iPhone Parental Monitoring Software – 6 Top Picks in 2024

Are you worried about how your kids use their iPhones? If you notice increased online time, a sudden change in behavior, or lower marks at school, then it is time to consider an iPhone spying app. There are too many out there, so we decided to save you some time and pick some options.

Too long to read? Here’s a summary of our top 3 spy apps on the market:

🥇 mSpy – invisible, fast, and reliable for all your parental control needs. You can screen record the target device, spy on social media, read SMS, screen time, web filtering, view call logs, and browsing history. No jailbreaking.

🥈 Kidsguard – our second-best pick for both Android and iOS users. Affordable pricing. Free demo. Spy on social media. Track SIM location. Invisible. No jailbreaking.

🥉 uMobix – a reliable option with a decent amount of features. Activity tracking. Screen recording. Beginner-friendly. Great customer service. Outstanding user interface. Invisible. No jailbreaking.

TRY Our #1 Parental Control App

iPhone Parental Monitoring on iOS

Built-in parental control settings by Apple allow you to manage apps installed on your kids’ phones, limit screen time, filter web content by ratings, and restrict some functions like LTE or Apple Pay.

Restrict Device Access

Begin by creating a passcode only known to you if you don’t want kids to access the phone without your permission. To do this, go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Turn Passcode On and decide what children can access without the passcode in the settings below.

Limit iPhone Screen Time

With this essential feature, you decide when and how much time your kids can spend with app categories like games or social media. It’s also possible to block specific applications completely.

  • Navigate to Settings on the kid’s iPhone;
  • Hit Screen Time and Turn it on;
iPhone screen time
  • Select preferred content and privacy restrictions;
  • Create a 4-digit passcode;
Screen time passcode
  • Confirm the code by re-entering it

Track Location Using Apple Maps

After that, you can also turn on location tracking using Find My pre-installed software:

  1. Make sure the location services are on;
  2. Then open the Find My app on both your and the child’s iPhone;
  3. Choose the “People” tab and add your kid’s devices;
  4. On their phone, always agree to share location;
  5. Add notifications to know when they leave or arrive at certain places like school or home.

The major drawback of these features is that they   require physical access to the child’s iPhone. You can only activate them manually and directly on the target device.  It is highly unlikely that your teen will lend you their smartphone or leave it unattended without a passcode in place.

However, the following 5 iPhone parental monitoring apps can be installed remotely and remain hidden at all times. We’ve conducted in-depth research to discover these apps, and we’re sure you will find them worth a try.

mSpy: Reliable iPhone Parental Monitoring No Jailbreak

mSpy offers robust features like tracking websites, messages, and social conversations. The unique thing about this app is that it sends online reports accessible on separate devices.

mSpy monitoring applications

Top Review

“When I started looking for an iPhone parental control app, my friends unanimously suggested mSpy. At first, I didn’t understand the fuss was about it, but then I entered my kid’s Apple ID credentials and starters monitoring. It’s an unbelievably beginner-friendly app with many useful features that don’t require jailbreak. mSpy is quite a find for me as a busy, not exactly tech-savvy mom.”  

Key Features

  • Keylogger: It records all typing strokes, including passwords and notes
  • Access to Calendar and Call Logs: Sees all telephone communications and accesses the calendar events
  • Location tracking: Put a GPS tracker to see where your child is at any given time
  • Text Message and Email Reading: Accesses any received, sent, or deleted text messages and emails
  • Social Media Tracker brings you 10+ most popular social media apps in plain sight

Pros & Cons

  • It is safe and hidden
  • You can choose between jailbreak or no jailbreak solutions
  • Pricing of the app is reasonable
  • Geofencing alerts
  • Some features need jailbreak
  • No refund policy available

Download

KidsGuard: Best iPhone Parental Control App

KidsGuard is a top-notch monitoring app that works without a jailbreak. It allows parents to track their kid’s activity across 20+ apps. Installing KidsGuard is super easy and takes less than 5 minutes.

KidsGuard track messages

Top Review

“I like it when everything is clear and well-organized. This can be said about the KidsGuard dashboard for iOS devices. Almost everything my daughter does on her iPhone is visible in one place — a neat control panel I can access from any browser. Extremely user-friendly and effective, I highly recommend it.” 

