Child Tracking App 2025 – Best Parental Control Apps

Although tracking apps are multipurpose, they’re particularly useful for monitoring your kids. If you want to know your child’s location and protect them from online dangers, parental control apps are for you.

You can use them to view the target phone’s calls and texts, monitor social media activity, and use GPS tracking to locate the cell phone in real time. There are screenshot features, reverse username scanners, remote control tools, and many other useful tracking functions.

Read on if you want to learn how to monitor your kids and protect them online. Our reviews also contain detailed information on the very best parental control apps.

Top Parental Control Apps in 2025

1. Spynger: Easy to install and deadly silent, Spynger is one of the best secret parental control apps.
2. Scannero: When it comes to monitoring a family member’s location, Scannero is the best parental control app for iOS.
3. mSpy: Given its ease of installation and broad range of functions, mSpy is the best family locator app for iPhone and Android overall.
4. uMobix: uMobix is an outstanding parental-control app, and it boasts the most effective stealth mode
5. Eyezy: Thanks to its range of tracking tools, Eyezy is the most versatile parental-control app.
6. SpyBubble Pro: If you’re not looking to break the bank, SpyBubble Pro has the best free family locator app mode.
7. Phonsee: Given the high quality of its many tracker tools, it’s amazing that Phonsee can offer them so cheaply.
8. GEOfinder: GEOfinder lets you track an unlimited number of phones, so it’s perfect if you have a big family.

Best Child Tracking Apps for Parents Reviewed

Spynger  – The Best Covert Family Locator App

Although it’s primarily marketed as a cheating spouse tracker app, Spynger’s broad range of tools makes it one of the best family locator apps for iPhone and Android.

Installing a tracking app on a target cell can be tricky for less tech-savvy users. Spynger makes it easy, though. The clear instructions apply to both Android and Apple devices.

There’s a very effective stealth mode, so turn it on if you want to monitor your children without them knowing. You can also use the GPS tracker to monitor the phone’s real-time location.

If you wish to see any calls or texts, there’s an exceptional call and text logger. Spynger’s UI makes it easy to view social media activity, allowing you to switch from one account to another in no time. We’re also big fans of the ‘blacklist’ function. This enables you to program the app to notify you whenever the person you’re monitoring uses your blacklisted words.

Spynger’s free version is excellent, but if you want to utilize the full range of tools, you’ll have to put your hand in your pocket. That said, the price plans are very reasonable. If you commit to a whole year, your subscription works out at around $11 per month. Pay quarterly, and it’ll cost you $26. If you only want to pay month by month, it’ll be $45.

Highlights

• Perfect for covert monitoring
• Valid for all types of tracking
• Highly effective stealth mode
• Vast range of tools
• Impressive free version
• Solid price plans

Scannero – The Best Parental Control App for Monitoring Locations

Scannero is easily one of the best family locator apps for iPhone and Android. It’s not weighed down by multiple tools. You simply use it to locate one or a number of cell phones. Put simply, there’s no better GPS phone tracker app.

Scannero is incredibly easy to use and, with SSL encryption, one of the most secure. You don’t have to install the app on the target phone. Once you’ve set up your account, you can use various locator tools. You’re also not limited to tracking one phone, either.

To locate a phone, you input the number and send it a location request. When the location request is confirmed, Scannero sends you an email with the location. Alternatively, you can send the target phone a web link. This is known as ‘locator by link’. You can also send location requests via SMS and instant messenger apps.

There are some other useful tools as well. The Reverse Username Look Up, for instance, can be used to confirm someone’s identity. If you’re suspicious of someone contacting your child, the Reverse Username Look Up goes through Scannero’s email and username databases to corroborate the person’s identity claims.

Regarding the subscription, Scannero charges a flat monthly rate of $49, although you can trial the product for twenty-four hours for less than a dollar.

Highlights

• Market-leading GPS locator
• Can track multiple cell phones
• Various tracking methods
• Reverse Username Look Up

mSpy – The Best Parental Control App for Your Family Overall

mSpy is primarily aimed at concerned parents, but its vast array of tools has multiple potential applications. Given its price and the efficiency of its tools, it’s widely regarded as the best child tracker app on the market.

mSpy is very user-friendly, which you’ll notice when installing and navigating the application. It boasts one of the most effective stealth modes, so make sure you have ‘stay invisible’ mode turned on if you don’t want your child to be aware they’re being tracked.

