Top 10 Best Parenting Mobile Apps in India 2023
A parental control tool lets parents keep tabs on their kids’ online behaviour and protects them from potentially hazardous or unsuitable content. Their parents are raising a younger group of tech-savvy kids. Teenagers text, while toddlers utilize iPads for communication. Additionally, most schools have included computers and iPads in their curricula. Cell phones are something that parents let their kids and teenagers use since they are terrific communication tools. Additionally, it helps parents understand where their kids are and what they could be doing.
Defining the parameters of their children’s digital freedom and assessing the benefits and drawbacks of doing so provide a problem for parents.
Most parents know that limiting their kids’ connection to the website may hinder their ability to grow and learn. But doing so also exposes kids to online dangers and content that could be too much for them to handle.
Because of this, they are setting up robust security software with monitoring software on all devices that can assist both parents and their children in navigating the digital world. Your child should learn how to operate a surveillance system on their gadgets in the same way that you educate them to lock all gates when they are home alone.
Use parental controls for these ten reasons.
Big benefits exist for purchasing and installing content filters on your child’s electronic gadgets. These ten are.
1. Parental controls allow you to keep an eye on your children’s gadgets
You can help by monitoring your children’s iPads, iPhones, and other devices because they learn to behave responsibly online and establish friends. For options, check your app store. You can keep an eye on messages, social media accounts, emails, and other mobile activities using parental control apps.
These are helpful when you are very worried about harmful interactions or activities. For instance, some apps may alert you when they find specific phrases, like “drugs.” It’s best to let your children know when you’re watching over their devices, especially since some functions require access to your child’s account information, including passwords.
2. You can limit what your children discover on search engines thanks to parental settings.
These days, search engines may assist you in finding anything. The issue? Depending on the age and developmental stage, some children may not be ready to access a limitless amount of content. Parental controls like Google’s SafeSearch allow it to filter out pornographic websites, movies, and photos from search results.
Depending on the program, you might need to use the most current computer system and log in using customized user profiles. Talk to your children about unsuitable and age-appropriate content, and let them know when these filters are being used. They ought to be aware that they can always come to chat with you or another responsible adult.
3. Parental settings can prevent your children from accessing some game features.
With the internet access, many game consoles provide, your kids can browse the website, buy in-app items, and communicate with other players. Even though these features may increase the enjoyment of the games, you will not want your child to use credit cards associated with the account or interact with strangers.
Parental control lets you create user profiles for your children that only give them access to particular features or let you keep an eye on their gameplay.
4. Parental settings may enable you to monitor your children’s whereabouts.
Your entire family may follow each other’s locations using GPS apps. These aid in letting you know that your children are secure—and where they should be—and assist you in locating them in an emergency.
Usually, for the Gps data or position feature on your phones to function, they must be turned on. However, discussing safety precautions with your kids is still an amazing idea. Assist them in making up security settings and advise them not to tag or publish their whereabouts on social media in case others can see them.
5. Parental controls aid in forming appropriate online safety practices
Cybercriminals oftenly take advantage of people’s destructive online behaviours in their multibillion-dollar cybercrime industry. The brain of a child is continually growing and picking up new information. They could unintentionally participate in harmful online conduct in their hunt for information, such as sharing too much personal information like their date of birth or school name. This can put both their security and that of others at risk.
6. Limits on screen time can be established through parental controls
Addiction to screen time is possible. An adult may become mesmerized by it and spend hours stuck to a device, losing all sense of their physical surroundings. A child could find it more difficult to leave their favourite game or show than adults.
Kids who spend too much time in front of screens may develop poor posture, eyesight, sleep disorders, and a lack of exercise. By limiting their own and their kids’ screen usage, parents may aim to impose a healthy lifestyle.
Parental control tools that place time limitations on the kinds of media that kids can access and how long they can spend doing so can help establish boundaries. Establish media-free time and start engaging in activities like going for a walk, driving, or playing a game.
7. Parental restrictions can assist in protecting one’s internet reputation.
Posts to social media and photos from holidays and vacations by kids are all over the Internet. A large number of these benign posts are ignored. But frequently, all it takes to judge a person quickly is a Google search based on what they have shared online.
Many institutions and businesses conduct searches on open social media profiles to learn about possible candidates online. These businesses might use the information to determine whether to reject or hire a candidate.
Examine the safety and privacy options on each of your child’s accounts before considering monitoring social media. Most websites allow you to choose who sees your postings; if not, they typically give you a choice to make your account private.
8. Parental monitoring can support data backup.
Children occasionally use the net to complete their homework and school assignments. It’s crucial to store a copy of their information in a secure location. Children should be taught the value of data saving and archiving. Online, several free software applications provide storage services. However, some of them can be contaminated with viruses and malware.
Children have a library of memories they want to retain for the future in the form of images, texts, and emails. Backups are crucial. Phones can drown, break, go missing, be stolen, or pass away naturally. Make sure you have a secure backup to protect your digital memories.
