Parental control apps have become part and parcel of modern-age parenting. Most parents detest becoming helicopter parents and value kids’ privacy. However, it is folly to allow kids unsupervised access to the internet, social media, and devices.
Monitoring their digital activities and ensuring their online safety is daunting without using an iPhone or Android parental app. With the ever-increasing digital threats, more parents opt for digital solutions such as FamilyTime.
Let’s dive in and find out what this app is all about and whether it is worth your time.
What is FamilyTime?
FamilyTime is a state-of-the-art iPhone and Android parental app software that helps parents keep kids and teens safe from a variety of digital and real-world threats. The app was launched in 2014 and rose to stardom in 2015. A father was able to save his daughter from a sexual predator with FamilyTime’s help. Several high-profile media outlets, e.g., the Washington Post, HBC News, etc., covered the story and praised the effectiveness of this app.
Key Features
FamilyTime offers an incredible range of features that cater to the safety needs of kids and teens alike. From location tracking to call & text monitoring to social media monitoring and a whole lot more, it provides everything a parent may need to protect their kids from digital threats.
Screen Time Limit
It is alarming how screen addiction is gaining momentum in modern society. More kids (and even adults) are battling screen addiction now than ever before. There is enough scientific evidence that proves how excessive exposure to screens leads to several health problems (both physical and psychological). From deteriorating eyesight to shrinking attention span and learning disabilities etc., the list goes on!
Parents struggle to strike a balance between kids’ daily routines and screen time. FamilyTime offers an easy solution to such complicated problems. Its Screen Time Limit feature allows parents to define how much screen time they deem appropriate for kids. You can set time limits for individual apps and minimize distractions.
Internet Filter
The internet came and took over the world by storm. It has become so prevalent in modern society that nobody can accomplish daily tasks without it. From kids to adults, everybody is dependent on it, whether for work, education, entertainment, communication, or more. The problem is that it houses an unlimited pool of data, including content that is highly inappropriate for kids. Yet, there are not enough security systems in place to keep such content out of their reach.
With FamilyTime’s Internet Filter, parents can successfully prohibit kids’ exposure to inappropriate content. It allows parents to block unsuitable/adult websites as well as indecent content using specific keywords. Its Safe Search feature removes all inappropriate content from search results so kids don’t view anything that is not meant for their eyes.
Not a day goes by when kids, teens, and adults don’t ho on social media’s band wagon. YouTube and TikTok happen to be two of the most popular and household platforms of today’s world. Everybody uses them including little kids. However, with unlimited video content come unmeasurable dangers, e.g., social media addiction, cyberbullying, exposure to explicit content/profanity, etc.
FamilyTime’s YouTube & TikTok Monitoring features allow parents to see what their kids watch on both of these platforms and see if they need to make any changes. These features also help them monitor their search history. That way, you know what goes on in their minds.
SOS/Panic Button
Protecting kids against the ever-increasing dangers of today’s world is challenging indeed. From stalkers to cyberbullying to sexual offenders and more, the list of threats continues to rise. Parents cannot always be by their kids’ side to protect them from such dangers. But, they can arm them with such tools that can help kids stay safe and get help on time.
FamilyTime offers an SOS/Panic button that kids can press if they feel threatened by strangers or bullies, or if they need immediate help. It sends instant notifications to parents’ devices with kids’ location. It is a life-saving button that kids may use in emergencies.
Location Tracking & Geofence
Kids of modern world like to become independent from an early age. They wish to be treated like grown-ups and often travel unsupervised. However, most parents don’t let their kids out the door without adult supervision due to ever-increasing threats.
With FamilyTime’s Geofence feature, parents can mark specific places to receive alerts when kids enter and leave those locations. That way, parents can allow kids to visit certain areas, i.e., schools, friends’ houses, usual hangouts, malls, etc., without a chaperone and instill confidence in them. Parents can use its location tracking service to keep an eye on their kids’ digital footprints to know where they are and where they have been at any time.
Compatible Devices
One of the most crucial features to look for in a FamilyTime parental control app is its compatibility range and whether one can use it to monitor devices with different operating systems. Fortunately, FamilyTime is a versatile app that works well with both iPhone and Android devices. Its features work seamlessly across both systems, and parents can monitor iPhone devices from Android ones or vice versa. Hence, it is famous as one of the best iPhone/Android parental apps.
Payment Plans
FamilyTime allows a 3-day free trial for parents who wish to explore the app before making a full commitment. Parents get access to a limited number of features with the trial version once they enter their credit card details to get started. It offers four paid or premium plans with access to a complete list of features. The payment options vary based on the number of child devices parents need to monitor. Here is what you can expect from this app in terms of cost.
- The MyFamily Plan
It allows you to monitor one child device and costs $2.25 a month. Users must pay $27 per year after the trial period is over to continue using its features.
2. The MyFamily 2 Plan
Parents can buy this package if they need to monitor two child devices. It costs $2.92 per month and they need to pay $35 per year, once the trial period ends.
3. The MyFamily 3 Plan
It is $3.75 per month and parents can use it to monitor three child devices with this payment plan. Once the trial period is over, parents need to pay $45 per year to keep using its features.
4. The MyFamily 5 Plan
It may seem like the most expensive option, but it actually saves you a lot if you need to manage five child devices. It costs $5.75 per month and parents pay $69 per year.
Is the App Worth It?
FamilyTime iPhone and Android parental app has received an enormous number of positive reviews from the parental community. With an extensive list of impeccable features, and its vision to ease digital parenting, the app rose through the ranks of parental control apps to become parents’ top choice. Moreover, a 24/7 customer service and its dedication to consistently improve its services makes it even more appealing choice for many people.
