Lifestyle

Want to monitor your child’s digital life? Try this app

It will not be surprising to know that smartphone use has increased significantly over the past decade. Similarly, internet connectivity has improved considerably as well, both in terms of quality and coverage. Children who have grown up in this decade have developed an inclination to consider the digital realm as an integral part of their daily lives, and your kid is no exception to this. It is perfectly understandable for parents to maintain some form of oversight into their child’s digital life. In this article, we will help you figure out how you can do that. We will identify some important points you need to keep in mind when it comes to monitoring your child. Then, we will review one of the best kids monitoring app that you can use. We will explore the features of this app in detail, and provide an overview of how you can utilize it in daily practice.

Points to consider

Online threats such as cyberbullying, loss of privacy, access to inappropriate content, or device misuse are all serious dangers that can affect the developmental process of a child. As a parent, it is your right to protect your child from these dangers. However, as in the outside world, it is important to be cognizant of the fact that your kid also deserves privacy and autonomy to develop into a healthy adult. Achieving a balance can thus be tricky, particularly when it comes to monitoring apps. This is why it is important to educate your child and create a healthier environment in the family where they can raise any issue they may feel distressed about. Moreover, be sure to be flexible and use the app’s features in circumstances that require them.

Want to monitor your child’s digital life? Try this app

XNSPY kids monitoring app

XNSPY is a smartphone monitoring app that is designed to help parents stay alert to any dangers their child may be exposed to. The app is designed in such a way that your kid will retain autonomy, while you ensure safety. The service offers a ton of features, and highly flexible because of the control it gives you in terms of which functions you use. When it comes to compatibility, the app supports all iOS devices running on versions above 6.0. It supports Android phones too, offering compatibility with versions 4.0 and above.

The cost factor

Let’s be honest, price is an important factor in your decision-making process. We have tried many kids monitoring apps but so far, XNSPY is the most affordable option we have come across. The full-feature premium version for the XNSPY kids monitoring app comes with a price tag of USD 7.49 per month. There is a basic version too at USD 4.99 a month, though we will not recommend it since it only offers the bare-bones features.

Want to monitor your child’s digital life? Try this app

XNSPY features

Here we get to the most important part of the service. Let’s take a look at the features that are available with the app, and how useful they are for you.

  • Call monitoring

The app will create a record of all call-related data in the call logs. The duration of each call is listed here as well. Additionally, you can also record phone conversations if you are suspicious of someone speaking with your child, though we recommend you use this feature only in exceptional circumstances. The call logs feature is sufficient in providing you a complete picture of your child’s phone calls without violating privacy.

  • SMS/IM/Social media tracking

You already know this, but texting and social media are now the go-to services used by kids and adolescents. With the XNSPY kids monitoring app, you can view all sent or received messages and multimedia files over almost all popular platforms. For example, XNSPY can monitor messages on apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Viber, Skype, Tinder, LINE, Kik, and others. This is a very valuable feature, and no kids monitoring app is worth it if it suffers in this department.

  • GPS tracking

You can use XNSPY to check where your child is. The location tracking occurs in real-time, and a history of the location is also recorded. This way, you can rest assured if your kid is out for a birthday party or a school trip. XNSPY also has a geofencing feature. All you have to do is mark an area on the map to geofence it. The app will inform you the moment your child violates the geofence. This is a very useful feature, especially if have to run some errand and your child is still at home.

  • Multimedia & online activity monitoring

View all photos and videos saved on the phone, access all emails, and bookmarked pages, along with complete web browsing history. While this seems impressive because it can inform you if your child accesses inappropriate content, there is a downside to it. XNSPY does not have a content filtering system, so you are going to get your hands on a tool of that nature. Fortunately, most such programs are free of cost, so you do not have to worry about it.Want to monitor your child’s digital life? Try this app

  • Screen-time management

Screen-time management is a very important feature if you want to prevent misuse of certain apps and protect your child from developing digital addiction. You can use the XNSPY kids monitoring app to remotely lock the phone, view and block all installed apps, restart the phone, and delete saved information if the phone is stolen. Discuss the matter with your kid before you re-activate the app. The process is quite smooth since the app blocking/unblocking feature occurs with a single click.

  • Instant alerts

This is the most impressive and sophisticated feature available with the XNSPY kids monitoring app. To be honest, we did not think it would work as effectively as promised but we were quite surprised at its reliability. So how does it work? Well, there are three separate lists called Watch list words, Watch list locations, and Watch list contacts. You can add anything to these lists and the service will immediately notify you if there is any activity related to your customized list. For example, suppose you add the word ‘drugs’ to the list. XNSPY will immediately inform you if the word is mentioned in any text message or even searched online. This is perhaps the most effective way you can maintain your child’s privacy while ensuring their safety.Want to monitor your child’s digital life? Try this app

How do I use these features?

It goes without mention, but you have to install the app on your child’s phone before you can use any of the aforementioned features. Here is a quick three-step guide on how you can do so.

Step 1: Purchase a subscription via the official website and install the app on the phone. You need physical access to Android phones for installation and Apple ID/password for the iPhone.

Step 2: Log in to your XNSPY account and select the relevant phone in the “My Devices” menu.

Step 3: Access the control panel to use any of the aforementioned features.

To clarify further, the XNSPY control panel acts as the central hub where all information collected from the device is displayed. Just browse over to the vertical menu on the left after you select the device. You will see a list of options with sub-menus. The panel is intuitively designed with clear categories and color schemes that are easy on the eyes. You may feel slightly confused at first, but you will quickly get the hang of things.

Want to monitor your child’s digital life? Try this app

The XNSPY control panel can be accessed from anywhere in the world with any web browser. The only thing you need is an internet connection. Remember, you can toggle on/off any feature via the settings option.

Now that we have dealt with the important parts of the service, let’s take a look at some pros and cons for the XNSPY kids monitoring app. Take these points into consideration before you go ahead with the purchase.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • The app is very affordable.
  • It has a highly sophisticated instant alert function.
  • The feature activation/deactivation makes it highly flexible.

Cons

  • Some features of the app may require Rooting/Jailbreak which can be a security risk.
  • The service has a high potential for misuse.
  • You would have to use a separate content filtering tool because XNSPY does not offer it.

 

Check out the summary of our review for a quick overview.

XNSPY Info/feature Uses
Price USD 4.99 for basic version; USD 7.49 for premium version. Check out the app’s website for more details on each package.
Compatibility All Android phones running above versions after 4.0. All iOS above 6.0.  
Call monitoring Call recording and call logs. ·         Useful for parents who want to monitor who their child talks to.

·         Call recording is only required in exceptional circumstances.

SMS/IM/Social media All messages and multimedia files are tracked by XNSPY. Primarily designed for parental use so as to prevent incidents of cyberbullying, sexting, or inappropriate communication.
Internet activity monitoring Browsing history, emails, bookmarked pages. ·         Parents can view browsing history to see what their child is doing online.

·         The app does not have a content filtering system.

GPS Tracking Real-time location access, GPS history, geofencing. ·         Very useful for safety purposes.

 

App management/ Multimedia / Screen-time Management Pictures, videos, audio, calendar entries, saved contacts, and installed apps. ·         Mostly used by parents for screen-time management and preventing access to inappropriate content.
Remote control Remote screenshots, remote data deletion, remote phone lock, remote surround recording ·         There are very few scenarios that require these features.

·         Parents are advised to turn them off because they can be intrusive.

Instant alerts Available for locations, contacts, and words/phrases. ·         Extremely useful for parents in almost all circumstances.

·         Suitable for those seeking a laid-back but alert approach to monitoring.

 

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