The 8 Best Parental Control Apps for iPhone and iPad in 2024

With one of the best parental control apps for iPhone and iPad, you can better understand how your children use their devices to ensure their safety online. With the means to manage their screen time and the content they have access to, plus keep tabs on their physical whereabouts, these tools offer parents complete peace of mind.

Based on factors like ease of use and installation, iOS functionality, overall device compatibility, and pricing, we’ve ranked, reviewed, and compared the top 8 best parental control apps for iPhone and iPad. From uMobix to Cocospy, these are the best options on the market. Read on to find the one best suited to your needs and budget.

The Top 8 Best Parental Control Apps for iPhone and iPad

Here’s a quick overview of the top parental control applications for iPhone and iPad in 2024:

1. uMobix – $12.49/month — The best parental control app for Apple devices as it boasts everything you’d need for peace of mind, including social media monitoring, all at an affordable price point.
2. Cocospy – $12.50/month — The best no-jailbreak iOS parental control app as it offers phenomenal functionality without the need to override the device; plus, it has an easy setup and a simple UI.
3. Spyic.pro – $10.83/month — A good budget option for parents that offers an affordable family plan to cover up to 3 devices, and it lets you blacklist particular terms and apps.
4. TheOneSpy – $6.25/month — A powerful, feature-rich app that can monitor social media, deleted chats, multimedia files, and GPS location history, all at an affordable price.
   
5. ClevGuard – $9.16/month — A leading choice for gaining remote access to the target Apple device, including call and screen recording for live insight.
6. Norton Family – $49.99/year — A popular and highly-rated parental control solution that lets you track up to 15 devices, and it comes bundled with a free month-long antivirus trial.
7. Qustodio – $8.33/month — A feature-rich parental control app for iPhone and iPad that includes pausing the internet, custom alerts, and game and app blocking.
8. Famisafe – $9.99/month — The best option for monitoring multiple devices (up to 30) on one subscription with powerful web filtering capabilities.

How Do Parental Control Apps for iPhone Work?

Although it may sound like quite a complicated process, parental control apps for Apple devices are actually quite straightforward. The most important task is to find the provider that best suits you and then get the software installed on your child’s device.

You’ll usually need physical access to the device, but in some cases, like with Cocospy, the iCloud credentials are enough. You may also need to jailbreak the device — a process that voids any warranty — to get full access to the app’s feature list — especially for the advanced capabilities, like screen recording.

That said, we’ve included several solutions that don’t require this, but these won’t include high-end features like remote access, listening in on the device’s microphone, or spying through the target device’s camera — however, they still boast everything you’d need for complete peace of mind.

This includes the likes of pinpoint location tracking, social media monitoring, and being able to check on any sent or received messages.

Reviews of the Top Parental Control Apps for iPhone and iPad

Let’s examine each service to discover what features they offer and what makes them unique from the competition. We’ll explore important elements like compatibility, cost, top features, and more. Read on to find the one best suited to your needs.

You can also skip ahead to our comparison table for a quick head-to-head overview of all the key details of the market’s top parental control apps for iOS.

1. uMobix – Overall, the Best Parental Control App for iPhone and iPad

uMobix is a fantastic parental control app that works well on iOS devices and offers ample cutting-edge features at a reasonable price. To start with, it’s undoubtedly one of the best keyloggers.

The iOS keylogger works on common browsers and, surprisingly, even in incognito modes — a key USP for opting for uMobix to ensure nothing is hidden. It even allows you to set certain keywords that you deem inappropriate and set up alerts for when they’re used.

With an easy-to-use dashboard, you get quick access to crucial details on things like call and SMS activity (plus what’s said), a summary of browsing patterns, along with the most popular websites and search terms.

You can even view the caller’s identity, phone number, call duration, call time and date, and information about previous calls made to the target phone, including missed, dropped, and incoming calls.

uMobix syncs with the smartphone every five minutes, updating things like call logs and social media activity, giving you information that’s as close to real-time as possible, including precise location-tracking information.

The Remote Access you can have with uMobix is one remarkable feature that deserves a mention; for instance, you can block incoming calls and messages to the user’s mobile phone if you feel concerned. This makes it possible for you to adequately protect your child, especially if you believe they’re a victim of cyberbullying.

