The news is full of stories on how smartphones and social media can get teens into

trouble. On the flip side, smartphones themselves can easily be the greatest tool for

parents who want to keep track of their teen's safety, both physical and online. If you

are from the "Trust but verify" school of parenting, there are literally tons of apps and

services that can help you keep track of your teenager. Starting with location sharing

tools to web content filters, social media monitors, app blockers, geofencing apps, and

lots more, here are some great apps you can use for tracking your teens.

1. Carrier Apps

These include AT&T's FamilyMap, Verison's FamilyBase, Sprint's Family Connector,

and T-Mobile's FamilyWhere. You might be surprised to find that your carrier might

already have pre-installed options or perhaps existing offerings with the family tracking

and phone monitoring tools you need, either free or for a nominal fee. The Wireless

Association (CTIA) maintains a comprehensive list of parental control apps that are

provided by its member companies you might want to check out.

2. Life 360 (Android and iOS) (Free)

Life 360 is a great free tool for parents whose main concern is to know their teen's

location, instead of just monitoring their messaging and social media activity. The app

allows users to create customizable circles composed of family members, friends or

colleagues. Then it shares their location to other circle members, viewable on a map.

The app gives you in-app messaging, a check-in notification system, and a panic button

that immediately sends a phone call, email and text message along with your GPS

location. When you buy a premium subscription, you are provided additional features

such as expanded location history, Live Advisor support and even limited location

tracking for less than smart smartphones.

3. TimeAway (Android) (Free)

Looking for something more than simply location tracking, you should check out the

free app TimeAway. This is an Android tool that allows parents to schedule usage

time, app limits and even can block a child's smartphone, and remotely track the child's

location. And all of this can be managed on a parent's phone. It doesn't provide you

with the ability to read messages, or to check social media communication, but for just

managing app usage and location tracking, TimeAway is a nice option.

4. Mama Bear (Android, iOS) (Free)


For something that is a little more comprehensive, try MamaBear. This all-in-one mobile

parental control app lets you to locate a child through a smartphone, keep tabs on their

social media activity, and even find out when your child has been driving over the speed

limit. MamaBear's location tracking tells you where your child is, and provides arrival

and departure alerts from locations like school or home. The social media monitor can

easily be set so that it notifies you when your child adds new contacts, uses some

restricted words or uploads photos and tags.

5. My Mobile Watchdog (Android, iOS) (Premium)

This Android app offers parents a series of powerful controls that you to see phone

call logs, read text messages, and find out where your child is using the device's GPS.

Parents can also set web and time use blocking, in addition to remotely block and

grant access to apps. My Mobile Watchdog takes great pains to indicate that they

aren't 'spyware', as the app doesn't have a stealth mode. That means that your kid is

aware he's being watched. The suite of controls is impressive, and is available for a

$4.95 per month subscription.

6. MM Guardian (Android) (Free trial, then Premium)

Here's a parental control app that can locate your teenager's phone, monitor text activity

and also set various use restrictions. At the free level, parents can send an SMS to

locate or lock their child's phone, or have it emit a siren alarm. The premium edition,

for $3.99 a month, has enhanced features that allow for time limits, like locking during

school time, call blocking, text monitoring and even safe driving controls that prevent

texting and calling when on the road. Notably absent, however, are any Internet filters.

7. Mobiflock Mobile Guardian (Free Trial, then Premium)

Mobile Guardian provides a powerful Web dashboard with an entire suite of parental

monitoring tools to track your teen's smartphone activity. The app uses GPS, complete

with a geofencing system. There's also a web content filtering system, application

blocking, a scheduling and timetable system, in addition to contacts management and

contacts blocking. The premium service features a 7-day free trial for test runs.

8. Canary (Android, iOS) (Free Trial, then Premium)

When you finally agree to trusting your teen with a car, it's a bit of a rite of passage. But,

it can also be absolutely nerve-wracking for anxious parents. Canary will notify parents

if their teen's iPhone or Android device is being used for texting, calling or even using

social media when the car is traveling at more than 12 mph. You can also create geo-
fenced "safe areas", blacklist as off-limits any others you choose, and define a curfew

time. Parents will automatically receive reports through notifications and email. The app

is free for 7 days, and after that costs $14.99 that gives you a lifetime subscription.

Smartphones have come a long way in just a few years. Today, they have become even

more than smart, and now they can easily become KEY for parents who want to keep

track of their teenager's safety, both physical and online.