Maybe your kid is a music fan, or maybe they want to listen to audiobooks or podcasts — but you’re not quite ready to give them a phone just yet. What is the best music device for kids? We’ve curated some phone-free choices, as well as a kid-friendly option you can use with a phone or tablet. Read on for our top picks.
Which specific device one is best for your child will depend on your priorities. If your child is young and you want something simple and easy for them to use independently, the Jooki or the Yoto might be the best fit. If price is a priority, then consider the budget-friendly Yoto Mini. And if you don’t want to add a new device to the mix, but want to make sure your child’s listening experience is age-appropriate, downloading Spotify Kids on a device you already own may make the most sense.
Price: $65.99 on Amazon
Best for: Older kids who can maneuver a device and want some independence.
Why it made the list: The Luoran MP3 Player is a personal favorite of the BrightCanary team. It comes with Spotify, Audible, Pandora, and Amazon music already installed. You can transfer files through both USB and WiFi, and it supports a wide range of audio formats. It’s also Bluetooth-compatible, so your kid doesn’t have to be tethered to wired headphones.
Price: Starts at $112.99 on Amazon
Best for: Younger kids, screen-free listening, durability
Why it made the list: The Jooki is super sturdy, making a great choice for young hands. It’s also easy for kids to use. Parents load playlists onto tokens, and the child simply places the token onto the device to start the playlist. One drawback is that it comes with no pre-loaded content. But the lack of a screen is a definite plus for families looking to minimize the screens in their child’s life.
Price: $119.99 (Yoto), $69.99 (Yoto Mini)
Best for: Younger kids, screen-free listening, pre-loaded content
Why it made the list: The Yoto and its smaller sibling, the Yoto Mini, are the rare digital tools that try to do a lot and actually do it well. Yoto is a music player, podcast player, mini-radio, and storybook reader all wrapped up in a rather adorable, retro-ish device. It works by inserting a small card into the top. You can purchase cards with curated kid-friendly content or buy a blank card and create your own playlist.
The larger Yoto also works as a Bluetooth speaker, and it has a night-light function and a digital clock. The smaller Yoto Mini is tiny enough to carry in your pocket. The controls can take some getting used to, but with a bit of adult help in the beginning, your little digital native will be off and running on their own in no time.
Price: $59.99 on Amazon
Best for: At-home listening, minimal set up
Why it made the list: The Echo Dot Kids is designed to work with Amazon Kids+, a subscription service with hundreds of hours of kid-friendly content. Your children can use voice commands to access ad-free radio stations, music, and hundreds of Audible books. Setup is a breeze, particularly if you already have an Alexa. Built-in parental controls mean when kids use this device to ask Alexa questions or request content, it will only provide kid-appropriate responses and filter out explicit songs. Parents can also set daily time limits and review activity in the Amazon Parent Dashboard.
Price: $119.99 on Mighty
Best for: Portability
Why it made the list: This tiny-but-mighty device is reminiscent of the iPod shuffle. It can stream music, podcasts, and audiobooks from your Spotify Premium and Amazon Music accounts and store 1000+ songs for offline listening. If your kid wants to listen while riding their bike or walking to school, this is a perfect choice, but younger kids (at least if they’re like mine!) might have a hard time keeping track of it because of its small size.
Price: $16.99 monthly subscription
Best for: Use with existing devices
Why it made the list: Sometimes, you just want to use what you already have. If your child has access to a phone or a tablet, you can equip it with Spotify Kids, an ad-free service available exclusively with a Spotify Premium Family subscription. It features kid-friendly content specifically curated for the youngest listeners. Spotify Kids features music, audiobooks, and more and allows parents to view and manage their child’s content.
The best music device for your kid depends largely on your needs and budget. Regardless of your choice, it's crucial to actively monitor the media your child engages with, both on their devices and through their online searches. Whether they inadvertently come across an inappropriate song or venture down a Google rabbit hole that begins with their favorite artist and leads to non-kid-friendly content, supervision is key.
BrightCanary is a monitoring app designed to oversee what your child types, including searches on YouTube, Google, and all the other apps they use. The app uses AI to promptly alert you to any concerning material they may encounter — so you can talk about it together.
