setting time limits around homework and bedtimes, mature content filters, and blocking certain apps from your devices. Aside from monitoring your child’s internet activity, FamilyTime also offers innovative features such as location-based SOS alerts and speed tracking features for teenagers who drive.

Although FamilyTime is a comprehensive app that offers many features, web tracking is limited and there is no support for monitoring social media. What’s more, the setup is slightly more complex as it requires you to download and set up two separate apps – one for parents and one for children. It may seem a little overwhelming for some parents, so if you’re looking for a simple monitoring app, FamilyTime may not be for you.

Qustodio – for families concerned about their children talking to strangers

iOS and Android

Free and Premium plans available

• Small plan – £35.95 per year
• Medium plan – £64.95 per year
• Large plan – £92.95 per year

Qustudio offers a full suite of parental control settings such as time schedules for specific apps, content blocking, and even call and message tracking features. It conveniently creates a profile for each child, which can then be applied to multiple devices. The app also breaks down your child’s online activity in handy reports to show data such as what sites or apps they visit the most, and any search terms they’ve used.

If you’re concerned that your child is spending too much time on one app, or communicating too often with specific people, Qustodio is great for setting specific restrictions. Although the price point may be high for some, Qustodio is ideal for households with multiple users across multiple devices. With extensive cross-platform support across operating systems like Android, iOS, PC, Mac, and more, your child is protected no matter what device is used.

ESET Parental Control – for families who are teaching their children to be safe online

Android only

Free and Premium plans available

• 1 user – £19.99 per year
• 2 users – £39.99 per year
• 3 users – £59.99 per year
• 4 users – £79.99 per year

ESET Parental Control is an easy to use app which lets parents quickly review and manage their child’s online activity. The app comes with pre-set settings based on your child’s age, which can then be configured to suit your needs. ESET offers a range of features such as a content filter, app usage reports, and a website blocker. One unique feature is their parental message feature where children can ask to access a restricted site or request more time on an app.

ESET is ideal for parents who don’t want to spend lots of time fiddling with individual settings. The app offers a useful overview that can give parents an outline of their child’s activity, and the message function can help initiate family conversations about internet safety. However, ESET does not offer call and message tracking, so other apps may be better if parents require more comprehensive monitoring.

Screen Time Parental Control – for families who want to limit smartphone screen time

iOS and Android

Free and Premium plans available

• £47.88 per year

Screen Time divides its functions into two categories: ‘monitoring’ and ‘managing’. The former provides data into your child’s app usage and web browsing history, while the latter allows parents to actively manage their child’s online activity. This includes time limits, approving new app installs, and an ‘Instant Pause’ function for when your child really needs to get off their phone! One particular feature unique to Screen Time is the rewards function, which gives your child additional screen time for completing their homework or chores.

Screen Time’s strengths lie in getting children to manage their device usage, but lags behind its competitors when it comes to monitoring and filtering online content. If you’re looking for a simple parental control app, Screen Time is a good starting point and can help families talk to their children about excessive screen time. However, if you require more in-depth control measures, there are other apps on the market which are more suitable.

Kidslox – for families who want to set boundaries on their device

iOS and Android

Free and Premium plans available

• $39.99 per year
• $79.99 lifetime (one-off payment)

Kidslox is a user-friendly parental control app that uses only one account to protect all the devices in your household. The app gives parents the ability to limit their child’s screen time, with features like a daily time limit, lockdown schedules for homework and bedtimes, and locking distracting apps. There’s also a content filter which lets children browse the web safely, however, there’s no support for message, call or social media tracking.

Control settings are easy to configure with the tap of a button or switch; perfect for parents who want a hassle-free experience. There’s also a handy ‘3-Way-Toggle’ function that lets you quickly block social media apps, games, and internet access depending on the security level you need – ranging from unrestricted ‘Parent mode’ to a fully restricted ‘Lockdown mode’. Kidslox supports most major operating systems across various devices, ensuring secure cross-platform coverage for your child.

FamiSafe – for families giving children their first mobile phone

iOS and Android

Free trial and Premium plans available

• $9.99 per month
• $19.99 per quarter (3 months)
• $59.99 per year

FamiSafe comes with your standard suite of parental control features, such as an app blocker, screen time monitor, and web content blocker. However, FamiSafe’s most popular features are the location tracking capabilities. This allows parents to monitor their child’s real-time location, location history, and set geofences around safe areas – ideal if your child is travelling to school by themselves. There is also a unique ‘Smart Schedule’ feature which will block apps or limit usage automatically, depending on the time, date and location variables you’ve set.

