Short on Time? Check Out the Top Parental Control App for 2025!
mSpy: This powerful parental control app is loaded with features to ensure your family’s digital safety, including social media monitoring, location tracking, call and SMS monitoring, a keylogger, and much more!
Get the Best Parental Control App of 2025 Here. Learn More About mSpy Here.
Do you need to protect your child from the dangers of society and limit their access to apps and information? Do you suspect your spouse or partner of infidelity but need the proof? Do you have that one employee that you always need to check up on?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you need to use the best spy app to track and monitor their device. Most of us rely on our smartphones for almost everything nowadays so you will find all the information you need to catch out your unfaithful spouse or errant employee or to protect your child from ever-present online threats.
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Parenting in the Digital Age: Challenges and Solutions
Parenting has never been easy, as any sleep-deprived parent juggling work, chores, and child care will confirm. However, many parents argue that raising kids today is far more challenging than it was 20 or 30 years ago.
The main culprit? Technology. While it has empowered parents to multitask like superheroes—checking work emails, scheduling appointments, and planning dinner all while holding a toddler—technology has also introduced new challenges. A recent survey by SWNS Digital revealed that 4 out of 5 parents believe raising children today is harder due to smartphones, gaming apps, and social media.
With kids getting their first phones as early as age seven, protecting them from online dangers has become a top priority. And for good reason—the risks can be severe, costly, or even life-threatening. Here are some of the biggest threats parents face today:
- Cyberbullying – Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying happens via texts, social media, gaming, and forums where harmful content can quickly spread to large audiences. It can involve cyberstalking, doxing, revenge porn, and more, all with the same goal: to humiliate or harm the victim.
- Online Predators – These individuals pose as peers on social media or gaming platforms to groom children, often turning casual chats into inappropriate conversations or worse.
- Identity Theft – A Javelin Strategy & Research study found over a million children were victims of identity theft in 2017, with most under age seven. Innocent social media posts can provide enough information for criminals to exploit.
- Online Scams and Fraud – Children are especially vulnerable to phishing scams and fraudulent links that promise free game upgrades or downloads.
Beyond these major threats, excessive gadget use can also lead to issues like obesity, sleep deprivation, behavioral problems, poor social skills, and low self-esteem.
Establishing rules can help, but teenagers and tech-savvy kids often find ways around them. So how can parents protect their children without being overbearing? Enter parental control apps—a modern solution for a modern problem. These apps allow parents to monitor and guide their children’s online activities discreetly, helping to ensure their safety in an increasingly digital world.
What Is Parental Control and How Can It Help You?
Parental control is a software tool designed to help parents monitor, restrict, and manage their children’s online activities. Combined with clear rules and open communication, it ensures kids enjoy a safe, fun, and productive digital experience. But with so many options available, how do you choose the right one for your family? The best parental control software should include these essential features:
- Screen Time Management – Set limits on screen time or lock devices during important times like bedtime, dinner, school, or homework.
- App Blocking – Restrict access to apps that may distract or harm, such as social media, gaming, shopping, and dating apps.
- Web Filtering – Block websites with harmful or explicit content, including porn, drugs, hate speech, violence, or criminal activities.
- Location Tracking – Gain peace of mind with location tracking features, including geofencing and alerts in case of emergencies.
- Safety Alerts – Get notifications for concerning activities, such as messages or content related to cyberbullying, self-harm, drugs, or violence, allowing you to intervene early.
- Social Media Monitoring – Keep an eye on your child’s interactions across platforms like Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and more.
Parental control apps are a modern solution to help parents navigate the challenges of raising kids in a digital world, keeping them safe while fostering healthy habits online.
Best Spy App Reviews
1. Mspy
mSpy offers parents the ultimate monitoring software for parental control. This software allows you to remotely track and control all of your child’s mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets as well as computers. It gives you access to all their data on all the popular social media apps such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, Facebook and many more.
Product Highlights
With mSpy you will be up and running in no time as it offers you an easy three-step setup process. You will be guided through buying the software, setting it up and starting to track.
When buying the software, you have a choice of six monthly packages from basic to more advanced. The pricing depends on the number of features you require, the device you need to spy on and whether you choose to pay monthly or annually.
As one of the best spy apps mSpy gives you full control over your child’s calls by allowing you to view and monitor all incoming/outgoing calls, including durations and timestamps. It even allows you to block unwanted numbers from being able to reach your child. You can review all texts, multimedia files, and messages both sent and received. You have full access to all messages, images and files sent on all the latest social media apps.
As long as the GPS location on the device is on, you can set safe zones such as “school” or “home” and receive alerts when your child or target leaves a certain area or zone. With mSpy you have virtually full access to your child or target’s device including all application data, email services and multimedia files. You even have full access to all their internet activity.
