Looking for the best app to monitor a teenager’s iPhone? With 87% of teens using iPhones daily, it’s essential to find a parental control solution that’s effective on Apple devices. Here’s a detailed guide to the best parental control apps on iPhone in 2025 — plus everything parents should know about how to use these tools to keep their kids safe online.
Teens spend hours on their iPhones daily, so protecting them online requires the best tools to supervise their digital activities. For each of these apps, we’re laying out what makes them great and where they fall short so you can make an informed decision.
You can think of Life360 as location tracking-plus. In addition to viewing your teen’s location, you can use the app to see things like your child’s phone battery life, ETA, and driving speed. The app also offers extra features like identity protection and stolen phone protection at higher price points.
Limitations: Life360 works very well on the iPhone, but its features are limited. Without the ability to access any other apps or data outside of Life360, the parental control options are limited to its tracking features.
Life360 works well on the iPhone, but its parental control options are limited to its tracking features. It doesn’t offer tools for monitoring apps, texts, or online activity.
Bottom line: If you have a new driver on your hands and want to help them stay safe on the road, Life360 is a fantastic choice. But for robust parental controls for when they reach their destination, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Qustodio wins points for offering very similar features and functionality for iPhones as it does for Android devices. Parents can use Qustodio to set limits on apps and block kids from using specific apps and websites.
Limitations: Qustodio’s monitoring capabilities only alert you when your child tries to access something you’ve already blocked. While the app is effective for restricting access, it lacks tools to monitor ongoing social media activity.
Bottom line: If you want to allow your child to be able to use the internet with guardrails, Qustodio may be an option. But if you’re looking for an app that also provides detailed insights into what your child does online, Qustodio may not be enough for you.
When it comes to the best parental control apps for iPhone, BrightCanary stands out from the pack. BrightCanary uses advanced technology to remotely monitor your child’s text messages, plus their activity on YouTube, Google, Instagram, and Snapchat.
BrightCanary monitors what other apps can’t on iPhone. Some apps can only scan content when your child is connected to the same WiFi as you, which is challenging when they’re not home. BrightCanary is different — the app continuously monitors your child’s online activity whenever, wherever, and alerts you when you need to get involved.
Limitations: BrightCanary is not a traditional parental control app in the sense that you can use it to set screen time limits or content filters. Those features are freely available on Apple Screen Time. If you want an all-in-one app, this one doesn’t quite fit the bill.
Bottom line: BrightCanary is one of the most effective options to monitor a teenager’s iPhone because of its text message monitoring feature alone. The app’s text monitoring shows you full message threads (including deleted messages), unlike other apps, which simply send you a content alert.
With Norton Family, you can block your child from accessing specific websites or content and get insight into their online activity. The reports show you what search terms your child uses and their browser history. It also alerts you if they attempt to visit a blocked site.
Limitations: Similar to Qustodio, the only option for managing social media is to block your child from the sites entirely. This is a good option for younger kids, but may not be the best choice for teens. One major drawback for Apple users is that Norton Family doesn’t provide any app supervision for iPhones.
Bottom line: Norton Family offers solid content filtering and online activity tracking, but isn’t great for families who need to monitor apps on iPhone.
Similar to BrightCanary, Bark uses advanced technology to scan texts, social media, and other online material for concerning content, alerting parents when there’s an issue. You can also do things like control app downloads and require approval for new contacts.
Limitations: While Bark can scan content on Android devices anytime, it can only manually scan iOS devices when they're connected to the same network as a desktop with the Bark for Parents app installed and active.
Bottom line: Bark might be suitable for monitoring a device used only at home, but it falls short in tracking your kids' iPhone usage wherever they go.
On average, children in the U.S. spend more than four hours a day on devices, with teens often clocking as many as nine hours. With such a significant portion of kid’s lives being lived online, it’s important that parents use every tool available to them to keep their kids safe from things like online predators, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content.
Recently, the American Psychological Association recommended that parents monitor social media for kids under age 15. That’s because excessive social media use is associated with an increased risk of depression and anxiety, as well as negative impacts on sleep quality and self-esteem. Parents can and should use parental controls to manage the amount of time kids spend on their devices and understand what type of content they consume.
Choosing the right parental control app depends on your needs. Start by deciding what features are important to you: if you’re just looking for powerful location tracking, but are less worried about content monitoring, an app like Life360 might be perfect for you.
For parents who want comprehensive iPhone parental monitoring — including social media, texts, and searches — BrightCanary provides unmatched functionality.
Above all, the best parental control app is the one that works best for your family.
Some apps rely on a block-and-restrict approach, but Apple devices already come with robust parental control features that allow you to restrict what websites, apps, and content your child can access. Other parental control apps, allow parents to monitor what their kids do online and step in when they need to. This level of iPhone parental monitoring can help teach your kids how to be safe and responsible digital citizens, and it encourages more regular conversations about what they see online.
Ready to ensure your teenager’s iPhone safety? Download BrightCanary today for the best in iPhone parental controls.
BrightCanary offers the most robust iPhone parental monitoring features, including text message and social media monitoring.
Apple’s Screen Time is free and offers basic restrictions, but it lacks advanced monitoring capabilities like the ability to see what your child is sending and receiving.
Yes, apps like BrightCanary allow parents to monitor texts, including deleted messages.
Most apps block social media entirely, but BrightCanary monitors platforms like Instagram, Google, YouTube, and Snapchat.