At first glance, the idea of setting Spotify parental controls might seem surprising. After all, isn’t Spotify just a music streaming platform? In reality, Spotify offers everything from podcasts to audiobooks — and with all of that media comes content concerns.
Maybe you’ve heard of reports of pornography showing up on Spotify, or maybe you would rather your kids don’t repeat the f-bomb they picked up while belting along to the latest Olivia Rodrigo track. Whatever your motivation for being leery of giving your child free reign on Spotify, you don’t need to give up on the platform altogether. Both Spotify Kids and Spotify parental controls allow kids to enjoy their tunes while keeping their ears clean.
Spotify Kids is an ad-free service available exclusively with a Spotify Premium Family subscription. Designed for kids aged 12 and under, it features kid-friendly content specifically curated for the youngest listeners. Spotify Kids features music, audiobooks, and more, and allows parents to view and manage the content their child listens to.
Not only does Spotify Kids not contain any content marked Explicit, but it’s also curated by humans, so you don’t have to worry about something sneaking past an algorithm or a filter.
Spotify Kids is specifically designed for kids 12 and under. (Spotify’s terms require users of regular accounts to be at least 13.)
In order to use Spotify Kids, you must have a Spotify Premium Family subscription. Spotify Premium Family is a discounted plan available for up to six family members. It costs $16.99/month, and you can cancel at any time.
Getting started on Spotify Kids is a breeze. Just follow these easy steps:
If you have kids over 13, don’t worry — there are still parental control options to keep their listening experience appropriate. To use Spotify parental controls, you must have a Spotify Family account.
Here’s how to set up Spotify parental controls:
On a mobile device
On a desktop
If your child uses Spotify on a shared family device, and you don’t want to restrict content for that device, be aware that they may come across material that isn’t appropriate for their age. Each family needs to weigh the pros and cons of restricting content and make the choice that’s right for their household.
If you allow your child to use Spotify on an unrestricted account, it’s a good idea to have a discussion with them about questionable content they might encounter and monitor their use by keeping an ear out or peeking at the listening history.
Both Spotify Kids and Spotify parental controls offer families options to keep their kid’s listening experience age-appropriate. If your child uses Spotify on their iPhone or iPad, you can monitor what they search for with BrightCanary. The app will flag anything concerning, such as explicit terms.
While it’s good to let your child develop their own interests (and playlists), a little bit of supervision goes a long way in keeping your child from content they’re not old enough to handle on their own.
If you grew up watching One Piece, the pirate-themed anime series about a kid who is turned into rubber after unintentionally eating a Devil Fruit, you might be excited about the recently released live-action remake now streaming on Netflix and eager to share your love of the show with your kids. But is One Piece for kids? Read on to find out.
Netflix gave both the anime series and the live action version a rating of 14+, calling out concerns like language, nudity, self-harm, smoking, and violence.
But, as your gut might tell you, these hot topics are often portrayed very differently in animation versus live action. So, despite their identical rating, you’re likely still left with the question, “Is One Piece live action for kids?”
Common Sense Media rates the anime version of One Piece as appropriate for 11+ and the live-action series as appropriate for 14+. This rating difference is likely due to the milder manner in which animated violence is often perceived.
Parents who are concerned about language should note that both versions of One Piece do include the occasional use of profanity. In addition, the live-action version includes insults and name calling, as well as one instance in which a character gives someone the middle finger.
When it comes to sex and nudity, both versions of One Piece are fairly tame. In the anime series, one of the main characters flirts heavily with the two female crew members, but it’s played for humor.
The new live-action series features bare-chested male characters and a scene with a fully-naked character whose groin is covered by a pillow, but whose bare buttocks are shown. However, this scene is brief and played for laughs, rather than with any sexual overtones. The live-action series also has two characters who talk about liking each other and briefly kiss.
If violence is a sticking point for you when it comes to what your kids watch, you may want to proceed with caution before letting them view One Piece. Both versions of the show feature a wide range of violence, including executions, murders, hand-to-hand combat, and a variety of weapons.
In the anime series, characters are often injured, but death isn’t common, and when it does happen, it’s rarely shown on screen. While Netflix’s live action One Piece doesn’t have the softening effect that comes from animation, the fight choreography is exaggerated and cartoonish.