The internet activity feature allows you to block certain websites and also allows you to set alerts for when certain keywords are searched. You also have full access to contacts and calendar.
What’s to like about the mSpy
What I like about mSpy is that you have the option of a jailbreak-free package. I also like that you get the full package in one software download so there is no need for multiple apps. You literally have access to everything. You will be able to know your child’s every move and be in a position to protect them from potential cyber predators.
What’s not to like about the mSpy
While some of the basic packages are affordable they only allow you limited features and you will need to pay more if you want full access and unlimited features. If you have more than one child, you will need to buy the family package or a license for each device.
PROS
- Full access to target’s device
- Monitor contacts, calendar and internet use
- Easy 3-step setup process
CONS
- Physical access to the device is needed
- License limited to one device
- Some packages are pricey
2. Flexispy
Flexispy claims to be the world’s most powerful monitoring software and can be used on mobile phones, tablets and computers. This software is with Android, iPhone, iPad, PC and Mac. They also have over 150 spy features that are available to Flexispy users.
“FlexiSPY is the only solution for spying on newer iPhones, and is available at just $19.99 — the most affordable in the industry. Not only is the price attractive, it is FlexiSPY’s flagship product, which has every feature they have ever created.”
Product Highlights
Besides being able to do all the usual call-monitoring tasks such as viewing call logs, listening in on calls and recording calls, Fexispy allows you to monitor and record VoIP calls and all calls made on Skype. You can also listen in on surrounding conversations and even have the option to record the surrounding conversations.
You also have a FaceTime spy cam and have full access to all messages and emails with the ability to delete messages and send fake messages. You can set it to automatically delete messages containing certain keywords.
It also has all the standard tracking options via GPS geolocation and you are able to fully spy on all the IM messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, FB Messenger, Viber, LINE, Skype, WeChat, iMessage, BBM and many more.
You have full remote access to the target device which allows you to take a picture or video with the device’s camera, restart the device, SMS remote commands and even check the target device’s battery power status. Flexispy offers a free mobile app that you can use to monitor the target device even when you are on the move.
Along with all these other great features it offers internet monitoring, a keylogger feature that tracks all keystrokes giving you access to passwords and usernames for applications. It allows you to take screenshots of the device and also alerts you when the sim card is changed in the device as well as many other alerts.
Flexispy also offers an installation service, money-back guarantee and email and chat customer service.
What's to like about the Flexispy
Flexispy has gone the extra mile with customer service and support. They have an installation service and a money-back guarantee which is great. They also have a dedicated customer support team which is fantastic and many parents using this app will find be drawn to Flexispy because of the support.
What's not to like about the Flexispy
Yes, Flexispy offers you over 150 spy features and great after sales and customer support, but all this does come at a price as the software is expensive. I also don’t like the fact that jailbreaking and rooting of devices is necessary.
PROS
- Full access to target’s device
- Sim card switch alert
- Can take photos and videos with the device’s camera
CONS
- Physical access to the device is needed
- Expensive packages
- Jailbreak and rooting required
3. Spyera
Spyera is designed and developed to monitor your kids and your employees. For parents, it offers peace of mind knowing that you have control over what your child is exposed to and the tracking feature helps you know where your child is at all times.
For employers it allows the monitoring of employees, making sure that they are utilizing company property and time appropriately.
Product Highlights
Spyera gives you full access to all your child’s movements. As long as the GPS location function on the target device is on you will be able to track where your child is and whether they are venturing out of the safe zone you have set. Monitoring all incoming and outgoing calls is a breeze. You are even able to take and save screenshots of the target device.
This full-on spy app allows you to listen in on the conversation while calls are in progress. You can also record the calls to listen to them later. What makes Spyera stand out from the competition is the ability to listen to and to record surrounding conversations. Whenever the target device is active you can go to the “Record Surround” feature on its dashboard and it will record all the surrounding conversations.
The keylogger tool allows you to know the password of the user account, and all their chats and web searches. Spyera has a built-in keylogger feature. Turning this feature on in the user dashboard will let you obtain an in-depth log of all the keystrokes made on the target device.
You can easily monitor all activities on social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter as well as website browsing history.
Spyera is a user-friendly app that most parents will be able to use, no matter their level of technical ability. It is compatible with iOS and Android and is easy to set up and start tracking.
With iOS devices you access the target device through the iCloud account that is synced to the device, while with Android devices you will need physical access to the device once to download and install the tracking app.
What's to like about the Spyera
Spyera is an undetectable spy app that is compatible with any Android device and any jailbroken iPhone, Blackberry, Symbian or Windows Mobile device. It offers you some great features such as live call listening and recording.