9. Parental restrictions can impart proper online conduct.
Making wise decisions is a cognitive ability that improves with effective parenting methods. As you would expect them to behave in the real world, assist your child in navigating the digital environment politely. Teach children the value of moral behaviour in both online and offline settings.
Inform young people about the adverse effects of pornographic content ownership and distribution, cyberbullying, and unethical hacking. Inform them that the law protects victims of such acts.
10. Customizable parental control should be available
Setting screen time restrictions, blocking content, and tracking whereabouts might benefit the entire family. However, not all family members, or at least not always, need this amount of control. You can set up various profiles for many parental control features so that each family member can access internet information that is acceptable to them.
In January 2021, there were over 624 million Internet and mobile users globally, making India the country with the fastest-growing app market worldwide. Tens of hundreds of parents, mainly working women, are installing apps that give guidance, support, and information on various parenting-related topics.
The applications world, available 24 hours a day, provides a deluge of parenting advice and information for parents in the twenty-first century, from dealing with pregnancy to professional advice on childhood development, learning tools, and monitoring kids’ academic achievement.
Perennials have a high level of digital comfort. Thus apps are quickly gaining popularity because it has very trustworthy providers of parenting advice.
Let’s examine the top 10 parental apps in India in more detail.
1. Baby Center (iOS & Android phones)
For new and expectant parents, there is this calendar application. Daily and weekly instruction give practical help, such as videos on fetal development, pregnancy suggestions, and nutrition recommendations. An internal medical advisory board recognized by England’s NHS (Health Service) offers professional assistance through Baby Center. A baby name creator and a bumpy photo journal are further delights.
Additionally, there is a Birth Group where ladies can meet other pregnant mothers having babies in the same month. In addition, the app acts as a parenting manual for the newborn’s first year following birth.
An excellent app for tracking pregnancy and getting pregnant up until delivery is called Baby Center. Since 1998, it has received several prizes, the most recent becoming the 2021 Webby People’s Voice Winner.
Downloadable without cost
2. Cloud Child Monitoring (iOS & Android)
In a nuclear household, a multitasking mother needs an extra set of eyes to watch over her little one. This fog baby monitor application enables new mothers to watch over and safeguard their newborns through music, white noise, lullabies, and two-way audio and video access. It allows mothers to take care of daily responsibilities while keeping a continual eye on their newborns.
The program can be installed on two or even more phones, tablets, or PCs, with one as a recording device to keep an eye on your child while the other, the phone acting as the parent unit, keeps you linked. It costs Rs. 340 for a single purchase, and you can freely install it on numerous devices.
The unique selling point of Cloud Baby Monitor is that you can install it on as many gadgets as possible to keep an eye on your child from all sides and locations.
The app’s creators assert that they utilize industry-standard encryption to ensure that only paying parents can view the video feed. Wired magazines and ABC News both give the app its highest endorsement. It also uses a night-monitoring movable light to record the infant’s sleep patterns. To increase battery life, the video quality is restricted to 480p resolution.
Future updates will improve video quality, according to the creators. To prevent app crashes, it’s a great idea to utilize the same computer software across all supporting phones. The app is only compatible with digital devices running iOS 8 or later and Android 4.4 or later.
(Rs.340)
3. Tinybeans (iOS & Android)
A significant issue for modern smartphone users is a lack of memory and storage for their data. The phone’s storage card quickly fills up if trigger-happy parents take tons of images and movies of their kids. Batching the photos by topic, date, and event takes a lot of time, and transferring them to PCs and external drives is challenging. This issue is resolved for you by Tinybeans. Parents may take as many pictures as they like to document their children’s development without worrying about filling the phone’s photo and video gallery.
Perhaps more importantly, every time you submit a video or an audio update, your email list of family members and friends is automatically updated.
This private baby book has the ability to track every parental milestone and display it on a calendar, and the uploaded photos are organized by date. Storage is limitless and free. Subscribe to a paid subscription if you want to watch lengthier videos (Rs.341-3,500). Tinybeans, which has gotten raving comments from The New York Times, Forbes, and US Weekly, has been downloaded by more than 500,000 people.
(Free-of-charge)
4. Childbirth & Pregnancy (iOS & Android)
Midwifery and pediatricians would recommend these two apps from the large lighting manufacturer Philips to their patients. Pregnancy+ includes 40 3D computer animations that respond to contact and contain records of the unborn child’s heartbeat. It constantly obtains five-star reviews in the iOS and Android play stores. Based on your medical and personal documents, it also generates daily updates on your eating, exercising, and pregnant status.
Similarly, Baby+ monitors a child’s development at significant junctures, such as when they erupt their first tooth, whenever their weight and height increase, etc. Images can also be kept in a personal diary that can be turned into a yearbook. In addition to daily blog posts, the app provides weekly infant growth reports and charts, parental and nursing advice, and sleep-inducing lullabies.