Pricing

Price-wise, uMobix will set you back just $12.49/month if you opt for the 12-month package, which makes it mid-range when compared with the other top parental control apps on this list. You also get a useful 14-day money-back guarantee bundled in for a hassle-free purchase.

2. Cocospy – The Best No-Jailbreak iOS Parental Control App

Cocospy is a well-known parental control tool with a few cutting-edge features and reasonably priced annual plans. Facebook, WhatsApp, and more can all be monitored, and there’s even Tinder surveillance available, allowing you to keep an eye on your children while they’re online.

With Cocospy, you can track iPhones and iPads without jailbreaking the intended target’s device, plus, it comes with most of the monitoring features needed to keep tabs on a child. The app won’t slow down or overheat the user’s device, and the intended user won’t even be aware that it’s there.

A fantastic real-time location tracker is also accessible. It offers great precision and a timestamp so you can determine when the user was in a particular location. It’s also very user-friendly and seamlessly integrates with both Apple and Google Maps.

To top it off, you can use the specialized social media monitoring tool, which periodically takes screenshots, to keep an eye on all activity across all leading social networks. Plus, across all platforms, the keylogger will let you see what’s typed in message boxes, status update fields, or search fields.

For further protection, you can even view what pictures and videos are saved on the device to ensure no explicit material is being shared. Without needing to root or jailbreak the device, you can even browse the files remotely from your own device.

Pricing

There are 3 plans on offer with Cocospy, with a longer subscription saving you money overall. Thankfully, each of these options includes a 14-day money-back guarantee should you not be satisfied with your purchase.

3. Spyic.Pro – A Good Budget Option for Covering Multiple Devices

Spyic is a popular and dependable parental control tool that offers a range of options to meet all needs, whether they’re for personal or professional use. Having said that, one factor in its appeal is the lack of dependence on rooted or jailbroken devices for installation and configuration.

All you need to get set up on iOS is the target user’s iCloud credentials, which means no faffing around trying to install an app on a device without the other person knowing.

What you do get is a user-friendly interface and a number of practical features, such as the ability to read text messages and monitor social media and messenger activity on platforms like iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp.

Additionally, Spyic uses pinpoint accuracy to help you define secure places for your loved ones via geofencing. It’s one of the top geofencing apps right now due to the accuracy of the location tracking capabilities. If they leave this safe zone, you’ll receive a notification on your phone, so you won’t need to monitor their movements 24/7.

As it can be tailored for home or business use with a wide selection of plans, Spyic’s device coverage is, without a doubt, its most appealing feature. It’s also very dependable because it tracks everything with top-notch accuracy, including the location, SMS, and social media chats of the target phone.

One more advantage of using Spyic is how quickly the data from the target phone is synchronized to your account, making all the information immediately accessible on your device. It takes a couple of minutes for iOS data to appear, which is about average for a parental control app.

Pricing

Spyic has 3 different priced plans that each offer a different level of coverage, some aimed at residential users and others for business use and families. As always, you can save money by choosing an annual plan. There’s also a huge 60-day money-back guarantee thrown in for good measure.

4. TheOneSpy – A Powerful, Affordable Parental Control App with Cutting-Edge Features

TheOneSpy is a great parental control app for Apple users; however, it does require the device to be jailbroken in order to function at peak performance. That said, although there are other apps on this list that don’t require a jailbroken device, it’s still a viable option.

It has some excellent features, like powerful remote access capabilities, giving you access to another phone’s camera to take images and videos,  hack the target phone’s microphone to record background sounds, and even record calls taking place on the target device.

TheOneSpy records all the exchanges and correspondences the target person has on several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. In fact, what makes this parental control tool unique from others is that it even records VoIP calls made on these apps.

It’s renowned for being one of the best Instagram spy apps, and it performs just as well with WhatsApp and Facebook. Beyond this, it’s also one of the few parental control apps that can track phone passwords, so you can use this capability to discover someone’s phone logins if you suspect there’s something undesirable on the device.

TheOneSpy also offers an excellent position tracker that provides pin-point accuracy and enables you to create a designated safe zone for your child and receive notifications if they leave designated areas you’ve set. You can even examine the screen time and what apps your child is using — all from the easy-to-use dashboard.