The camera typically cuts away at the moment the weapon strikes, cutting back to show the aftermath, which isn’t excessively gory. Both versions of One Piece include lessons that violence isn’t always the answer and can often make matters worse.
Parents should be aware that the new version of One Piece deals with instances of self-harm. Although they are handled thoughtfully, if this is an issue your child struggles with, it could be triggering. In addition, the live action series also shows a lot of heavy drinking, including by older teenage characters.
Both versions of the show feature strong role models. The live-action series has a very diverse cast and positive messages about the power of friendship, chasing your dreams, and helping others.
So, is One Piece for kids? It’s worth noting that both the newer remake and the older anime version include some themes which may be inappropriate for younger kids. However, both versions are appropriate for older kids and include positive messages and strong role models.
As with any new media you introduce to your child, it’s a good idea to watch it ahead of time (or watch it with them). If you’re concerned about the material your child searches for on their own, use a parental monitoring service like BrightCanary to supervise their activity online (including what they search on Netflix, YouTube, and more). Staying engaged, checking in with your child, and talking about anything that makes them feel uncomfortable goes a long way in supporting your child’s interests.
Despite what US Weekly may want you to believe, most of us lead lives that bear very little resemblance to the stars. But there’s one area that parents in all walks of life must grapple with: deciding how and when to let our kids use technology. From being permissive to instituting outright bans, here’s where these eight famous parents have landed on the issue.
Falling into the “not under my roof” camp is singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson. She recently told People that social media “can be really hard on kids in general, but especially kids with parents in the public eye.” Partially due to this extra scrutiny, Clarkson has informed her two children (ages 7 and 9) that they aren’t allowed to use any social media until they’re 18.
Actress Nicole Kidman has gone a step further and imposed her strict technology rules on her kids’ friends when they visit. She and husband Keith Urban have a strict no-devices rule at their house, and that rule includes banning their kids’ friends from bringing devices over. Explains Kidman: “The general rule is: play, hardcore and outside."
HGTV power couple Erin and Ben Napier not only plan to keep their two young daughters off social media until they graduate high school, but they’re also aiming to help other parents do the same. The Napiers recently founded Osprey, a non-profit dedicated to helping other families raise their children with a social media-free upbringing.
When their infant son Malcom started reaching for the phone, actress Olivia Munn decided it was time to impose a no-phone rule for their little one. However, in possibly the most relatable celebrity moment ever, she and partner John Mulaney allow exceptions for what Munn calls “a code red emergency.”
So, what constitutes a code red for the Munn-Mulaney household? According to Munn’s recent Instagram post, they’re fully prepared to break the glass for long travel days. (And, let’s face it, who among us hasn’t severely bent our screen time rules to avert disaster at 35,000 feet?)
Parenting is all about learning from our mistakes and adjusting as we go along. That’s the approach Madonna took when it came to setting technology rules for her kids. After she gave her eldest children, Lourdes and Rocco, phones at 13, Madonna says her relationship with them was negatively impacted. So, the seven-time Grammy-winning artist and mononymous icon changed course for her four younger children. She has said she’ll hold out as long as possible with them. Television is also banned in the house.
Of course, not all celebrity parents are so strict when it comes to their kids and technology. When model Heidi Klum’s daughter Leni was a teenager, she allowed her to join Instagram. But she wasn’t given carte blanche access, either. Leni was required to set her Instagram to private and to get approval from her mother before posting. Says Klum, “Even though it’s just her friends, you never know who they could send it to.” Prudent privacy settings and parental monitoring? We approve!
Speaking of monitoring children’s technology use, Mark Cuban — business mogul and star of Shark Tank — has taken keeping tabs on his kids' digital use to a whole other level. During an episode of The Thrive Global Podcast, Cuban admitted to setting up Cisco routers to detect the apps his kids use.
“That’s the downside of having a geeky dad, you know,” says Cuban. “I can figure all this stuff out.” Fortunately for the rest of us, things have advanced since Cuban’s 2017 interview. There are now plenty of services that can do parental monitoring for you (no complicated software required).