(Free-of-charge)
5. Bark
The main purpose of Bark is to give you complete, ensure that issues about how your child utilizes their mobile phone. Its content monitoring includes text, email, and a wide range of other communication channels. Along with more than 30 applications and social media sites, it now covers YouTube. You still can ban adult websites, but you have a list of specific categories to pick from, like streaming services and games.
The bark is a versatile tool that searches for indications of cyberbullying, serial rapists, suicidal ideation, and violent threats in addition to adult content. A notification will be sent to parents to advise them of the situation if such a problem arises.
Custom time limits and timetables that keep track of cell service connections and Wi-Fi connections will help you limit your kids’ use. For complete security, if you buy the companion Bark Home, you can monitor any Wi-Fi-connected devices you have at home, like smart TVs, laptops, and gaming consoles.
No free plan; Slower iOS setup; Monitors 30+ apps; Includes screen time tracking; Unlimited device limits
6. Sound Sleeper (iOS & Android)
Infants can fall asleep with the help of a high-quality selection of sounds provided by Sound Sleeper. One user claims, “The moment my baby hears womb noises, it calms him, and he returns to sleep.” The instant the baby starts crying, the app automatically launches. To play with their children, parents can even record their lullabies and other soothing music. She falls asleep more quickly using the Play Mode but stays asleep longer using the Listen Mode.
Additionally, the Sleep Timer Mode produces statistics on your baby’s sleeping habits.
(Free & 120–1,000 rupees)
7. Cozi Family Organizer (iOS & Android)
Parents can use an online planner or calendar to organize their daily responsibilities with the help of this well-reviewed tool. No more stick notes that could get misplaced, dirty, or damaged. With this accessible and collaborative software, keep track of doctor’s visits, grocery lists, and other alerts. All members of the family can install it and have access to emergency supply lists, travel preparation checklists, class trip items, to-do lists, meals, and more. Both the free and premium versions are equally effective.
(Free & 60-2,450 Rupees)
8. Mylo (Android)
The parenting app Mylo leads the pack with over a million downloads, regular updates, and five-star reviews. It provides free kid nutrition guides, tracking tools for immunizations, lists and reminders, further medical counsel, and data on physical development. There are also bedtime stories, lullabies, and a place to record pregnancy and postpartum milestones. Additionally, the app’s parent support group suggests the top prenatal and mother-baby products.
(Free-of-charge)
9. Baby Chakra (Android & iOS)
On the same platform, Baby Chakra unites parents and specialists. More than 1,800 doctors and 5,000 helpful essays, videos, and chat groups are included. In addition, free live chats on a variety of topics, like pregnancy and nursing, are provided by pediatricians, gynecologists, lactation specialists, nutritionists, and yoga teachers. Parents can trade parenting advice with those who speak their local language and community. More than 1 million users have downloaded this app.
(Free-of-charge)
10. Qustodio, Kaspersky Secure Kids, and KidsLox (iOS & Android)
Parental control apps let parents keep an eye on and watch their kids’ online and offline behaviour on gadgets like smartphones, laptops, and PCs. They stop kids from seeing websites and online information unsuitable for their age and promote pornography, drugs, death, and other harmful behaviours. My recommendations include KidsLox (Free & Rs.65-11,300), Kaspersky Safe Children (Free & Rs.299-1,099), and Qustodio Parent Control (Free & Rs.2,070-7,700).
They all provide excellent tracking and email alerts that keep you informed about your child’s offline and online digital activities. All of these applications permit remote locking of your child’s phone in addition to the typical content blocking, location tracking, and screen time limitations.
Family screen time app by Qustodio (5, 10, or 15 supervised devices)
Take advantage of everything the Qustodio family tv time app offers, plus:
- YouTube Monitoring New
- Geolocation tracker for New Family Locator
- App blocking (block by app, not just category)
- Screen linear dependence report for 30 days
- For safer children, use advanced Facebook monitoring.
- Press an SOS button to notify family members.
- Support for Priority Parental Control
- Early access to new functions
- Link additional devices for the family locator and complete family mode.
How to use apps wisely.
Here are some recommendations to help you make informed decisions and get the most out of your smartphone’s apps:
- Create a shortlist of suggested parenting applications, then pick/download the ones that best fit your requirements.
- Uninstalling useless apps to free up extra storage space is advised if you have installed too many programs. The performance of the apps will improve.
- Download each of the suggested parenting apps one at a time. If the first doesn’t satisfy your needs, test it first before moving on to the next.
- Search for superior parenting applications. Parenting will be more fulfilling if you are always learning and experimenting.
- Always seek advice from friends, especially those dealing with comparable parenting difficulties.
- To resist the temptation to start collecting apps, purge your phone’s app list once a month.
How did we pick these apps for parental control?
When deciding which parental control apps are the finest, we take into account a number of variables.
- Tools: Each app provides a variety of capabilities to assist you in keeping an eye on your child’s behaviour, like setting screen time restrictions or monitoring content.
- Compatibility: To ensure an application will operate with your smartphone, we examine device compatibility because they have access to their phones.
- Cost: Reducing costs is a top priority to give parents on a restricted budget access to parental control options.
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