Pricing

TheOneSpy offers a very straightforward plan setup which will depend on how many devices you want to be covered and what features you want to be included. All plans include a 14-day money-back guarantee.

5. ClevGuard – A Leading Pick for Gaining Remote Access to the Target Device

ClevGuard’s flagship product, KidsGuard Pro, is a feature-rich parental control app that lets parents view their kids’ smartphone behavior from a distance — including their location, social networking app activity, and call and text history, plus much more.

However, you’ll need to jailbreak the iPhone or iPad to access the location tracking feature, WiFi locator, and remote screenshots, but this will void your warranty.

That said, you have more control over your child’s online behavior thanks to the app’s capabilities for website filtering, geofencing, and app banning. Plus, because KidsGuard Pro works in stealth mode, the target device’s user will be unaware of it while it quietly runs in the background.

You can also always get a complete picture of where your child’s device is by using the ClevGuard app. Parents can check the location history of their kids, track their last known and past locations, and set up geofencing alerts for when their kids enter or leave a specific region using KidsGuard Pro.

With the new remote control features, you can even access rare, advanced capabilities like call recording, remotely tapping into the camera on the target smartphone, and taking screenshots of the device’s display for live insight into the activity taking place.

From the main dashboard, you can also keep track of all images and videos sent and received on the device, and of course, as you’d expect, you can monitor any social media account your child has, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and many others, which are frequently used for bullying and spreading graphic information.

Pricing

Like most of the top parental control apps featured in our list, you get the choice of 3 payment plans, all of which include the same features, but you’ll save money by opting for a longer subscription.

6. Norton Family – A Popular Parental Control Solution for Tracking Up to 15 Devices

Norton Family is one of the best parental control applications, its qualities and features make it excellent for iOS devices and families with numerous children because it essentially has every feature a parent could want, including the recently added geofencing.

However, Norton’s time limits only apply to its Windows and Android apps, which is why it’s lower down on this list, whereas the location tracking, time scheduling, site blocking, and monitoring elements of this service are compatible with both iOS and Android.

A lot of parental control apps give you a list of the videos your child watches, but you typically only get the titles. Norton Family makes it simple to evaluate whether there’s an issue by including a little image from the video and the explanation.

Besides all this, Norton’s feature set includes real-time location tracking with live notifications when your child enters or leaves the house, the school, or any other significant location in your life, as well as support for limiting screen time, banning undesirable websites, and restricting app use.

One feature we really like is web filtering, as it’s incredibly accurate and gives your child the option to ask their parents if they can access the website. This helps build trust and also avoids any potential blocking errors.

Through the easy-to-use dashboard, you’ll be able to easily customize the settings and get prompt updates on what your kids have recently done. Plus, it’s possible to add unlimited devices and up to 15 child profiles to a single account, which makes it the go-to solution for big families.

Pricing

Norton Family has perhaps the easiest plan structure, just the one. It’s also affordable, especially if you can get it bundled in with a Norton 360 subscription, and there’s even a 30-day money-back guarantee thrown in for a stress-free purchase.

7. Qustodio – A Feature-Rich Parental Control App for iPhone and iPad

Qustodio offers almost all the features a worried parent may require, such as powerful app banning, web content filtering, and a thorough activity log. Everything is done through the web dashboard or mobile apps, allowing you to create rules and monitor your child’s activity from anywhere.

It supports a wide range of operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Kindle Fire tablets, and, most recently, Chrome OS, making it a formidable competitor in terms of complete platform coverage.

The location tracker shows your child’s current location and also a detailed history of places they have visited. Updates will ping through to the central dashboard every 5 minutes on Apple devices, and the accuracy is pretty good — plus, you can even view nearby landmarks to help pinpoint their exact location.

You can monitor what videos your child is watching and searching for on the Apple YouTube app for iPhones and iPads, as well as on the web for Macs. This useful feature helps you make sure no explicit content is being watched or searched for.

Parents can also keep an eye on their children’s calls, SMS messages, and iMessages using Qustodio. To do this, parents must either download an app from the web onto their Apple device or download a separate Qustodio Calls and Messages app to their Mac computer.