In an approach that we approve of, actor Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila look for teachable moments to prepare their children for lives as digital citizens. Before their oldest son, Levi, was allowed to join social media at 15, they spent two years helping him define what it would mean to him. They sat down together to look at the accounts of people Levi looked up to and discussed their merits.
Says McConaughey, “We talked about, ‘Why do you like those?’ … [They had] more hits … But why did they? Were they relevant for the right reasons?’ The discussion is ongoing.”
Since the early days of the internet, parents have worried what their children are up to online, and companies have responded with parental controls to help keep kids safe. But the way we use the internet has changed dramatically since its inception. This shift has ushered in the need for new approaches to parental controls. Read on to learn how we got here and to explore the best parental controls and monitoring apps to protect kids online.
There are four basic categories of parental controls, ranging from settings on your child’s devices to third-party software.
These controls filter out inappropriate content, thereby limiting what your child can access. In the early days of the internet, the only way to filter content was to install third-party software, such as Net Nanny. Now, the option to filter content is built right into search engines.
Usage controls include things like screen time limits and blocking access to certain types of apps, such as social media or gaming. Apple Screen Time is a prime example: this free service allows you to prevent your child from making purchases on the App Store without your permission, schedule quiet time for notifications, and more.
User management tools are software that set different levels of access, depending on who’s using the device. If you log in to your family laptop, you’ll have unrestricted access, while your child’s profile will include limitations. Most computers now have this feature built-in.
Monitoring tools do exactly what the name suggests: monitor your child’s activity online. What they monitor varies widely depending on the tool. For example, Apple’s Find My monitors your child’s location, while an app like BrightCanary monitors your child’s social media, text messages, and Google and YouTube activity.
Back in the Wild, Wild West of the World Wide Web, the options for parental controls were limited to web filters. In 1994, Net Nanny introduced a browser that filtered web and chat room content, blocked images, and masked profanity.
While it was revolutionary at the time, these were still the days where using the internet meant sitting at a desktop computer — typically on a shared family device — with the unmistakable pings of the dial-up modem announcing anytime someone was online.
Since then, a lot has changed about how we use technology. Kids can access the internet from the palm of their hand with smartphones, smart watches, and tablets. We’re always connected, always online, and always dealing with the compulsion to check social media feeds. These changes have introduced new needs for keeping kids safe online.
Between WiFi, mobile devices, and social media, using the internet looks very different than it did in the early days of parental controls. And things like the advent of algorithms and the introduction of monetizing data means our lives are intertwined with the internet in ways we couldn’t have imagined back in dial-up days.
So, what do modern parents really need with parental controls?
BrightCanary allows parents to keep tabs on their kid’s online life wherever and whenever, all from their own phone. They offer the most comprehensive coverage for kids on Apple devices and, unlike other apps, they actually allow parents to see what their kids are viewing online and view their text message conversations. It’s a modern solution for the needs of modern families.
What families need from parental controls has shifted in recent years, but many companies have failed to keep up with these changes. BrightCanary offers modern parental control solutions that work for modern families.
If you’re like me (and the majority of other parents) you think twice when it comes to posting about your child on social media — especially pictures. You want to update friends and family about your kiddo, but you worry about the implications of their image getting into the wrong hands. That’s why my ears (and eyes) perked up when Instagram rolled out its “Close Friends” feature. Read on to find out how you can take advantage of it.
Since 2018, Instagram users have had the option to create a list of Close Friends, and use it to limit who could see their Stories. Recently, Instagram expanded this option to include posts and Reels. Now, users can choose Close Friends as the audience when posting to their profile, preventing anyone else from seeing the post.
Instagram’s Close Friends list is a great option for parents who want to control their child’s digital footprint and protect their privacy, but who still want to share their adorable offspring with family and friends.
For some parents, such as artists or small business owners, having a private Instagram profile isn’t a viable option. These same parents can now share pictures of their child with their actual friends, while keeping the general public out.
Even parents with a private Instagram can make good use of the feature. Let’s be honest: how well do you really know your 600 Instagram “friends”? Limiting posts about your child to people you trust helps keep your child safe and their life private.
