Bark App Review 2023:Parental Control Is It Worth the Cost?

What is bark?

The bark is a popular parental monitoring app thanks to the focus on social media monitoring; You can get an alarm from about 17 categories; the app works with iOS, Android, and Amazon, Some of which are limited to iOS devices; if you have not bought a smartphone for your kids, they recommend android because it covers so many messaging platforms. Bark provides service to customers from the United States, South Africa, Guam, and Australia. The official website of this app is https://www.bark.us/learn/bark-home/.

Bark emphasizes parent conversation and child privacy and suggests counseling to parents. However, if they want their children to use the device responsibly, they can use this monitoring app. by installing bark, you would be able to set a screen time limit, request location checking, and block specific apps or topics, but you will not see all browsing history, all content of their text messages. However, you can not listen to the calls and you do not have access to call history.

Bark is an excellent app in terms of screening messages and alerting parents. It gives insight into your kid’s life and brings you peace of mind. You can download the app from Google Play or  App Store and check for a 7-day free trial. There is a Facebook group, Parenting in a Tech World, where parents are talking about this monitoring app, so you could ask parents who have used it before.

Why should parents use bark?

The digital world has many threats, including anxiety, depression, Bullying, Drug/Alcohol-related content, Self-harm or suicidal content, Sexual Content, and Violence. Parents need to be informed of these online threats and take appropriate steps to protect their kids at the right time.

One of the most important dangers the digital world has brought us is engagement. We are all glued to digital devices, which leads us to less physical movement and, in the long run, causes obesity. If parents do not stop this pattern in the early years of their kids, they will be in trouble sooner or later. Screen setting of Bark can help parents control the amount of time children are using smartphones which would not only improve their physical health but also it would prevent anxiety in kids as many kids are comparing their staff with others which would cause them to feel less superior.

Installing Bark, parents can block or set screen limits for specific Blogs, Advertising, Games, Sexual content, Unknown sites, App stores, and system updates. Parents would be notified through text or emails in case of potential issues.

Bark Features:

The application provides users with a practical set features which we are going to explore:

• • Content Monitoring:

You will have the ability to track and monitor all form of text, Emails, in addition to more than thirty applications and social media platforms. This can help you be notified of the alerts in case of an online threat or danger. 

The app will let you monitor the contents of 6 main hosts, including Gmail,iCloud Email, Outlook, Yahoo, and Comcast.

Nevertheless, you must keep in mind that Bark only shows you the text messages or any other content when there is a potential threat. Bark will not allow the parents to view and monitor all of your kid’s communications in real-time. This point can come in handy if you want to give your kid as much appreciated privacy whereas making sure that  they’re safe and sound, but some of barks competitors such as SPY24 will allow parents to monitor and view all of your kid’s text messages and communications at any time with out the need for identifying any threats.

• • Manage screen time:

Bark will let you set a daily schedule for your child to prevent them from being addicted so they can stay healthy.

• • Websites and app filtering:

Filtering  inappropriate sites can be a useful step in protecting your loved ones from the threats in the digital world .luckily bark has come to your rescue by giving you the power to block and filter the inappropriate sites and applications.

By installing bark you would be able to monitor websites visited and search on Firefox, Chrome, Default browsers, Silk, and Edge. Furthermore, you can block any websites and also applications you want to protect the targeted person from being distracted or encountering inappropriate content. Plus, it would let you filter based on categories, including porn and gaming. Finally, you can restrict your kids from watching videos on youtube.

• • Location alerts setting:

Bark will notify you when your kids get in or out of specific places. This feature is also know as geo fencing and help you set geographical borders that define specific location and alerts you whenever you target device crosses the distinguished boundary.

• Scheduling the usage:

The app offers its users with the ability to allow or disallow or limit the use of certain apps at different times of the day, for example you can limit your child’s access to certain apps during school hours or after bedtime.

• • Monitoring document-sharing app 

Bark would let you screen all files on iOS Notes, OneDrive, Dropbox, and  Google Drive.

• • Social media monitoring:

You can monitor content on social media but not photos and videos.

Social media can be monitored on Android devices, including Skype, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Steam, Discord, HOLLA, Houseparty, Lipsi, Messenger Kids, and VSCO.

Notable points:

As an expert in digital security I like to mention that Bark has the capability to detect when your child switches or creates a new alternative account. This feature is specially helpful when you want to prevent your child from creating a secret profile discreetly in order to dodge Bark’s monitoring services. In addition to that , I believe that it’s great point that any app or platform you’re monitoring on the monitoring  account level will be monitored disregarding of what device your child is using at the moment. 

Bark allows users to adjust the sensitivity of its monitoring algorithm by letting them have freedom to turn alerts on or off for each category related to a potential problems and for each child. This will empower the users to give leniency to older or more mature children to be able to browse more freely when it comes to cases such as profanity without receiving notifications from bark, in addition to making sure you will still be notified each time a younger child comes across a potential threat.

Following is the list of Social media that can be monitored on Android and iOS devices:

• • Slack

• • BIGO LIVE

• • Facebook

• • Pinterest

• • Flickr

• • GroupMe

• • Twitter

• • Kik

• • WhatsApp

• • LiveMe

• • Reddit

• • Slack

• • Spotify

• • Tumblr

• • WhatsApp

• • YouTube

How Bark Works

You do not need to be tech-savvy to install and work with the app. The installation process is quite easy on Android, and if you act according to the to-do list, you get you will not miss anything on the setup process.