There’s a very accurate GPS locator that lets you see the phone’s live location and its location history. You can also take advantage of the geofencing function, which will notify you whenever the phone enters a location you’ve highlighted.

The call logger lets you view all incoming and outgoing call information. The social media app viewer includes one of the broadest ranges of social networks, including some smaller apps, such as Viber.

On the pricing front, mSpy is very reasonable. The monthly rate is $49. Pay quarterly, and your subscription will set you back $28. If you subscribe annually, you’ll receive mSpy’s services for just $12 per month.

Highlights

• Market-leading child tracker app
• Near impossible to detect
• Geofencing GPS tool
• Many social media apps are monitored
• Reasonable pricing

uMobix – The Child Tracking App with the Best Stealth Mode

Many family locator apps for iPhone and Android can be installed on a cell without the owner’s knowledge. However, if the app uses too much of the phone’s resources, the user will quickly realize something’s up. Thanks to uMobix’s stealth mode, you won’t have to worry about that.

It stands to reason that uMobix is so easy to install, given that its main strength is its stealth mode. The instructions are easy to follow, and you can complete the installation in no time, which is perfect if you want to track a phone secretly.

Tools-wise, along with the easy-to-use call and text viewer, there’s a fantastic social media monitor. It includes all the most popular social networks, including Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. This function lets you view sent, received, and even deleted DMs.

uMobix is one of the few parental control apps that allow you to control the target cell remotely. For example, you can block calls and see and hear what’s going on via the phone’s camera and microphone whenever you want.

On the pricing front, if you commit to a quarterly or annual subscription, you can pay as little as $13 per month. A monthly subscription is considerably more expensive at $50. However, given the breadth and effectiveness of the tools, we still consider this a bargain.

Highlights

• One of the most effective stealth modes
• Lightning-quick setup
• Remote control functionality
• Intuitive social media viewer
• Escellent value for money

Eyezy – The Best Multi-Purpose Child Tracking App for iPhone

Eyezy stands out for its price and usability. It’s a leading child tracking app for iPhone and Android. Thanks to its various tools, it can be used for multiple tracking purposes.

Eyezy is easy to use and install, so we highly recommend it to users who aren’t so great with technology. Also, if you want to track the target phone via GPS, you won’t find a more user-friendly app. It features Google Maps integration and can be used anywhere in the world, not just the US.

You can monitor the cell user’s behavior on social media apps, such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. There’s also the wi-fi tracker, which you can use to see where and when the cell has connected to particular wi-fi networks, such as in malls, fast food restaurants, and coffee shops. Also, Eyezy’s AI function will alert you if your child is doing something wrong or dangerous. 

As for pricing, Eyezy is excellent value for money. Subscribe for a year, and you’ll have full access for just $10 a month. A quarterly subscription works out at $28. If you want to pay month by month, it’ll be $48.

Highlights

• Vast array of monitoring tools
• Easy to use and install
• AI alert system
• Wi-fi network tracker
• Excellent social media activity viewer
• Good pricing plan 

SpyBubble Pro – The Best Free Child Tracking App for Android

Given its wide range of highly effective tracking tools, it’s impressive that SpyBubble Pro has a free version. Might this be the best child tracking app overall?

As it offers so many functions, we were surprised by how easy it was to install. Admittedly, it wasn’t as easy as some of its more stripped-down competitors, but anyone can get their head around the instructions.

There are too many separate functions to list here. However, some highlights include the social media monitor, the keystroke logger, and the GPS locators. All of them are easy to use and very efficient. You’ll also receive an alert if the person you’re monitoring exchanges SIM cards.

In addition, there’s a detailed call and text viewer that enables you to see all incoming and outgoing calls and messages, including deleted ones. There’s also the Duo Messenger Spy, a tool that allows you to view the target cell phone’s screen. You can then take screenshots or record short videos of it.

Although we highly rate the free version, you should consider a paid subscription to get the most out of SpyBubble Pro. There are three different price plans: monthly is $43, quarterly $26, and annually works out at just $11 a month. Considering the scope of the tools, these are all bargains.

Highlights

• Impressive free version
• Vast range of paid tracker tools
• Duo Messenger Spy app
• Excellent price plans

Phonsee – The Best Parental Control App for Value

Phonsee is one of the world’s best parental control apps all round. On top of that, it’s great value for money.