Beware of a false sense of security from the Close Friends list. People can still screenshot the posts you share, so using the feature isn’t a guarantee that pictures of your kid won’t end up somewhere you don’t want. To mitigate this risk, restrict your Close Friends list to people you truly trust and would feel comfortable sharing pictures of your child with directly.
You should still be thoughtful about what you post. Just because you're comfortable sharing an embarrassing photo of your kid with your 100 closest friends doesn't mean your child will appreciate it, especially as they get older.
Here are detailed instructions for using Close Friends on Instagram:
People won't be notified when you add or remove them from your list, and you can update your list at any time. When someone is on your Close Friends list, they’ll know because posts and stories shared to the list display the Close Friends star icon.
Here are some tips for parents when using the Close Friends list on Instagram:
Instagram’s Close Friends list is an excellent feature for parents looking to protect the privacy of their child. It’s not without risk, though. Parents should be mindful about who they add to their list and consider the long term implications before posting about their child.
Social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, which allow users to interact, are prime arenas for predators and scammers to solicit kids. Some Instagram messages from strangers are just bots or spam, but others are more concerning. In fact, 20% of children report they’ve been contacted by an online predator in the last year. And between 2017 and 2021, the number of young people scammed online increased by a shocking 1,000%. Given the risks, parents should educate themselves about how strangers can contact their children on Instagram and how to protect them.
There are a number of different methods strangers might use to connect with your child on Instagram, including some surprising ones.
One way that strangers might interact with your kid on Instagram is by commenting on posts. Of course, if your child has their account set to private, only people who follow them can see and comment on their posts. But don’t forget about the comments section on other people’s posts. For example, if your child comments on a post and a stranger replies to their comment, your child will get a notification.
While sliding into DMs might be fine for adults looking for romantic connection, the private nature of this type of communication is a concern when it comes to kids. Meta has recently introduced features designed to crack down on unwanted Instagram messages from strangers by siloing them in a separate Requests folder. But accessing these messages are still just a few taps away.
Recently, Meta announced a new update that will restrict strangers from sending unsolicited messages to teens who don’t follow them. This update is still rolling out, though, and it may not reach your child’s account for several weeks.
If a stranger wants to shield themselves further from scrutiny when messaging your child on Instagram, they might use vanish mode. Direct messages sent this way disappear when one person either leaves the chat or turns off vanish mode. Messages sent in vanish mode can’t be copied, saved, or forwarded.
Instagram Lives are streaming videos that users record and share in real time. During the livestream, users can interact with the video creator and each other, meaning strangers can easily use this venue to communicate with your child.
Group chats are a major player in the social landscape of today’s teens and tweens. Instagram users can create group messages and invite people who have public and private accounts. While they can be a great way for kids to connect with friends, they also open them up to interactions with strangers if they’re added to a chat that includes people they don’t know.
Picture this: Your child gets a follow or DM request. The name and the picture on the account look like a classmate or acquaintance, so they accept. It’s only after messaging with the person for a bit that your kid realizes something is fishy. Creating fake profiles that attempt to impersonate another person is one way a cunning stranger might try to connect with your child on Instagram.
The statistics may be shocking, but there are plenty of things parents can do to get ahead of the danger. Here are steps you can take today to protect your child from strangers on Instagram:
Setting your child’s Instagram account to private is one of the best things you can do to protect them on the platform. If you’re wondering how to stop messages from strangers on Instagram, here’s how to do it:
Education is a key component to keeping kids safe online. Explain to your child the dangers of online predators and scammers and help them learn how to spot red flags.
A social media monitoring service like BrightCanary is an excellent way to protect your child from strangers on Instagram. BrightCanary uses advanced technology to monitor your child’s Instagram feed as well as their comments, direct messages, and posts. When a problem is detected, you receive an alert so you can step in.
If your child is contacted by a stranger, help them to block the person and report the unwanted interaction. Even messages sent in vanish mode can be reported.
If your child has an Instagram account, it’s an unfortunate truth that they may receive Instagram messages from strangers. When kids use any social media platform without privacy protections in place, they risk being contacted by strangers, opening themselves up to the dangers of online predators and scammers. But parents can take proactive steps to protect their children from strangers on Instagram — and continue regularly talking about online safety.
