Bark – Parental Controls for Families (2024)

How much does the Bark app cost?

We offer two plans — Bark Premium and Bark Jr — a single subscription covers every child and device in your family, with no limit on accounts, devices, or kids. Both plans come with a 7-day free trial:

Bark Premium ($14/month or $99/year)

Parent’s top choice for comprehensive coverage.
Monitor and receive alerts for your child’s social media, phones, tablets, and computers.
Manage screen time, block specific websites and apps, and track their location.

Bark Jr ($5/month or $49/year)

Gain control over screen time, block unwanted websites and apps, and filter inappropriate content.
Track your child's whereabouts with live GPS, location alerts, and check-in features.

How much does the Bark Phone cost?

The Bark Phone is free! No hefty deposit or long contract is required, and after 90 days, the phone is yours to keep. We’re confident your family will love the Bark Phone, but if you need to cancel your subscription, just return your non-damaged phone to us and you’re all set.

Our monthly subscription plans range from $39/month to $89/month.

Plans include the device, our built-in parental controls, unlimited talk & text, data (if you need it), and a Bark Premium subscription for the entire family.

Choose the plan that fits your family's needs.

Starter plan:

$39/month for unlimited talk, text, and no internet, app store, or games

Advanced plans:

$49/month for unlimited talk, text, and Wi-Fi only (no data)
$59/month for unlimited talk, text, and 4GB data
$69/month for unlimited talk, text, and 8GB data
$89/month for unlimited talk, text, and data¹

¹ After exceeding 35GB/month of data use, data speeds will be reduced for the remainder of the monthly billing cycle. After exceeding 50GB/month of data usage, data speeds may be reduced further and/or data connection may be turned off for the remainder of the monthly billing cycle.

How does content monitoring work?

Add one of your child's devices or social media accounts to be monitored. Then — thanks to our comprehensive AI, we'll start sending you alerts about potentially harmful activities on those devices and accounts.

You can also customize how sensitive you would like the alerts to be. Don't care about profanity but want all alerts about drugs? No problem.

What devices does Bark cover?

The Bark app is compatible with iPhones, iPads, Androids phones, Android tablets, laptops, computers, Chromebooks, and Amazon Fire tablets. Check out our full list of everything Bark can monitor on each device.

Does Bark have an iOS app?

Yes, click here to download our iOS app for parents. This app allows you to review alerts, add children, connect accounts, update notification settings, and more.

The Bark Kids app will need to be installed on your child's iOS device to block apps and sites.

The Bark Desktop App will need to be installed on a Windows or Mac computer to monitor the iOS device texts, photos, videos, WhatsApp, and Kik for issues. (Don't have a computer? You can use the Bark Home in place of a computer for iOS monitoring).

What can I do with Bark's parental controls for iOS?

Bark's parental controls for iOS devices give you the power to monitor your child’s online activities in a groundbreaking way.

Our content monitoring uses advanced AI to scan messages, posts, comments, replies, web searches, and so much more to find potential dangers. If something concerning is found, you’ll get a timely alert so you can check in and make sure everything is okay.Learn more about what Bark monitors on iOS devices here.

In addition to monitoring, Bark also lets you manage screen time, block websites & apps, and track location 24/7.

These key features of our iPhone parental monitoring app work together to build a powerful digital safety net to help you protect your child online and in real life.

Does Bark have an Android app?

Yes, click here to download our Android app. The app allows you to review alerts, add children, connect accounts, update your notification settings, and more.

The Bark for Kids app will need to be installed on your child's Android device to allow Bark to monitor content, manage screen time, and block websites on the device.

What can Bark's parental controls for Android devices do?

Bark's parental controls for Androids give you the power to monitor your child’s online activities in a groundbreaking way.

In addition to monitoring, Bark also lets you manage screen time, block websites & apps, and track location 24/7.

These key features work together to build a powerful digital safety net to help you protect your child online and in real life.

Is the Bark Phone available outside the U.S.?

Right now, the Bark Phone for kids is only available for families located in the U.S.

Tell us what country you'd like to bring the Bark Phone to next.

How is a Bark Phone different from a phone with the Bark app?

Because Bark’s software is built directly into the phone, it automatically monitors texts, emails, social media, and apps. Bark also can't be deleted from the Bark Phone, which helps ensure the settings you put into this cell phone for kids will stay.