Pricing

You get two options with Qustodio, depending on the level of coverage you need and how many devices you want to install it on. For the best value for money, it’s recommended to pay annually for your subscription.

8. Famisafe – The Best Option for Monitoring Multiple Devices (Up to 30) on One Subscription

FamiSafe is a reliable parental control app that offers both industry-standard features and some fun extras like reverse location tracking, which means your child can find you in the event of an emergency. It’s simple to use and includes a 7-day guarantee for a stress-free purchase.

With Famisafe, you can monitor Android, iOS, Windows, and even macOS devices. You can set a time limit for how long your kids are allowed to use their devices and monitor the usage with visual graphs to easily see their preferred apps and the times of day they use them.

With Famisafe’s Web Filter, you can also block your child from visiting specific websites and be notified if they do. You can even block entire website categories, such as those for adult content, gambling, shopping, and drug use, and you can specifically block websites that may evade the app’s categorization because it isn’t always correct.

Beyond this, as with all the top parental control apps for iPhone and iOS, you can see your child’s live and past locations on the FamiSafe app, so you don’t always need to contact them to ask where they are.

Plus, you can monitor your child’s online behavior, including any incognito or secret searches. Because FamiSafe keeps track of information for up to three months, you don’t need to monitor their surfing habits 24/7.

Pricing

You can pay for a Famisafe subscription monthly, quarterly, or annually, but all options include the same set of features, you just save a few dollars further down the line if you signup for a year-long plan. With each plan, you get a 3-day free trial so you can test the service before committing long-term.

Also, there’s a 7-day money-back guarantee, which is a little shorter than the other providers on this list.

Best Parental Control Apps for iPhone and iPad Compared

Here’s a quick overview of the top iOS parental control apps, with a table that makes it easy to compare their costs, the number of devices they monitor, and other factors:

How to Choose the Best iPhone and iPad Parental Control App for You

The feature set of each parental control app will be relatively similar, but there will be key differences in factors like price, special features, and device compatibility. To help you choose which app to use, we’ve included some of the most important aspects below:

• Feature Set: While most parental control apps have similar capabilities, some stand out. For instance, some only allow remote access to the camera and microphone of the target device or panic mode, which alerts a number of trusted devices.
• Jailbreaking: Some of the best parental control apps require that the iPhone or iPad be jailbroken, which can be a challenging task if you’re not tech-savvy. It may also nullify the device’s warranty, making a replacement difficult in the event that something goes wrong.
• User-friendly: Generally speaking, you want the installation and use of the app to be as simple as possible, particularly if you’re not familiar with current technology. A pleasant, clear interface and an easy-to-use dashboard are essential.
• Pricing: It’s critical to learn how much the service will cost and how many children/devices the price plan will cover. You can monitor one device with certain providers, but some have much higher limits, depending on the plan you opt for.
• Device Compatibility: It’s crucial that the parental control app you pick has support for all widely used platforms because it’s likely that you’ll want to install it on all of your child’s devices. On this list, all the providers offer apps for Apple Devices and Android, and some even allow app installation for Windows and Mac.

How to Set Up Parental Controls on iPhone

Getting up and running with a parental control app for an iPhone is a lot more simple than you might think, but to help you out, we’ve compiled a useful guide using our top provider uMobix as an example:

1. Step 1 — Head over to the uMobix website, select your desired iOS plan, and complete the payment process.
2. Step 2 — Enter your child’s iCloud login details on the Startup Wizard.
3. Step 3 — Confirm the 2FA code that appears on the screen.
4. Step 4 — Once this is done, a loading screen will appear as the app is installed.
5. Step 5 — You’ll be taken to the user dashboard after the software has finished downloading to the target device.

That’s it. You can now start monitoring your child’s device from the main dashboard on your device.

Conclusion | What’s the Best Parental Control App for iOS in 2024?

Overall, there’s no doubt that uMobix is the best parental control app for iPhone and iPad for ensuring the safety of your child both online and offline; however, the other services on this list are also trustworthy, it all depends on your particular needs and budget.

That said, uMobix is suitable for various needs and budgets. For a low monthly fee, it gives you access to a tonne of premium features, including social media monitoring, call and text management, and precise location tracking – you can even use the geo-fencing feature to designate safe zones.

iOS Parental Control FAQ