Curious about how Bark works? Learn about our parental control features, including content monitoring, screen time management, and website blocking, and discover how they provide online safety for kids.
Content Monitoring
Bark monitors texts, email, YouTube, and 30+ apps and social media platforms for signs of issues like cyberbullying, sexual content, online predators, depression, suicidal ideation, threats of violence, and more.
With content monitoring, you can get email and text alerts when Bark detects potential issues so you can talk to your child and make sure everything is OK.
How Bark’s Content Monitoring Works
1. Connect
Connect to 30+ platforms to monitor text messages, emails, and social activity for signs of harmful interactions and content.
2. Detect
Bark runs quietly in the background in search of issues that might indicate that something is wrong in your child’s online world.
3. Alert
Get alerts via email, text, and push notification when Bark’s algorithms detect potential risks you can check in and make sure everything is okay.
Screen Time and Website Blocking
Families can manage when their kids can access the internet on their devices, as well as which sites they’re able to visit.
You can set bedtimes and block access to a wide variety of websites — including streaming, gaming, and adult content, and more.
How to Set Up Screen Time & Blocking
2. Set healthy limits
Create screen time rules for the school day as well as at bedtime and during free time.
3. Customize filters
Block specific sites or entire categories of content like streaming services, online gaming, sexual content and more.
4. Get notified
Receive alerts if your child attempts to visit a blocked site containing sexual content.
Track Location
Interested in a location sharing tool that helps you keep track of your kid on the go?
Bark’s real-time map, check-ins, and location alerts make that easy, whether your high schooler just got their first job or your tween is biking to their friend’s house!
The Best Phone for Kids — Powered by Bark’s Parental Controls
With the Bark Phone, you can get peace of mind that your child is staying safer online and in real life.
FAQs
Content Monitoring
Bark uses advanced machine learning and statistical analysis techniques to recognize potential problems. Simple keyword searches are not enough to detect the majority of issues, which is why our parental control app uses contextual analysis and natural language processing to determine when something serious might be happening.
For example, Bark knows the difference between a kid saying “This homework makes me wanna kill myself,” versus “Nobody cares about me!! I wanna kill myself.” Our algorithm also keeps up with the latest in teen slang.
Screen Time Management and Website Blocking
Families can manage not only when their kids can access the internet on their devices, but also which sites and apps they can visit.
You can create custom profiles for each child in your house, create screen time schedules, and manage access to a wide variety of websites — including video streaming, gaming, adult content, and more.
Using a web blocking app can benefit your kid in a number of ways! You can use it to block content that harms their mental health, give them back time to enjoy screen-free activities, help them avoid misinformation, and much more.
Simply log into the Bark parent app/dashboard and decide what you apps and websites you want to allow and when — we make it easy with rules for school time, bedtime, and free time.
If you'd like to start keeping track of your child's visits to and from a location, simply add the address to your child's profile in your Bark app. Give the address a name to explain what it is, (for example, "Sarah's house" or "Soccer practice"), and then when your kid starts to move, you'll receive an alert!
Bark's phone monitoring app for parents not only provides comprehensive coverage for all the top apps and devices, but also takes the crucial extra step of helping families navigate the issues raised by alerts.
Here's a complete list of absolutely everything Bark monitors on every device.
Ready to Get Started?
Now that you know how Bark works, take the next step! Bark was created by parents, for parents, to offer a better, easier, and more effective way to help families create healthy digital habits.