Key Features

  • The call tracker monitors all incoming and outgoing calls
  • iPhone & iPad parental monitoring manages installed applications, contacts, calendars, notes and reminders, voice memos, Apple TV, and all media files
  • Text Spy lets you know who texts your child
  • An IM tracker scoops all data from chat apps WhatsApp, WeChat, LINE, Viber, QQ, and Kik
  • The web history & bookmarks section lets you understand your child’s browsing behavior

Pros & Cons

  • The app is 100% invisible
  • The installation process is super easy
  • Supports multiple languages
  • Doesn’t require a source app to function
  • Supports the latest iOS versions
  • Can view even deleted data
  • Monitors only a single device at once
  • The provider doesn’t offer free trials

Download

uMobix: Top-Tier Kids Tracking Software

With uMobix, you can completely control your child’s mobile phone usage. You can monitor their call and text history, set limits on their screen time, and even remotely lock their phone if necessary.

umobix web browser history

Plus, with the app’s geo-fencing feature, you can receive alerts whenever your child enters or leaves a designated safe zone. Whether you want to ensure your child’s safety or help them develop healthy mobile phone habits, uMobix is the perfect solution.

Top Review

“Alexa from Umobix was fantastic and played an important part in why we stuck it out with the installation hiccups. We kept running into an error (user), and she stood by us on chat for almost 2 hours. We are up and running now, and everything looks as promised. I will say that customer service alone kept us moving forward rather than simply giving up. Thank you, Alexa.”

Key Features

  • Powerful location-tracking technology
  • Advanced parental control features
  • Secretly running in the background
  • Track everything on the target phone

Pros & Cons

  • Compatible with all popular iOS versions
  • Allows you to remotely control your kid’s device
  • Recording phone conversations
  • Amazing customer support
  • More expensive than some other tools

Download

Bark: iPhone Parental Monitoring Software

The Bark app is an iPhone parental monitoring app known for thwarting several school crimes. Using a smart keyword system helps parents detect incidences of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and other dangerous behavior among kids. 5.2 million parents now use the Bark app to monitor their kid’s phone activity.

bark interface on different devices

With this app, a parent snoops on 30+ social sites & apps, giving you broader coverage than ever before.

This app’s dashboard management tool monitors your kid’s social media platforms and other web activity. You can learn what they are watching on Facebook and gain access to emails and texts from a central dashboard.

Top Review

“I’m a teacher, and after trying Bark with my family, I suggested we get this program for our school. The app works wonders, monitoring texts and chats and checking Office 365 and Google Suite for potential issues like violence, explicit content, or signs of depression. We’ve helped many children since the software was implemented without invading their personal space.”

Key Features

  • Powerful category-based web filtering
  • Text and Email Monitoring
  • Offers Parent control alerts on insidious activities
  • Facebook and social site tracking

Pros & Cons

  • Compatible with a wide range of iOS versions
  • It sends tips to parents about kids’ activity 24/7
  • Monitors more than 24 social sites
  • Respects a child’s privacy, letting you interfere in potentially dangerous situations only
  • 7-day free trial
  • Can’t manage child’s devices remotely
  • No money-back-guarantee

Download

eyeZy: iPhone Child Monitoring App with Advanced Features

eyeZy is a simple-to-use parental monitoring app with a clean dashboard. Every activity (device and communication logs, calls, emails, SMS, and browsing history) is on one page.

Top Review

“I had been using eyeZy’s advanced iPhone tracking features for parents for a while. I always thought specialized and high-quality parental control apps cost a fortune. eyeZy busted that myth for me.”

Key Features 

  • Cell Phone Monitoring: Records conversations on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook
  • Screen recording
  • Geofencing
  • Location tracking
  • Browsing History: You can see the sites your child is visiting

Pros & Cons

  • Installs and uninstalls parental control features remotely
  • Free regular upgrades
  • No jailbreak required for installation
  • Long installation process

Download

Cocospy: iPhone Parental Monitoring for Text Messages

Try the Cocospy parental control app and know the mind of your kid. Cocospy offers parental control through tracking capabilities, app & keyword blocking, time scheduling, and web filtering.

