Integrating digital devices and technological advancement makes all parents anxious about their kids. At the age of 10, on average, kids have their devices, which means they are exposed to threats of digitalization. Using the right parental control app is the last resort for parents to keep their kids safe. It helps them to secure kids from accessing explicit content, controls their screen time, and monitors all digital activities.
Like many other parents, I struggled to find the best parental control app and then came across FamilyTime. It's a one-stop solution for all your parental control needs. The app is specifically designed for mobile devices and has dedicated tools for parents to help them manage their child's digital exposure. Here's my detailed FamilyTime review to help you end the hassle of finding good parental control software.
My Ratings: 4.8 – What Impressed Me in the FamilyTime App?
It was best after exploring and experiencing the FamilyTime parental control app. The app's features and tools are spot-on and accommodating for busy parents. It made things easier for me to manage and control my child's screen time, digital exposure, real-time location tracking, and more. Plus, my child was happy with the features like TimeBank and FunTime. It motivates them to be persistent with the screen time rules, as any unused screen time allowance enables them to use the time later.
Here’s what else impressed me in the app so far:
- Comprehensive parental controls enable ultimate screen time management
- App management tools range from app blockers to approving apps.
- Live location tracking with geo-fence limits and alerts for geological movements.
- Extensive content filters and web blockers.
- User-friendly app interface convenient for those with limited tech knowledge.
- TikTok and YouTube history help me know the content my child is watching.
- Access to contacts, call logs, and SMSs on the child's device
- Access to child’s chat history on leading social media apps
- The app works on Android and iOS devices in cross-combination.
- Detailed monthly reports to review the overall child's digital behavior and activities
- A 3-day free premium trial to experience the FamilyTime’s features.
- 24/7 support team for quick problem resolution
Along with all these factors, FamilyTime assures the child's data safety under GDPR compliance. It builds my confidence in the app as a trusted one because my child's data is safe.
Pricing Plans & Discounts
Who likes to enjoy only some premium parental control features for as low as $2.14 per month? Well, I do! That's why I loved the app. Unlike the other apps, FamilyTime doesn't have one fixed subscription plan but a variation. You can select a plan based on the number of devices you want to monitor.
You can select five subscription plans from MyFamily, $2.14/mo., MyFamily3, $4.08/mo., and My Family5, $5.75/mo., covering one, three, and five devices, respectively. When processing my yearly subscription to MyFamily3, I was offered a discount that reduced my overall cost and made it a good deal.
A Few Downsides I Noticed
Overall, the FamilyTime parental control app makes your child safe online. However, I found a few downsides that are limitations for parents, too. If you want to use one parental control app for your child's mobile and desktop devices, then FamilyTime is not the one. It's a dedicated parental control app for mobile devices, and it is best at that. For desktops, you can opt for alternative parental controls. It's alright; kids are more into mobile devices than conventional systems.
Another limitation of the app is the content filters. The app does not offer a range of filters but a set of default categories. You cannot add any custom categories or filters for content screening. Though the default content filter categories are extensive and cover sensitive content, they still feel limited compared to competitor apps.
I used the app for my child's Android device, and the experience was smooth, but I found that the iOS version of FamilyTime is slightly different. Since it's a different platform, the app's interface is different, but you may need help finding certain features in the iOS version. Out of curiosity, upon my inquiry, the responsive support agent told me that the app's parental controls for iOS differ due to Apple's policies on data safety and parental controls.
A Little comparison of Android & iOS Versions
|
Features |
Android |
iOS |
|
Calls |
✔ |
|
|
Text Messages |
✔ |
|
|
Location |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Geofence |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Internet Filters |
✔ |
|
|
App Blocker |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Family Pause |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Limit Screen Time |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Internet Schedule |
✔ |
|
|
Daily Limit by App Usage |
✔ |
|
|
App Usage Report |
✔ |
|
|
Contacts |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Installed Apps |
✔ |
✔ |
|
SOS Alerts |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Pick Me Up Alerts |
✔ |
✔ |
|
YouTube, TikTok & Web Browse History. |
✔ |
|
|
Speed Alerts |
|
✔ |
|
Content Filters |
|
✔ |
My FamilyTime Experience – Wrap Up!
My overall experience with FamilyTime has been amazing. I was eager to test the app for its claimed robust parental controls, and it proved right. FamilyTime is the best parental control app, and it has all the features a parent could be looking for in any parental control software. I have been using the built-in parental control for Android and FamilyLink, but it could have been clearer. Setting up the controls, linking devices, and monitoring them was tricky.
However, FamilyTime offers amazing convenience with an easy-to-navigate interface and hard-to-bypass controls. It offers extensive features such as screen time controls, app management, content filters, location tracking, etc. Plus, kids can send SOS notifications when in danger and use their unused daily screen time later from the TimeBank.
Additionally, I am impressed with FamilyTime's cross-platform compatibility. If you are using an iOS device and your child is using an Android or vice versa, it's sorted. The iOS and Android versions of the app work perfectly in sync on both the child's and parent's devices.
Pricing is justified considering the features this app offers. It's good value for money. Parents can select the subscription plan according to the number of devices they want to monitor. Overall, it's a good-to-go app for parental controls that helps you boost your child's digital safety.
