We're looking at:
Which one do you actually use? What works? What's the annoying part? We have a mix of iPhones and Android in our house which is part of the problem.
Bark is overkill for most families and expensive. Family Link is free and does what you need - app blocking, time limits, location. Save the Bark money for something else.
Screen Time and Family Link are basically the same and free so why would you pay for something else? The only reason to go Bark is if you're actually worried about what they're looking at content-wise, not just time.
Net Nanny is pretty aggressive and sometimes breaks legit stuff. Family Link + Screen Time combo if you can swing it, otherwise pick the one that matches your primary phone ecosystem
We use Family Link since we're mostly Android. Not perfect but it works. Screen Time is basically the same thing. The annoying part is kids figure out workarounds pretty fast, so you can't be completely hands-off.
We use Family Link since we have mostly Android and it just works. Screen Time is decent for the iPhones but switching between ecosystems is annoying. Bark is overkill unless you're worried about actual danger
lol the mix of iPhones and Android is your actual problem, not the apps. Have you considered just... having one ecosystem? I know that's not always realistic but it would solve like 60% of your issues
How old are we talking? Because the answer changes a lot. A 7yo needs different controls than a 13yo. Also having mixed devices makes everything more annoying, no matter which app you pick.
Just gonna say - no parental control app replaces actual talking to your kids. I've seen too many parents rely on Bark while their kid is still finding workarounds
Family Link is solid but the annoying part is that it's not real-time? Like your kid can do stuff and you find out about it when you check the app. Screen Time is the same way though
Honestly the issue with mixed devices is that you'll never get perfect coverage. Kids are smart. Pick whatever works best for the majority of devices in your house and accept there'll be gaps.
Net Nanny is solid if you want granular control. Family Link is solid if you want simple. Bark is solid if you want monitoring. There's no perfect one. What's the actual thing you're most worried about your kid doing? Start there.
Used Bark for a year and it was actually helpful for catching weird stuff but felt invasive honestly. We switched to just Screen Time + actual conversations with our kids about internet safety. Works better
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Used Screen Time for 2 years. It's fine for limiting time but doesn't actually block inappropriate content. We switched to Bark because our 11yo was finding ways around it and we wanted more oversight. It costs but honestly worth the peace of mind.