FamiSafe provides app usage and web content monitoring data, but does not offer call or message tracking capabilities. The ‘Smart Schedule’ makes it easy for parents to automatically adjust the level of control, for example, allowing more screen time at the weekend. Combined with open conversations about using their device responsibly, FamiSafe is ideal for parents whose children are beginning to become more independent.

The debate as to whether children should be allowed smartphones (or more accurately, at what age children should be allowed smartphones) has waged on for years. As with any emerging technology, the definitive impact that it has on the youngest and most impressionable in our society is yet to be fully determined, however, that hasn’t stopped a host of opinion pieces and hot takes being written on the subject. We’re taking a look at the effect smartphones are having on our younger generation and in this article, we’ll collate all the information to give a balanced perspective on whether your child should have a smartphone, looking at the pros, cons, and potential risks.

Independence

One of the biggest arguments for letting children have smartphones (even from an early age) is the increased independence that it gives them. Obviously, this has to be done within reason – no one is suggesting that giving a 4-year-old a smartphone means they’re capable of fending for themselves! However, by having an easy source of contact with your child that you wouldn’t otherwise have, it does mean that they’re able to go out with friends during the day without you worrying where they are or what time they’re coming home. Equally, where evening entertainment used to revolve around the family, children can now have their own independent space, separate from parents and siblings, where they are free to watch what they want, interact how they want, and relax how they want.

Obviously, there is some potential risks associated with this independence, such as children becoming detached from the rest of the family or watching/ playing inappropriate content on their smartphones. However, these risks can be easily averted with parental control apps and enforcement times.

Safety

It’s ridiculous to suggest that the world is somehow less safe than it was before smartphones were prevalent. In fact, with more and more children having smartphones, thus making it easier to get hold of a family member or authorities in the case of an emergency, it’s safe to assume that they’re actually better off with a mobile. This, combined with the fact that phone boxes and payphones are no longer as common as they once were, means that parents don’t have to worry as much about getting hold of their children (and vice versa) if something happens.

The counter argument to the issue of safety is that ownership of a phone opens children up to some threats that are only presented with a smartphone. For example, the threat of cyberbullying is greatly increased if children have access to the internet through their smartphones, and they’re also more at risk to online predators. While there are legitimate concerns around these topics, it’s important that parents are frank and honest with their children about the dangers of using the online features of smartphones, and educate them about how to protect themselves online.

Social Interaction

In a child’s formative years, social interaction is essential for healthy development, and there’s been plenty of concern regarding the impact that smartphones may be having on this natural development. One of the biggest concerns, as previously stated, is that long-term exposure to a smartphone from an earlier age can have a detrimental effect on social skills and childrens’ ability to communicate ‘normally’ with one another. Whether this be an inability to communicate in a context that isn’t online, using inappropriate language in a public space, or simply not interacting at all, it’s important for parents to ensure that their children are interacting in a physical and digital context.

On the other hand, smartphones do give children the ability to remain in touch with friends and family outside of normal allotted times. For example, children can build on new friendships they’ve made in school by texting after-the-fact, helping them to interact. Equally, if you have family that live further away, a smartphone allows children to connect with relative as and when they want, be that via text, call or even video.

School

On top of being a useful social tool, smartphones also give young people access to a wealth of knowledge that can be very beneficial to their schooling. In fact, many schools are starting to adopt a policy of children using smartphones to enhance their learning experience, whether through something innocuous such as a calculator or for bigger research projects.

However, critics suggest that smartphones pose a big danger to the overall education of students, as they can be a source of distraction in lessons. There has been some evidence to suggest a link between smartphone use in schools and lower GCSE grades, however, this is not entirely conclusive. When considering whether your child should have a mobile phone or not, it’s important to consider how it could affect their schooling, especially as smartphones become more and more advanced.

Addiction and Mental Health

Another much-touted reason for not giving your child a mobile phone when they’re young is that it can have a detrimental effect on their mental health, specifically in those with low self-confidence and with undiagnosed addictive personality. Indeed, children having access to the internet and social media via their smartphone is inevitably going to expose them to less savoury aspects of the digital landscape, which is why it’s important to monitor their use and take precautions where you feel it’s necessary.

Critics also point to recent studies which suggest that children that use smartphones get less sleep, on average, then those without.

Ultimately, it’s up to you when you feel your child is ready for a smartphone, and the decision of whether you ‘should’ give your child a smartphone has to be made with all of these elements in mind.