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Take control of online safety
with the Bark Phone

The Bark Phone combines content monitoring with flexible controls to reduce online risk and support healthier habits, while helping individuals build independence over time.

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Built for youth who need more support and more structure

  • Safety

    AI helps identify potentially harmful situations and high-risk patterns so adults can respond fast and consistently.

    “Before Bark, 90% of our issues were phone-related. After Bark, it’s down to 10%.” —Jonathan Allen, Program Manager “Before Bark, 90% of our issues were phone-related. After Bark, it’s down to 10%.” —Jonathan Allen, Program Manager

  • Access

    Set clear boundaries and adjust them remotely, without constant device battles or needing the kid’s phone in hand.

    “Bark helps our patients see the phone as 
a tool. It fits within our program focus, providing individualized support to help young adults adapt and gradually allow more freedom in a structured way...” —Gage Olsen, Program Director “Bark helps our patients see the phone as 
a tool. It fits within our program focus, providing individualized support to help young adults adapt and gradually allow more freedom in a structured way...” —Gage Olsen, Program Director

  • Connection

    Support safer connection with full visibility and the ability to phase independence up or down as skills and stability grow.

    “It’s helped my son feel more like a teenager…now he connects with friends and feels included. It also helps us to talk about social interactions. It’s a great tool to teach social skills.” —Mom of child with autism “It’s helped my son feel more like a teenager…now he connects with friends and feels included. It also helps us to talk about social interactions. It’s a great tool to teach social skills.” —Mom of child with autism
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How the Bark Phone works

How the Bark
Phone works

Monitoring

  • Full content monitoring across texts, images, web browsing, YouTube, and apps
  • AI detection of self-harm, aggression, bullying, sexual content, and drugs
  • Detects pattern-based signals like unsafe conversations and secret accounts.
  • Context-aware understanding to prioritize higher-risk situations and reduce noise

Access and device controls

  • Granular per-feature controls (camera, app store, deleting texts, etc.)
  • App blocking and monitoring in one device (not just “allowed list” apps)
  • Web browsing monitoring & Safe Search
  • Remote configuration changes without needing the device in hand

Safety basics

  • Locked-down environment
  • App whitelisting
  • Texting and calling controls
  • Screen time controls (schedules/downtime)
  • Location tracking

Why organizations trust Bark

Why organizations
trust Bark

  • 3 years

    in a row named best safe phone by PC Mag

  • 100 million

    activities analyzed per week

  • 4+ million

    severe self-harm situations detected

What sets the Bark Phone apart

  • Typical phones

    • Limit apps and contacts
    • Basic controls without deep content visibility
    • Less flexibility when needs change
    • Easier for motivated users to work around in higher-risk contexts
    • —
    • —

  • The Bark Phone

    • Monitors content across texts, images, web, YouTube, and apps
    • Detects high-risk content and behavioral patterns for earlier intervention
    • Combines monitoring and app controls in one platform
    • Stays enforceable with tamper-resistant management
    • Phases access that support skill-building, not all-or-nothing

Learn more about how Bark compares to the iPhone or Gabb.

FAQs

What sets Bark apart?

What sets Bark apart from other services is our advanced monitoring system. Bark uses advanced AI to scan your children's online activities — like text messages, social media posts, Google Drive files, and many more — to look for potential dangers. We do this by looking at the context, not just keywords or phrases.

Our AI is constantly adapting to the way kids and teens talk, search, and share in their digital worlds. As an example, our algorithms are able to identify the difference between a child talking about using a knife to cut food and using a knife to cause harm to themselves or others. You can learn more here.

Can I use Bark to manage screen time?

Yes! Bark lets you manage what the phone user can access on their device and when — whether that means no social media after bedtime, no YouTube during school hours, or something else entirely. Learn more about how to set this up.

What does Bark monitor on social media?

Bark scans online activity across 30+ apps and social media platforms, alerting you to issues you need to know about. We have an entire page where you can see what we monitor on each platform and device.

Does Bark monitor text messages?

Absolutely! You can monitor text messages, including the pictures, audio, or video attached to them. Learn more about what texting apps are covered.

Why purchase phones through a representative instead of the consumer site or Amazon?

Purchasing through a Bark representative provides access to features and support not available through the consumer site or Amazon, including unlocked device options, bulk ordering, and centralized billing. Organizations are also assigned a dedicated customer success manager who supports deployment planning, long-term program goals, and ongoing success.

What does implementation look like for a program with many devices?

Bark supports scalable deployments with bulk provisioning and guided rollout planning. A dedicated customer success manager provides white-glove support throughout implementation, including onboarding, training, and ongoing check-ins to ensure a smooth launch and long-term success.

How are alerts delivered, and who can receive them (parents, caregivers, staff)?

Alerts can be delivered via email, text message, or phone call for urgent issues, and notification methods are fully configurable. Alerts can be sent to parents, caregivers, and designated staff depending on product configuration and assigned permissions.

Can we set different policies per individual?

Yes. Bark allows policies and controls to be customized per individual, enabling different settings based on age, role, or specific program needs.

What kind of phone is the Bark Phone?

The Bark Phone is a fully managed Android smartphone built on a Samsung Galaxy A-series device. It looks and functions like a modern smartphone while running Bark’s custom environment to support monitoring, alerts, and configurable controls.

What does Bark monitor?

Bark monitors core on-device activity such as texts, photos, videos, email, web activity, and supported apps to detect potential safety concerns. A full list of monitored content and platforms is available here.

How does Bark’s monitoring work?

Bark uses AI-driven, context-aware analysis combined with human review to identify and escalate potential safety concerns.

How does the Bark Phone compare to the Gabb Phone?

The Bark Phone offers a full smartphone experience paired with AI-powered monitoring and alerts that provide insight into potential safety concerns, rather than relying solely on feature and app restrictions. In contrast, Gabb phones focus primarily on limiting functionality. A detailed comparison is available here.

Helpful resources

Want to learn more?

Coming soon to a wrist near you!