The Bark Phone also offers exclusive features that the app doesn’t, including:

Contact approvals
App install approvals
Remote alarms
Daily screen time limits
Completely tamper-proof settings

Is the Bark app available outside the U.S.?

The Bark app is currently available in the United States, South Africa, Guam, and Australia. We’re continually working to bring Bark to more families around the world.

What languages do you support?

Our algorithms are currently trained in English, Spanish, and Afrikaans, and we’re looking to add more languages in the near future.

Is my child's data secure?

Absolutely. At Bark,security is paramount. Our website uses SSL encryption and all analyzed data is stored within an encrypted database. You can rest easy knowing your children's data is secure.

Bark – Parental Controls for Families (2024)

FAQs

Is Bark parental control worth it? ›

Bottom line: Is using Bark worth it? Bark is worth it thanks to its unique and extensive features, including monitoring of 30+ apps and websites. Bark also offers location services and screen time management, as well as support for an unlimited number of devices, which is rare for parental control apps.

Read On ›

Can my child delete the Bark app? ›

You'll also be alerted if your child uninstalls our Bark for Kids companion app. You can prevent the companion app from being uninstalled from iOS and Android devices: If your child has an Android device, make sure that the Bark for Kids app is version 3.0. 9 or higher so we can enforce Uninstall Protection.

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What are the downsides of the Bark phone? ›

Cons

- Limited support options.
Phone plan is expensive.
Most affordable phone plan has no mobile data.

Apr 25, 2023

Can kids turn off Bark VPN? ›

Parents can also rest assured that the controls and rules they set stay in place. Kids can't download VPNs or workarounds to disable them.

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What is the Bark app controversy? ›

Bark's biggest selling point is also its most controversial feature. By giving parents access to their children's private messages, Bark helps you highlight and deal with issues your kids might not want you to know about. But this invasion of privacy could be devastating for your relationship with your child.

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What are the cons of Bark? ›

The main cons for shredded bark is the color fades if you select a dyed variation and depending on the type of wood used, the material may contain toxins that can leach into the soil.

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Does Bark monitor sexting? ›

Bark works with iOS and Android to monitor texts, photos, and videos for concerning interactions. Our service looks for activity that may indicate online predators, adult content, sexting, cyberbullying, drug use, suicidal thoughts, and more.

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Can Bark monitor TikTok? ›

Can Bark Monitor TikTok? Bark's monitoring covers direct messaging on TikTok, but unfortunately, this is only for Android devices.

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Will my child know Bark is on their phone? ›

Your kids will be aware of Bark's presence, and we encourage you to have a conversation with them about it beforehand. By discussing Bark proactively, you set up an environment where Bark alerts serve as an opportunity for meaningful conversations about important topics, rather than a surprise discovery.

Why is Bark blocking all internet? ›

Bark is blocking everything

Wait a few minutes for Bark to settle in. Check whether you accidentally paused the internet. See if you've accidentally set very strict screen time rules. Try clearing the cache of their browser app(s), like Chrome or Safari.

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Is there a better app than Bark? ›

Bark alerts you only when your kids come across inappropriate content, but by then, it's too late—they've already seen it. Canopy, our parental control app, is the only Bark alternative that scans and blocks inappropriate content in real-time, before it reaches your child's device.

Read The Full Story ›

Does Bark block text messages? ›

While you can block the internet to any app and site, Bark cannot block text messages, contacts, or phone calls on those other devices. Text messages and phone calls use a different technology that can't be filtered by Bark on those other devices at this time.

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Does Bark block Wi-Fi? ›

Bark's screen time management features help families set time limits and create schedules for when their children's devices can connect to the internet (through both cell service and Wi-Fi). Our website blocking feature lets you select which apps and websites are appropriate for your child to access on their devices.

Get More Info Here ›

Can your parents see your texts on Bark? ›

No. While families don't get access to every single message a child sends, Bark does send alerts for issues like bullying, self-harm, and sexual predators detected in your kid's communications (learn more).

Is Bark an invasion of privacy? ›

Before you decide, consider these downsides: Overly invasive. The monitoring measures of a tool like Bark can be seen as excessively intrusive. While younger kids may not feel intruded upon, teenagers likely will — which could cause conflicts or a breakdown of their trust in you.

Can Bark turn off the internet? ›

Here are a couple of the key things Bark Home can do: Turn off the internet when needed on home devices (including smart TVs, gaming consoles, cell phones, tablets, and more)

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