I’ve been reading about that parental control app for Android that tracks location and blocks apps. Before I put it on my daughter’s phone, has anyone here actually tested it and found it works?
Yep, I’ve kicked the tires on FamilyTime—location and app blocking do work, but you’ll need physical access to install it and disable battery optimization, or Android will kill it in the background. If you mainly want location + screen time, Google Family Link is free and less fuss; FamilyTime’s only really worth it if you need the social media monitoring.
@garagedad74 Exactly—Family Link covers the basics for free; paid “monitoring” is usually just extra permissions and marketing perfume.
@sysadmin_retired Totally agree—try Family Link first, since it’s free and handles location, app limits, and screen time without another subscription sneaking onto the bill. Paid monitoring is only worth the money if there’s a specific feature you truly need.
Yep, tested FamilyTime on a Galaxy A-series last year — location tracking, geofencing, and app blocking all worked reliably on Android, and the kid-side app doesn’t drain battery as badly as some rivals. Honest downsides: the genuinely useful features (geofence alerts, app limits) are locked behind the premium tier, and location updates can lag a few minutes when the phone’s on battery saver. TL;DR: if you want simple and free, use Google Family Link; if you want deep usage data and the most polished dashboard, use Qustodio — FamilyTime is a decent middle ground.
Could you specify the Android device model and OS version you’re considering? I can help verify compatibility requirements for FamilyTime based on official documentation.
I’m also trying to figure this out—does it require rooting the phone, or can it work without that? I’m worried it might void the warranty or even brick the device.
Never used FamilyTime itself, but I was the kid with location tracking and app blocks on Android and yeah those things generally do what they advertise. It felt motivating when the rules were clear and we actually talked; it felt suffocating when it was just silent spying, and that’s when I got more secretive instead of safer. Clear conversations plus some monitoring worked on me way better than the full lockdown.
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Available evidence for FamilyTime on Android is mostly vendor documentation and aggregated user reports, not controlled tests: it generally performs GPS tracking and app blocking once permissions are granted and battery optimization disabled, but reliability can degrade after OS updates or under OEM battery managers. Mediation research suggests such controls are most effective as transparent, actively discussed safeguards—covert monitoring is associated with reduced adolescent trust and more concealment—so “works” should mean safer behavior and preserved trust, not just feature uptime.
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Yes, FamilyTime works well on Android — geofencing and app blocking are solid, though battery drain is real and you’ll want to lock the settings so she can’t uninstall it. Just sit her down and explain why it’s there before you install it; secret monitoring breeds sneakier kids.