As a parent, you make it your business to know what your child is up to. You ask who they’re hanging out with, connect with their friend’s parents, maybe track their location. But how much of that same effort do you put into social media monitoring?
A recent Gallup poll found that the majority of U.S. teens spend over four hours a day on social media. With so much of your kid’s time spent in the online realm, it’s worth making sure you’re properly monitoring their social media accounts.
Social media monitoring refers to supervising your child’s activity on social networks, such as Instagram and TikTok. The most effective plan for monitoring a child’s social media accounts employs a mix of approaches. Here are some options to explore:
It’s impossible to catch everything your child does online. Luckily, there are services available which use advanced technology to monitor your child’s social media accounts. These are a great compliment to your hands-on efforts.
Set up regular times to sit with your child, view their social media feeds together, and talk about them. Rather than only looking for problems, instead approach your tech check-ins with an attitude of curiosity. Inquire about why they like to follow certain people, ask them how they’re friends are doing, and watch some funny TikToks together. Sprinkle in teachable moments and pause to address any concerns you may spot.
Make it clear to your child that the conversation about their social media life isn’t confined to your tech check-ins. Let them know they can come to you with any problems or concerns, and you’ll help them through it.
Most major social media platforms include parental monitoring settings which give caregivers extra control with their child’s accounts. Many of the big tech players such as Apple and Google also have options which help you keep an eye on your kid’s tech use.
The quick answer is: yes. Experts are clear that it’s important for parents to be proactive when it comes to their children’s social media use. In fact, the American Psychological Association (APA) recently issued guidelines advising that parents monitor social media accounts for all kids under 15.
Cyberbullying, online predators, and content that encourages harmful behavior are just a few of the reasons why it’s vital that parents stay on top of their child's social media.
There are also compelling reasons to continue monitoring older kids, too. After all, the dangers don’t end once a child turns 15. At the same time, it’s important to teach children to be independent and look out for themselves online as they near adulthood. Consider a tapered approach: monitoring closely when your child is younger, then gradually stepping back as they get older and demonstrate responsible online behavior.
The most successful recipe for monitoring your child’s social media uses a mix of approaches, including taking full advantage of the digital tools available to assist in your efforts.
Here are a few of our go-to social media monitoring tools:
BrightCanary is a child safety app that uses advanced technology to alert parents when their child encounters something concerning online. It’s easy to set up and provides both instant alerts as well as ongoing reports. BrightCanary stands out because it gives parents visibility into direct messages, posts, and comments on TikTok and Instagram — something other monitoring apps don’t offer. It’s a great way to monitor your child’s social media accounts without spending hours scouring them yourselves.
Apple’s Screen Time feature provides real-time reports on your child’s device use, including apps they’ve opened, websites they’ve visited, and how much time they’ve spent on their device. These features are simple to use and can be set up through Apple’s parental controls.
If your child is under 13, you can use Google's Family Link to track their online activity from your phone. It allows you to check their device use, screen time, and content recommendations. It also lets you see their app use and view their text messages and social media accounts.
Most major social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, come with parental supervision settings that allow you to set guardrails around your child’s online activity. For example, using Instagram’s built-in Parental Supervision tool, you can see how much time your child spends on the app across all devices, what accounts your child is following, and who’s following them. You can also view what accounts your child has blocked.
Monitoring children’s social media accounts is a must for parents. A multi-prong approach works best, mixing hands-on viewing with digital tools. If you’re going to let your child use social media, you also need to consider how you’ll approach social media monitoring to keep your child safe.
Why would you want a parental control app that cannot be deleted? Picture this: You just spent an hour researching and setting up parental control settings on all of your child’s devices and apps, only to have your little digital native offspring around them in a matter of minutes. Sound familiar?
A frustrating number of parental control settings are designed in such a way that kids can easily bypass or even change them, rendering them all but useless. Luckily, there are thoughtfully-designed options which allow parents to set boundaries and have the peace of mind that those boundaries won’t be duped.
Here are a few of the ways kids get around parental controls:
Why exactly is it so vital that parents find controls their kids can’t get around?
