While allowing your kids to manage and access cell phones is very good, it is also important to monitor and guide them on how they can use them responsibly to avoid misuse.
If the activities of children on cell phones are not checked, they may abuse some of the features that come with the devices like text messages, social media apps etc, which may corrupt them when it becomes excess. Hence, it becomes imperative to monitor their activities at a tender age to guide them properly.
Interestingly, you can monitor your child’s text messages irrespective of the device they are using, be it Android or iOS device. It is not difficult to check your child’s activities on devices since it only involves a few steps. The sections below will be of immeasurable help whenever you want to monitor your kids’ text messages.
How To Monitor Kids Text Messages On Android?
If you want to monitor your kids’ text messages on an Android device, you’ll need to use a text monitoring App. You can use these monitoring apps to check your kids’ text messages remotely without their consent.
Examples of text monitoring apps include Eyezy, Qustodio, AirDroid, WebWatcher, etc. These apps have similar working principles. With these apps, parents can monitor the live screen of their kids’ Android device remotely.
To monitor your kids text messages on Android using the text monitoring apps, follow the steps below:
1. Download And Install The Text Monitoring App
- Visit the official app store and download the text monitoring app of your choice.
- After downloading, install the app.
- Sign up to create an account with your details.
2. Download And Install The Text Monitoring App On Your Kids’ Android Phone
- Download the same monitoring in your device to your kids’ device.
- Install the app on your kid’s device to get started.
- Set up the necessary details.
- Customize the app’s features.
- Input the pairing code to link his/her Android device to yours.
3. The Text Monitoring App Will Run In Secretive Mode In The Background
- Now, you’ll be able to see who your kids are texting to and their messages and vice-versa.
- You’re still going to monitor their messages from different social media platforms.
How To Monitor My Child’s Text Message On iPhone
Unlike Android phones, monitoring your child’s text messages on iPhone is a bit easier because there are few in-built ways through which you do that.
There are two different ways through which you can monitor your child’s text messages on iPhone, they’re via iCloud and automatic text messages forwarding.
1. Through iCloud
Before you can use this method, the iPhone device must have iCloud (stores data of the Apple device) to be able to access the iCloud storage. Ensure that you have your kids Apple ID and password to navigate this process with ease. With iCloud, you can retrieve data from a device or view it on another device so long as the devices are synced.
To use iCloud to monitor your child’s text message, follow the simple steps below:
- Visit iCloud.com.
- Login with your kids’ Apple ID.
- If different devices are linked to the ID, tap on the device you want.
- Follow the onscreen instruction carefully to monitor your kids’ text messages.
2. Automatic Text Message Forwarding
iPhone comes with automated text message forwarding hence you can also explore this method to monitor your kids text messages. However, this can only be possible if your kid has an iPhone. To use this method, follow the steps below;
- Navigate to the device setting of your kids iPhone.
- Go to the message section.
- Under the message section, choose ‘’Send and Receive’’.
- Login with your Apple ID.
- Now, go back to device settings and activate the text forwarding under the messages section.
- Select the recipient device and input the verification code sent to you.
How Can I See My Child’s Text Message On Family Link?
Google family link is another means through which you can still monitor your kids text messages. With Google family link, you can see your child’s social media chat, SMS text and you’ll be able to block unauthorized sites on their device.
To use this method, follow the simple procedures below:
- Visit the official app store and download the parent’s Google family link.
- Also, install the kid’s version of the Google family link on your child’s phone.
- Succinctly follow the onscreen instruction when prompted which will lead to generation of a code on your phone.
- Input the generated code and password on your child’s device.
- Finally, follow the onscreen prompts carefully to complete the process and that’s all. If there are other settings, you can customize the setting from your own device.
Reasons You Should Monitor Your Kid’s Cell Phones
There are many reasons why you should keep an eye on the activities of your children’s cell phones. Some of the reasons include but are not limited to;
1. Il-Suited Content
One of the major reasons why you should monitor your kid’s is to check the kind of content they engage in. Since kids are deeply influenced by peer-pressure, they may engage in sharing inappropriate videos and pictures which may corrupt their morals.
2. Virtual Harassment
Cyber harassment is on the rise, hence as a parent, it is your sole responsibility to check the type of text messages, emails etc on the device of your kids since some of them may not have the courage to tell you what they are passing through. So monitor their device and guide them appropriately when necessary.
3. Online Scammer
As teens, most kids are naive and some online scammers take advantage of unsuspecting children and befriend them with the sole aim of scamming them at any given opportunity. So it is up to you to protect your child so that they will not fall victim to these online scammers.
4. Identity Theft
If kids are unguided, they may reveal all their important details online which will predispose them to fraudsters. Some hoodlums may use your kid’s details to create a credit account or they may use it to commit heinous crimes. As a parent, you need to deploy measures to protect your kids from sharing relevant information online.
5. Safeguard Your Personal Information
Due to increasing crime in the society, it is important to keep an eye on your kids so that they’ll not reveal relevant family details online to avoid hoodlums from tracking and harming the family members. If bad elements get important information about your whereabouts from your kid, it will predispose the family to danger. Hence, keep an eye on your children to curtail any excesses.
Conclusion
Monitoring your kids’ devices is very important to enable you to track their activities and guide them in the right direction. There are different ways through which you can monitor your kid’s activities on the cell phones be it Android phone or iPhone, each of the methods outlined in this write up is a sure bet for monitoring your kids’ text messages and other activities on the cell phone.