But installing on iOS is not as easy as on Android; you have to connect the device to the computer to finish the installation.

After downloading and installing the app on the child’s phone, you can create some rules for screen monitoring based on date and hours. Furthermore, you can block unknown sites and apps, and harmful games, and the app would let you know if your kids have tried to reach it. 

Bark Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• • Alert setting

• • location alerts setting

• • Screen messaging

• • Text and Email alert

• • A 7-day trial

• • support English, Spanish, and Afrikaans.

Cons:

• • No minute-by-minute monitoring 

• • No word-for-word reports

• • Not controlling contact lists

• • No locking remotely

• • Call history and browsing history are not available.

• • Location tracking is not available every hour of the day.

Bark app cost

Bark offers you two packages, Bark Jr. and Bark Premium.

Subscribing Bark Jr., you can not monitor social media and texting, but screen time setting, website filtering, and location tracking are available with the $5.99-a-month option.

Bark Premium provides you with the service of message monitoring and parental alerts, with costs a maximum of $14.99 a month.

Bark’s customer support

The application provide user with a comprehensive customer support services that contain email support, a great and responsive chatbot, in addition to video guides and more than a hundred FAQ articles. The Discover tab provided on Bark’s dashboard is a part of customer support which includes a lot of valuable information. From how-to videos and age-based curated blog posts to solutions to much more complicated issues. It also helps parents to stay updated with their new generation, net-savvy kids.

Bark also offers a unique feature where you will be able to schedule a one-on-one call with an apps representative in order to help you set up the app or find solutions to your issues with the app. This feature could be especially practical and useful for users who aren’t tech-savvy.

SPY24 VS Bark

SPY24  Best Features

Feature	SPY24	Bark
Live Screen Monitoring	Yes	No
Live Surround Listening	Yes	No
Live Camera Streaming	Yes	No
Call Tracking	Yes	No
Secret Call Recording	Yes	No
VoIP Call History	Yes	No
Blocking Incoming Calls Remotely	Yes	No
Surround Recording	Yes	No
Remote Microphone Activation	Yes	No
Remote Camera Control	Yes	No
Password Tracking	Yes	No
Keylogger	Yes	No
Monitoring Social Messaging Apps	Yes	No
Content Monitoring	Yes	Yes
Screen Time Control	Yes	Yes
Blocking Websites and Apps	Yes	Yes
Location Tracking	Yes	Yes
Device Compatibility	iOS, Android, Laptops, Computers, Mac	iOS, Android, Laptops, Computers, Chromebooks, Amazon Fire Tablets
Global Access	Canada	Available in the United States, South Africa, Guam, and Australia
Language Support	English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese.	English, Spanish, Afrikaans
Data Security	Very High	Very High

 

• • Location Tracking

There is no need for parents to get worried about their kids because they can track them on the map wherever they go, any time they want, as long as they are connected to the Internet.

• • Geo-fencing 

The geofencing feature allows parents to set alarms for their kids when they get in or out of a particular area.

• • Mail Tracking

Parents can check all sent and received Emails with the exact date and time.

• • Programs Controlling

Another essential feature of SPY24 is the ability to control programs and applications; this would help parents to block addictive games and install programs that would improve their physical and mental health.

• • Multimedia Monitoring

SPY24 gives parents access to all videos, movies, and images on their kids’ smartphones.

• • web browsing and bookmark Monitoring

This feature would let parents see all pages their children have visited, and the bookmarked one would help them figure out the interests of their kids.

• • Calls and Text message Monitoring

Checking calls and messages will give parents information about incoming and outcoming calls, so they can figure out who is the closest friends of their kids, plus they could be informed of any new friendships.

• • Social media tracking

Here are the social media apps SPY24 monitors on targeted devices:

• • Instagram

• • Facebook

• • WhatsApp

• • Twitter

• • Telegram

• • Skype

• • Signal

• • Snapchat

• • Viber

• • KIK

• • KakaoTalk

• • LINE

• • Hike

• • IMO

• • Tango

• • TikTok

• • Tinder

• • BBM

• • iMessage

• • QQ

• • Odnokalassniki

• • Hangouts

• • Zalo

SPY24 App Cost

Let’s see how much  this amazing application would cost:

 For Windows Packages

• • One month costs $25  

• • Three months cost $46

• • Six months cost $60

• • Twenty-four hours cost  $0

For Android Packages 

• • One month (31 Days)  costs  free – $0 

• • Three months (93 Days) cost $50

• • Six months (180 Days) cost $76

• • Daily 45 (45 Days) cost $5

• • Twelve  months (360 Days) cost $120

For MAC Packages

• • One month costs $25

• • Three months cost $46

• • Six months cost $60

• • Twenty-four hours cost $0

SPY24 App Pors cons

Pros:

• The app offers its customer a 30-day free trial.

• The app gives you access to as many messages as you want.

• website is available in different languages

Cons:

• SPY24 asks customers to fully subscribe for social media monitoring.

Conclusion

Although, among other apps, Bark has a fair price, it does have as many options as the others offer. For example, Bark doesn’t let you set time limits, and you can not track the targeted person always, while SPY24 lets you track the person 24/7. Furthermore, Spy24 offers you thirty days free trial, while Bark would only let you use the app for seven days for free. We sincerely hope you will find this post in SPY24 to be helpful. You might also be interested in reading some of our other articles, such as the one about the free parental control app for iPhone and Android.

FAQs: