Most parents likely have a common desire to keep their children off social media for as long as possible, but if you have a child who rides public transport or is somewhat independent, you may find it difficult to keep in touch. The absence is clearly a concern. Bark Phone is a safer phone designed with kids and teens in mind.
What is a bark phone?
Credit: Reviewed / Bark
If you have older children, you’re probably familiar with the Bark app, which monitors your child’s device for inappropriate content and notifies you via text or email. Bark Phone is essentially a phone-style app. In addition to Bark’s monitoring features, it also includes built-in parental controls, so your child’s texts, emails, and social media (if you allow it) are automatically scanned and if inappropriate content is identified. Parents will be notified. Parents control all phone functions through the Bark app. The Bark app is easy to navigate and has cute avatars.
What makes the Bark Phone different from other kids’ phones (like Gabb) is that it’s actually a smartphone. In fact, it’s a very nice Samsung that looks exactly like a standard Android phone, just with Bark’s software preloaded.
What network does Bark Phone use?
Bark Phone uses a proprietary network, Bark Wireless. Unfortunately, this means you can’t simply add your child’s Bark Phone to your AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile plan, and instead have to set up an entirely new account specifically for your child’s device. Masu.
How much does Bark Phone cost?
Bark offers two types of plans. One is for younger children, called the Starter Plan, and the other is for teenagers, called the Advanced Plan.
The Starter plan costs $39 per month and includes no apps, social media, browser, or voicemail. It features GPS tracking and extremely robust parental controls that even the most tech-savvy kids can’t get around, giving parents the ability to control who can call and text their kids (and who can call them too). Provide.
The Advanced plan costs $49 per month, but is much more customizable since it’s aimed at teenagers. With the Advanced plan, your child can use all the apps you approve, and you can pause the internet and disable the camera. This is a huge benefit if you have kids who stay up late scrolling or if you’re worried about scrolling. Teens taking inappropriate photos at parties. The Advanced plan also allows parents to approve or decline contacts, and also features a driving mode that automatically pauses Bark Phone when it detects your child is in a moving car.
What we like about Bark Phone
You can control who your child talks to and texts
Credit: Reviewed / Bark
My favorite feature about Bark Phone is that no one can call your child without first adding their number and contact information to an approved safe list. I had to add my own number and my husband’s number before I could call the kids or they could call us. One of the biggest issues with other children’s phones we’ve tested is that there’s no way to control who calls your child. So this is a big plus in my opinion.
Send location alerts
My kids are very independent and ride public transportation alone, so GPS tracking and location alerts are a must-have feature for us. Parents can easily add locations through the app, and the Bark system will automatically send alerts when their child arrives or leaves the location. Live location tracking is always available by simply opening the app. There’s also a “Request Check-in” button in case you suspect your tween is up to something heinous.
Looks like a normal phone
The last thing adolescents want to do is stand out by being different. That’s most likely the reason they’re begging for your phone in the first place. Unlike other kids’ phones, the Bark Phone is just a simplified version of Android from Samsung, so none of your kids’ friends will be any wiser.
Bark’s monitoring program is great
Bark is the first parental control app I’ve tried that my kids couldn’t outsmart. It’s also the only tool I’ve found that doesn’t miss anything, and I love that it sends both a text and an email when it finds something wrong. Plus, it’s user-friendly and doesn’t require a coding degree to set up.
What I don’t like about Bark Phone
Burke can be too cautious at times
Credit: Reviewed / Bark
Bark is a computer, not a human. So some of the “problematic” things Bark warned about were actually just my teens being teens. For example, shortly after I set up my phone, Burke sent me a bullying notification with a video of my daughter and her friends, but it was just them acting stupid, not maliciously. There wasn’t. That being said, I much prefer a program that sends me too many notifications than one that misses something that I should really be concerned about.
Approved contacts are slow to update
Although it’s easy to set up a list of approved contacts, I was frustrated because it took about 25 minutes for Bark Phone to update when I added a new phone number and name. I thought it wouldn’t work and ended up sending myself multiple approval requests, eventually getting frustrated and putting the phone aside. I tried to call customer service and when I went back to pick it up, the contact information had been updated. Annoying for sure, but not a deal breaker if you know what to expect.
expensive
The monthly fee certainly seems high compared to simply adding a line to your phone plan. However, the Bark Phone includes all of Bark’s monitoring features and great parental control features, and you’re actually paying to keep your kids safe, which is invaluable.
Should I buy a Bark Phone?
Yes, it’s a smartphone without all the bad things.
Credit: Reviewed / Bark
Bark Phone has all the features parents want in a cell phone, without any of the bad stuff like social media or free internet access. Having a phone that is already equipped with Bark’s parental control feature can be very reassuring, especially since you can control who your child communicates with. I had never planned on letting my kids use social media before, but they are in eighth grade. Children need to communicate when moving around the city on their own. Bark Phone is ideal for doing just that. .
bark phone
Bark Phone comes with great safety features.
Prices are accurate at the time of publication, but may change over time.
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meet the testers
anna lane
Former parenting editor
@theannalane
Anna Lane was Reviewed’s parenting editor, covering topics related to pregnancy, babies, toddlers, big kids, teens, and older teens. She has a son and a daughter and often helps test products for unfiltered reviews. Prior to joining Reviewed, Lane worked as a freelance writer and editor. Her published bylines include The Washington Post, Refinery29, Playboy, Romper, and more. A graduate of New York University, Lane previously toured as a stand-up comedian, entertaining audiences across the United States.
See all reviews by Anna Lane
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