Top Review

“Don’t hesitate to opt for Cocospy. Although there are many other time-proven providers, this one goes to even greater lengths to outrank them. The monitoring features are a treasure to prevent kids from swearing or searching for nasty stuff, and web tracking is more advanced than any other I have encountered.”

Key Features

  • Blocking and filtering: Blocks and intercepts harmful content through web filtering, using a comprehensive content categories system
  • Activity recording: It lets you see everything your kid browses online in real-time
  • Screen time Parental Control: You can manage the time when you don’t want your child to use the phone
  • Location tracking services: GPS monitoring locates your kid 24/7

Pros & Cons

  • App blocking
  • Ability to transfer iPhone parental controls to a new phone
  • Safe download on the iOS App Store
  • Records four weeks’ browsing history
  • Keyword restrictions
  • Cross-plattform solution
  • Tricky iOS configuration

Download

What Are the Ratings for These Best Parental Monitoring Apps for iPhone?

All these software solutions are rated at least 4.5 out of 5 stars. The reason is that they are all perfectly compatible with various iOS versions, easy to install, and intuitive in use. They all monitor browsing history, social media, messages, and calls like any basic monitoring app but offer unique features like stealth cameras or self-harm prevention.

How Can I Monitor My Child’s iPhone Without Them Knowing for Free?

In every iPhone or iPad setting, you will find free built-in options to set a passcode, limit screen time, or restrict content. All you have to do is toggle the switches to “On.” You will find step-by-step instructions on where to find them at the beginning of the article.

Note, however, that methods of bypassing Apple parental controls are all over the internet. Your kid is no stranger to them, most likely.

If you get the kid’s Apple ID and password, you can access their iCloud data at https://www.icloud.com. This option will let you monitor messages, photos, and phone backups. Still, they can turn off the synchronization in the settings, leaving you in the dark.

How Do I Put Parental Monitoring on My Child’s iPhone That They Can Not Find?

The thing about many parental control apps is that they’re visible. However, luckily for you, not all of them are fully visible. Some parental control apps use clever tricks to disguise their presence. For example, mSpy names its files as ”Update Service” and uses a plain, system-like icon. So, even if your kid went through the app list, they probably wouldn’t notice it. So, we suggest choosing a provider that offers a reliable stealth mode.

What Parental Controls Are Available for Monitoring on iPhone?

You’ll be happy to hear that these parental control apps offer many iPhone monitoring features. Some of the most common ones include:

  • Tracking activities
  • App blocking
  • Setting screen time limits
  • Monitoring all social media accounts
  • Activity reports and summaries
  • Blocking pornography
  • Panic buttons
  • Reading all SMS and viewing call logs
  • Geofencing
  • Web filtering
  • Alerts

What Is the Best Parental Monitoring for iPhone?

Installing a parental control app like KidsGuard is the best way to do it. All the presented apps above let you monitor your child’s phone without being detected. Let’s see how you can do it on KidsGuard’s example. Follow these three simple steps:

1. Sign up
2. Verify the target’s iCloud credentials 
3. Start monitoring via a web-based control panel

You don’t need to install KidsGuard Pro on the target iOS device manually. The app allows you to remotely monitor an iPhone or iPad by connecting to the iCloud.

You do not need physical access to the target Apple device unless the Two-Factor Authentication is enabled. That means you require a six-digit verification code to access an iCloud account.

Is There a Parental Monitoring App for iPhone Without Jailbreaking?

Most of these apps have both versions: for jailbroken and non-jailbroken iPhones. The best way to enable parental controls on iPhone is by using no-jailbreaking methods. You should consider, though, that for non-jailbroken phones, the functionality is somewhat limited.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the landscape of iPhone parental monitoring software has evolved to provide an array of effective tools for safeguarding and nurturing your child’s digital experience.

The six top picks highlighted in this article offer comprehensive solutions that empower parents to balance protection and independence. From advanced tracking features to content filtering and app management, these software options cater to various needs and parenting styles.

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