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Screen time is an app that reaches this point rightly, with a name that tells you what this piece of software does, and it is one of the best parent control apps.
When we are all spending more time on our phone and children are easily engaged due to inappropriate online content, it is very important that what they are seeing and how many times they are able to use tools.
Despite the name, though, screen time just does not pay attention to this feature – in fact it has found a whole range of parental control capabilities. And, as a bonus, is a free version.
Plan and pricing
This free version contains daily reports on the use of your children’s app and, on Android, allows parents to view the web and YouTube history. Free products also include some social media monitoring on Google’s platform.
The free version includes support for only one child’s device, however, which is a strict restriction. The free version of the Kid Lugger includes support for five devices, and only one device is monitored in the free product of the story – but it has a better set of features.
Google Family Link and Microsoft Family Safety are both free, and both are more powerful.
Screen -time free products are not really representative, though, and its compensation version is much more likely – because it includes the full range of features. It is also cheap, with seven days of free trials at 99 6.99 each month. This price is slightly cheaper than the monthly cost of the full fat version of Costo, Bark, MM Guardian and Kid Logar.
Specialty
If you call your app screen time, it will have to impress in this category. And, thankfully, the screen time is not disappointed.
Parents can set the daily screen time limits using the software, select the preset options, change the day or weekend of the week, and apply the time limits to individual apps. It is easy for different children to make different schedules, and a button allows parents to immediately stop their children’s devices – easier if you need to get their attention.
Here is also a modern feature, thanks to the free game – an option to override all boundaries and schedules with just a tap. If you are stuck with bored children on a long journey, this can be a great relief.
Screen -time also allows parents to maintain family harmony by taking advantage of additional device time if they complete work, such as work or homework. Parents are eligible to approve their completion of this task and provide them with customized time as a reward.
The screen time connects its impressive device and app control with solid reporting. Parents can see what children use often, how much time they have spent on each app, and get daily summary of all important data – when things are difficult.
And if you want to prevent some apps from being fully used, the screen time allows you to see which apps are installed, block specific apps, and only allow new apps to be installed with parenting approval.
There are also traditional location -based features in the screen time. Parents can see current places of children, when children travel, they can monitor the routes, and when children enter or leave approved or restricted places, they can use geophinsing to receive warnings. Travel and location records are kept for seven days – other apps provide long dates.
Screentime has some additional features that are available only on Android. For example, web filtering is only available on the Google platform, and it contains 25 content that parents can allow or ban, and it is possible to include or ban individual websites.
Android users can also monitor text messages, see pictures on children’s devices, and monitor third -party messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Viber and Cake.
This app is definitely weak on iOS, and some features are not as comprehensive as you will find somewhere else.
For example, its web filtering is not as strong as rivals – apps like MM Guardian provide more categories to use parents when filtering. Bark is also particularly good for social media monitoring.
In interface and in use
Screentime is easy, color -coded buttons have an efficient, clutter interface that allows you to see your schedules, app and web filter allowances and your children’s paths.
Other apps certainly pop up with more color, but screen time sounds good, and its effective design means that it is very easy for parents to use. This approach also goes to the monitoring interface available in web browsers.
The installation is similarly straightened, at least on Android: Sign up, download the app, follow the easy instructions to fold with the app on your baby’s device and you are there.
Once this work is done, you will have to establish parental control and allow relevant permission, then you want to go.
If you are on iOS, this is a bit more complicated. Parents have to download and install profiles and change the remote management settings on their devices.
Thankfully, both platforms are included on the screen time website through comprehensive guidelines and videos.
Supportive
This is an area where the screen time did not impress – because clicking on the support link on the website created a 404 error page.
This is not a good start, but it is possible to use the web form somewhere on the central help center page to request the screen time team, and the company assures parents of response within 24 hours.
The general questionnaire and the help center are also reasonable, with many articles that include each aspect of the app.
Just do not expect a phone support or direct chat that will sometimes get you with rival products, such as ausadio or Norton family.
Comparison
The screen time survives its name – when it comes to scheduling and controlling how many times your children use their devices and some apps, this software matches every competitor. Its space abilities also compare well with other apps.
Go beyond that, though, and the screen time begins to decrease. For example, MM Guardian is strong with web filtering, and bark with social media, messaging and calls. If you are on iOS, consider our contact as well.
Screen time can reduce other compensation options with a slightly low prices, but if you want a parent’s free control product, you will likely be better with Microsoft or Google’s built -in tools or with Kid Loger.
The final decision
If you want an affordable app that provides comprehensive scheduling along with the device and app range and control, the screen time is one of the best choices. In this regard, it has found good basic functionality along with modern features.
Beyond that, though, it is nervous. Its location-based functionality is fine, it stops apps, and provides reporting, but competitors do the same-even in other categories. And weaknesses on iOS mean that screen time is just suitable for Android families.
Screen time is not a badly -controlled app on parent – and if you want to focus on banning your children on their devices, this is excellent. But we will spend more round experience or better options on iOS, we will spend a little more instead and buy somewhere else.