This app is primarily marketed toward concerned parents, so the tracking tools are of the highest quality. The installation process is quick and easy, so if you want to track your child covertly, this is one of the best parental control apps for your phone.

Concerning its tracking tools, there’s a whole bunch. For starters, there’s the real-time GPS monitor. It also lets you highlight locations and set boundaries so that you’ll receive notifications whenever the phone user enters one of these places.

If you want to see what your child has been typing, you can use the keylogger function. This is especially useful if you want to find out usernames and passwords. The social media monitor includes many of the most popular social media apps. You can record the target phone’s screen, and the remote function allows you to block websites and control other aspects of the phone’s web browsing.

Phonsee’s main strength is its price. You can access its many tracker tools for as little as $9 monthly, assuming you sign up for a year’s subscription. If you just want to pay quarterly, it will still only cost you $22 per month. Even the monthly fee is much cheaper than its rivals, at just $38 per month.

Highlights

• Unbeatable pricing plans
• User-friendly setup process
• Location boundary function
• Remote control functions
• Screen recorder

GEOfinder – The Best Parental Control App for Big Families

Regardless of where your children are or the mobile network they use, the GEOfinder app will allow you to find them. There’s no limit to the number of phones that can be tracked, so it’s the perfect app for monitoring numerous family members.

GEOfinder’s main focus is GPS location. Since you don’t have to install an app on the target phone, it’s one of the easiest-to-use tracker apps. Also, the technology is compatible with all smartphones and even old-school flip phones.

Once you’ve paid your subscription, you type in the number of the cell you wish to track and then send it an SMS. This text contains a link that will reveal your child’s location in the GEOfinder user space. This tech is entirely anonymous and supports all cell phone networks. You can do all this on your laptop or via the cellphone app.

GEOfinder charges $40 per month for its services. Given that you can track an unlimited number of phones, we consider the price to be more than reasonable.

Highlights

• Can be used on an unlimited number of phones
• Perfect for big families
• Completely anonymous
• Easy to use
• Email hack checker

Family Locator Apps Explained

Family spy apps can be installed on your child’s phone with or without their consent. In fact, many tracker apps feature invisible modes, which enable them to run silently in the background, meaning the family member you’re monitoring won’t even be aware of it.

These apps come with a range of tools. The most common are call loggers, social media activity monitors, keystroke loggers, and GPS tracking. Some apps include remote control functions that let you control your child’s phone from another device.

Main Reasons for Tracking Your Kids

Any parent’s main concern is their child’s safety. Unfortunately, there is a lot of unsavory content and many bad actors online, and parents want to protect their kids from these potential dangers. One of the best ways to do this is by monitoring what their kids do and who they interact with on their cell phones.

Parents also want to know where their children are. Phone tracker apps are a great way to ensure they know their child’s exact location.  

Best Family Locator Apps Functions

Let’s examine some of the most effective tracking tools offered by our top 8 apps:

• Call and Text Logger: View the incoming and outgoing calls and messages, including information that’s been deleted.
• Social Media Monitoring: See what your kids are posting, who they’re following, and who’s following them. You can also view social media instant messages.
• GPS Tracking: Use a GPS tracker to know exactly where your child is.
• Remote Control: Take control of your child’s phone remotely and have full access to it whenever you need to.

App Monitoring Legality

Provided you’re only using your parental control app to monitor your children, it’s all perfectly legal. The child doesn’t need to give consent. If necessary, you can install tracker apps and monitor their phone secretly. That said, if you use these apps to track other people or children who are over eighteen, then you’re entering a legal gray area.

Conclusion

Concerned parents who want to protect their children online should use parental control apps. They’re easy to install and come with various tracking tools, including GPS trackers, keystroke loggers, social media monitors, and more.

Many of the best apps also feature remote control tools, meaning you can control the target phone. You can’t put a price on your child’s safety, but the best tracking apps do their best to make their spying tech as affordable as possible. Our top 8 parental control apps all provide an excellent service at a reasonable price. 

FAQ

Are child tracker apps legal?

They are if you’re using them to track your children, provided they’re under eighteen. However, if you use these apps to track others without consent, there could be legal ramifications, depending on the state you’re in.

Are there any free tracking apps?

There are free apps and free versions of tracker apps, but their functions are limited. If you want access to the most effective tools, you will have to pay for them.