Here are just a few of the benefits of parental controls:
Nothing is foolproof, but the following options provide an extra layer of protection because they’re set and controlled from your device, not your child’s, making them much harder to bypass. Combining them with a strong password on your device and regular digital check-ins will give you the peace of mind you’re looking for.
Why it’s a good choice: Parental controls are set on the parent’s Apple device and only the adult “organizer” can remove a child from that group.
How to set up Apple Family Sharing:
Check out Apple’s guide to set up Family Sharing.
Why it’s a good choice: BrightCanary parental monitoring is a little different from traditional parental controls. It uses advanced technology to scan your child’s online activity and alert you to any concerning content in text messages, social media, and more. BrightCanary runs on your phone, not your kid’s device, so you remain in the driver’s seat. Simply connect your child’s Google, YouTube, iCloud, or social accounts, and BrightCanary takes care of the rest.
How to set up BrightCanary:
Click here to learn more about how to set up BrightCanary.
Why it’s a good choice: With Google Family Link, you aren’t just accessing or regulating your child’s account — you’re the one actually managing their account. You can set screen time limits, get location alerts, manage their data settings, and more. If your child already has an existing Google Account, you can still add the same layers of supervision, all controlled on your account, not theirs.
How to set up Google Family Link:
Learn more about how to set up Google Family Link.
If you’re looking for a parental control app that cannot be deleted, opt for an app that runs on the parent’s device — and doesn’t require any extra software or apps on the child’s device. In some cases, adding a bunch of extra monitoring software to your child’s device can actually slow their phone down. Stick with the apps and settings you can control from your phone, and make sure to have plenty of chats and check-ins with your child along the way.
It’s no secret that using devices before bed is bad for sleep. To help kids develop healthy sleep habits, it’s a good idea to limit their phone use before bed — and a cell phone lock box is a practical solution the entire family can use to develop a nighttime device routine that actually sticks. Check out these eight cell phone lockers that help you store devices overnight, ranging from funny and decorative to lock-and-key serious.
If you’re eager for your family to put away their devices at night, but you’re struggling to get them similarly enthused, consider using humor to get everyone on board. Enter the phone bed. After all, you’ve likely spent years bringing your phone with you to your actual bed — doesn’t it deserve a cozy place of its own to sleep and recharge?
If you’re looking for something a little less pricey, try an Ikea hack with this simple doll bed. You can take the gag as far as you want, adding a pillow and sleeping mask, tucking your phones in for the night, and even signing them a lullaby. It might feel silly at first, but you never know, this could be your family’s new favorite nighttime ritual.
If you’re interested in minimal effort and maximum efficiency, grab a tray or a bowl you have lying around, toss it in a common area of the house, and use it as a storage site for devices. For an upgrade that won’t break the bank, check out this cute tray from Target. (Bonus: when it’s not serving Zzzs for your family’s phones, it can do double duty and serve drinks for the adults.)
Are you the kind of family who prefers to take care of business without the fuss or fluff? Then you might want to opt for a charging station. Stick it in a cupboard to get it out of the way and you’ve just created a device cabinet. Boom.
Do the kids in your house (or — be honest — the adults) have a hard time not sneaking their phones out of bed after lights out? Your situation might call for something more drastic. This cell phone lock box keeps devices secure until it’s time to wake them up. Just make sure you pick the person in your family with the most self-control to be in charge of the combination.
Calling all crafters! If this is you, then I know you have a spare shoebox and some decorative paper lying around. Enlist your kids to help you snazzy up the box and drill a few holes in the side. You’ll have yourself a bespoke charging station tailored to match your design aesthetic.
If your decor is less high-tech and more cottagecore, you’re a perfect contender for a bread box charging station. Depending on your level of commitment to the lifestyle, you can either DIY it or pop over to Etsy for an endless selection.
Bring a little green into your home with a charging station that doubles as a planter. Your kids can use the built-in LCD clock to know precisely the moment they can reclaim their devices in the morning. And if fake grass isn’t your thing (is it anyone’s?), you can replace it with the plant of your choice.
A cell phone lock box might seem like an extreme solution, but it’s a practical way to create a barrier between hands and screens. For the best results, get the whole family involved: have everyone commit to a time when their devices go into the cell phone locker (or bed, or planter).
