Parental controls, explained in plain words

Family Tech Tracker helps parents pick and set up tools that keep kids safer online. We compare phone apps, built-in phone settings, music apps, game consoles and AI chatbots in plain words. Every price and feature comes from the company's own website, with the date we checked it.

Last checked: October 16, 2026. Prices and features can change. Always check the company's site before you buy.

Not sure where to begin? Start here.

My kid has an iPhone or Android phone. Start with the free controls built into the phone. iPhone step-by-step guide. Then, if you want more, compare paid apps like Bark and Qustodio.
My kid plays on a game console (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation or Xbox). See what each console lets you control: play time, spending and who they can talk to.
My kid uses AI chatbots or music apps. Check the age rules for AI chatbots like ChatGPT, and see which music apps can hide songs with bad words.

What changed this week

Apple: The new iPhone software (iOS 27) has new parental controls. To use them, every phone and tablet in your family group has to be updated. [Source: Apple Support]
Bark: On iPhones and iPads, Bark's deeper checking of texts and photos uses an optional charger called Bark Sync. It costs $6/month or $49/year, on top of a Bark app plan. [Source: Bark pricing]

Step-by-step guides

All comparisons

How we check

We only use the company's own pages, and we show the date we checked. Read how we work.