How to Track Your Child’s Phone Without Them Knowing

As parents, it’s natural to worry about our children’s safety. With the increasing use of smartphones, it’s become more challenging to monitor our children’s activities and ensure they are safe. This is where tracking their phone comes in. By tracking their phone, you can have peace of mind knowing their whereabouts and ensure they are not engaging in any dangerous or inappropriate activities.

The importance of tracking your child’s phone cannot be overstated. With the rise of cyberbullying, online predators, and access to inappropriate content, it is crucial to monitor your child’s phone usage. As a parent, I highly recommend it. However, we should also understand our children’s need for privacy and respect their boundaries. It is important not to force them and ensure that they do not misunderstand the intent behind the monitoring.

In this article, I’ll get you through the methods you can use to track your child’s phone without them knowing.

How to Track Your Child’s Phone Without Them Knowing

Now let’s dive into the different methods of tracking your child’s phone without them knowing.

1. Using built-in Phone Tracking Features

Most smartphones come with built-in tracking features that allow you to monitor another phone’s activity.

For example, Apple’s Find My app allows you to track your child’s iPhone location, set geofences, and receive notifications when they arrive or leave a particular location.

Similarly, Android devices have a feature called Find My Device that allows you to track your child’s phone location and remotely lock or erase the phone if it’s lost or stolen.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use the built-in phone tracking features on your child’s smartphone:

For iPhone

1. Open the “Settings” app on your child’s iPhone.
2. Tap on “Screen Time” and select “Turn On Screen Time.“
3. Choose “This is My Child’s [Device].“
4. Create a Screen Time passcode and re-enter the passcode to confirm. Make sure to choose a unique passcode that your child won’t be able to guess.
5. Enter your Apple ID and password. This will allow you to reset your Screen Time passcode if you forget it.
6. Tap “Content & Privacy Restrictions.“
7. If prompted, enter your Screen Time passcode.
8. Turn on “Content & Privacy Restrictions.“
9. Choose “Location Services” and select “Allow Changes.“
10. Select “Share My Location” and choose “Always Allow.“
11. Return to the main Screen Time menu and select “Family Sharing.“
12. Tap “Add Family Member” and enter your child’s Apple ID.
13. Once your child accepts the invitation to join your family sharing plan, you’ll be able to see their location on your device’s map.

With Screen Time, you can also set time limits for your child’s phone usage, restrict certain apps or content, and receive weekly activity reports. This is a great way to monitor your child’s phone usage and ensure that they’re using their device responsibly.

For Android

Here’s guide on how to set up parental controls on Android using Google Play Store and Google Family Link:

1. Download and install the Google Family Link app from the Google Play Store.
2. Launch the app and create a Google account for your child or sign them in if they already have an account.
3. Select the child’s account and tap on “Parental controls” to set up controls.
4. Turn on Parental controls and select the types of content you want to filter or restrict.
5. Choose to filter content based on age or restrict access to specific types of content like apps, movies, TV shows, or books.
6. Set screen time limits to restrict the amount of time your child spends on their device.
7. Shield your parental controls with a PIN so that your child can’t disable or change the settings without your permission.
8. Once you’ve set up the parental controls, you can manage them remotely from the Google Family Link app on your device.

Alternatively, you can set up parental controls on your child’s Android device using Google Play Store. Here’s how:

1. Open the Google Play Store app on your child’s device.
2. Tap on the profile icon in the top right corner of the screen.
3. Tap on “Settings“
4. Tap on “Family” and then tap on “Parental controls.“
5. Turn on Parental controls and set up a PIN.
6. Choose the types of content you want to filter or restrict.

You can also set screen time limits to restrict the amount of time your child spends on their device. And shield your parental controls with a PIN so that your child can’t disable or change the settings without your permission.

