To monitor your child’s text messages on your iPhone, you can use Text Message Forwarding, but it requires you to share your Apple ID with your child. Alternatively, you can use a parental control app like MMGuardian, Qustodio, or Bark.
Hi, I’m Devansh. In this article, I’ll show you two main ways to monitor your child’s text messages on your iPhone: Text Message Forwarding or a parental control app. I’ll also answer some common questions.
If you want to monitor your child’s text messages to ensure their safety, keep reading!
Contents
Is Text Message Forwarding an Ideal Option?
Many people recommend using Text Message Forwarding to monitor your child’s text messages on your iPhone. It can work, but you must share your Apple ID with your child, which isn’t safe.
Also, Text Message Forwarding will only let you monitor SMS and MMS messages, not social media notifications. So, it’s not ideal, but you can see this article or Support page to learn how to set it up. Now, let’s discuss some parental control apps you can use instead.
Best iOS Parental Control Apps
Many parental control apps on the App Store provide text monitoring functionality, with MMGuardian, Qustodio, and Bark considered among the top options.
These apps have smart monitoring capabilities and alert you of inappropriate texts. In addition, they also offer activity monitoring, geofencing, and screen time management features.
The setup process varies depending on the app. Check out the relevant support articles for MMGuardian, Qustodio, or Bark to learn more.
FAQs
Here are two common questions about parental control features on your iPhone.
Is it Safe to Monitor Your Child’s Messages?
Yes, but only as long as you use Text Message Forwarding or the iOS apps mentioned above. These apps are approved by Apple and are safe to use. Avoid jailbreaking your child’s iPhone.
Do Parental Controls On Your Child’s iPhone Include Text Monitoring?
No. Since iOS is built for privacy, this feature isn’t available natively. For this reason, I recommend you use a third-party parental control app. To learn more about parental controls in iOS, check this Support page.
Yes, it opens the door to many privacy- and security-related risks. Your child can access your account data and modify various settings. So, it’s better if they have a separate account.
Conclusion
Text Message Forwarding can make monitoring texts on your child’s iPhone possible, but you must share your Apple ID with your child. Alternatively, you can opt for third-party parental control apps like MMGuardian, Qustodio, or Bark.
Do you have further questions about parental control features on your iPhone? Let me know in the comments!