You can easily listen to or record any surrounding conversations. It allows you to monitor over 16 popular Android messaging apps. You have full access to everything that the phone user has access to.
You have access to spy on SMSs, emails, media files, VoIP calls and you are even able to access the target devices camera which allows you to take pictures and record remotely. The GPS tracker will let you know where the user is at any given time and alert you when the user moves beyond certain zones that you have set.
The keylogger feature lets you see everything that is typed on the device, which will give you app usernames and passwords and any other info you need.
What's not to like about the Spyera
The only downside of Spyera is that it requires a jailbreak for iOS devices and rooting for Android devices. Please don’t attempt the rooting or jailbreak on your own unless you have the technical expertise to do so.
PROS
- Compatible with most devices
- Keylogger feature
- GPS tracker
CONS
- iOS requires jailbreak
- Android requires rooting
- No free trial
BUYER'S GUIDE
When you are looking for the best spy app you will find that most of them are quite expensive. In order to save money, you will want to make the right choice of software from the very beginning.
Some apps offer a free trial for you to test the software before making a final purchase, though most don’t. Here are some key features that you can look out for that will help you make the right choice.
Compatibility
This is very important. You need to check the operating system of the target phone you want to monitor as some apps are only compatible with iOS and Android. If the target device is a Windows device and the software is not compatible it will be useless.
Legality
It is illegal in many states to track and monitor devices without the permission and knowledge of the user. To avoid getting yourself into trouble it is wise to familiarize yourself with the legal requirements of your state or country and make sure that you adhere to them when using spy apps.
Physical Access to device
Some spy apps can be installed remotely, but many of them will require you to physically access the target phone in order to download and install the tracking software.
Before buying software check how long it will take to install and whether jailbreaking or rooting is needed. Make sure that you will be able to access the device uninterrupted for the required time and that you have the technical skills required.
Jailbreaking or rooting
While jailbreaking and rooting may not be illegal they are not always a good thing. It is best to find an option that doesn’t require jailbreaking or rooting.
Jailbreaking is the process of removing the limitations put in place by a device’s manufacturer and rooting is the process of gaining “root access” to a device. These techniques allow you to access apps that are generally blocked by the manufacturer and potentially reduces the security of the device and will nullify your manufacturer’s warranty.
Refund Policy
Most spy apps do not have a refund policy but some do offer a money-back guarantee that can be helpful. This is usually only offered by the more expensive apps.
How We Selected the Top Parental Control Apps for 2025
With so many parental control apps available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. To help you find the best option, our experts evaluated and curated a list of top contenders based on these key criteria:
- Compatibility – We ensured each app works seamlessly on popular platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac.
- Features – All selected apps include essential tools like screen time management, website blocking, and location tracking.
- Ease of use – Each app is simple to download, set up, and navigate, making it user-friendly for busy parents.
- Reliability – We analyzed user reviews and ratings to confirm these apps are both trustworthy and effective.
- Privacy – The apps on our list respect user privacy and have clean records regarding data collection and usage.
- Cost – Our recommendations balance features and pricing, ensuring excellent value for your money.
- Customer Support – All selected apps offer reliable support to assist users when needed.
- Age-Appropriateness – These apps cater to kids of all ages, with features adaptable to various levels of maturity.
By considering these factors, we’ve compiled a list of parental control apps to make it easier for you to safeguard your child’s digital experience in 2025.
Best Spy Apps F.A.Q.
Can these apps steal my child’s private data?
No. Federal laws like COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) ensure that apps and websites must obtain parental consent before collecting personal data from children under 13.
Will my kids know I’m monitoring their devices?
It depends on the app. Some parental control software offers a “hidden” or “invisible” mode, meaning kids won’t know their devices are being monitored. However, we recommend using stealth mode sparingly, as it can lead to feelings of distrust or betrayal. Transparency and open communication are key.
Can my kids bypass parental controls?
Tech-savvy kids can find ways around parental controls, such as hacking the router, using proxy servers, or employing VPNs to bypass DNS filters. To counter this, check for installed VPN apps, uninstall them, and block future downloads. However, the best solution is fostering understanding—explain that these controls are in place to keep them safe. Gaining their cooperation makes monitoring more effective.
FINAL VERDICT
All the spy apps above are strong candidates for the best spy app, but the one that stands out the most is mSpy. It is expensive, but you are paying for what you get with over 150 spy features on offer, great customer support and even an installation service.
If you need to use a spy app but are on a budget then you can give Flexispy a try. It offers fewer features but does give you all the basics and is more affordable than the others.
Spyera offers a complete package and is totally undetectable by the phone user. It offers lots of great options and access to all the things that you would want and need in a spy app. It may be a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for.
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