2. Install a Parental Control App

Installing a parental control app like Bark on your child’s phone is a simple and effective way to track their phone activity. Bark is a popular parental control app that is available for both iPhone and Android devices. Read our full Bark Review.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to install Bark on your child’s phone:

Install Bark on iPhone:

1. Go to the App Store on your child’s iPhone and search for “Bark – Parental Control App“.
2. Tap on the “Get” button to download and install the app.
3. Once the app is installed, open it and create an account by providing your email address and a password.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup process, including adding your child’s information and linking their device to your account.
5. Enable the necessary permissions for Bark to access your child’s phone activity, including their location, text messages, and social media accounts.

Install Bark on Android:

1. Get the Bark for Kids app from there website. (Bark is no longer available on Play Store)
2. Once the app is installed, open it and create an account by providing your email address and a password.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup process, and linking their device to your account.
4. Enable the necessary permissions for Bark to access your child’s phone activity, including their location, text messages, set screen limits and social media accounts.

3. Phone Monitoring App

uMobix is a phone monitoring app that allows you to monitor various activities on your Android and iPhone devices. It is an ideal solution for parents who want to monitor their child’s online activities, or anyone who wants to keep an eye on their loved ones.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to install the uMobix app on Android and iPhone devices.

How to Install uMobix on Android

uMobix is a subscription-based app that allows you to monitor an Android device remotely. To use the app, you will need to pay for a subscription and have physical access to the target device to install the app.

Here is a step-by-step guide:

• Choose Your Plan: First, go to uMobix website, select a plan that best suits your needs and budget. uMobix offers different plans based on the features you want and the number of devices you want to monitor.
• Download and Install uMobix: After subscribing to uMobix, you will receive an email with instructions on how to download and install the app. Download the app to the target device and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
• Grant Permissions: Once the app is installed, it will ask for various permissions, including access to the device’s location, contacts, and messages. Grant all the necessary permissions to allow uMobix to monitor the device.
• Configure uMobix: After granting the necessary permissions, uMobix will start retrieving data from the target device. You can configure the app to receive alerts and notifications for specific activities, such as when the target device receives a call or text message from a specific number.
• Start Monitoring: After the initial setup is complete, you can start monitoring the target device from the uMobix dashboard. The app provides you with real-time access to various activities on the device, including call logs, text messages, social media activities, and more.

How to Install uMobix on iPhone

uMobix app doesn’t require physical access to an iPhone, making it a convenient choice for anyone who wants to monitor an iOS device remotely.

To get started with uMobix on an iPhone, you’ll need to create an account on the uMobix website. Once you’ve created an account, you can log in and follow these steps:

• Choose Your Plan: Select a plan that best suits your needs and budget. uMobix offers different plans based on the features you want and the number of devices you want to monitor.
• Provide iCloud Credentials: To monitor an iPhone with uMobix, you’ll need to provide the iCloud credentials of the device you want to monitor. These credentials are used to connect uMobix to the iCloud backup of the device.
• Configure uMobix App: Once uMobix is connected to the iCloud backup, it will start retrieving data from the device. You can configure the app to receive alerts and notifications for specific activities, such as when the target device receives a call or text message from a specific number.
• Start Monitoring: After the initial setup is complete, you can start monitoring the device from the uMobix dashboard.

4. Google Maps to Track Their Phone’s Location

Google Maps also offers a feature called Location Sharing, which allows you to share your location with other people. You can use this feature to track your child’s phone location by having them share their location with you.

Here are the steps for using Google Maps Location Sharing:

1. Open Google Maps on your child’s phone.
2. Tap on the menu icon.
3. Select Location Sharing.
4. Choose the duration for which you want to share your location.
5. Select the people with whom you want to share your location.

Final Words

Discussing tracking with your child is essential in maintaining trust and open communication. It is important to explain to your child why you want to track their phone activity and how you plan to do it. This can help your child understand the reasons behind your actions and feel more comfortable with the idea of being tracked.

In conclusion, there are several methods for tracking your child’s phone activity, and each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Parents should use these methods responsibly, and discuss about it with their children, if necessary.

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