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Bark Parental Control App Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.9 / 5 (Excellent)
35 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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Founded in 2015 and based in Georgia, Bark Technologies, Inc. provides a parental control app that focuses primarily on online threats to children through social media, texting, and other lines of communication. The company was founded by digital media experts who aimed to create a parental monitoring tool that did not compromise children's privacy.
 
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How is Bark rated?

Breakdown

5.0/5
Transparency
5.0/5
Multiple OS Monitoring
5.0/5
Unique Features
5.0/5
Ease of Installation/Use

Overall Rating: 4.9 / 5 (Excellent)

Bark offers one of the most comprehensive monitoring packages in the parental control app landscape, and does so at a very reasonable price. In addition to email and text monitoring, Bark covers an extensive list of social media platforms as well. Screen time monitoring is available as a stand-alone feature with Bark JR, the company's lowest price plan and included with Bark's flagship product.

Additionally, Bark’s approach to monitoring text messaging does not require jailbreaking/rooting the phone, nor does it cause Apple password lockouts like other services. Since children have so many lines of communication open to them, Bark provides unprecedented coverage, monitoring posts and messaging for signs of bullying, communication with dangerous strangers, etc. What's more, Bark’s AI-based algorithms analyze all activity itself and issues parents notifications via their chosen communication method. Although full locator services are not available, Bark does have a check-in feature that allows parents to request their children's location at any given time.

Bark Features & Services

Features & Services - 5 / 5

Bark offers the most robust service out there for monitoring social media apps, emails, and text on children's mobile devices and smartphones. With 30 social media networks monitored, no other company we review has quite the reach as Bark. What's more, the company uses machine learning and advanced pattern recognition software to monitor all activity. This is especially useful to parents as monitoring with Bark does not require users to sift through all the activity themselves. Bark algorithms automatically scan children's communication for potentially problematic issues and send alerts to parents through the app, email or text. Bark's features and services are ideal and affordable for parents who are specifically concerned about social media interaction and text messaging. Parents can also control their children's screen time and filter content and set different limits for each child.
Customizable Filtering
No

Monitoring Method

  • Provider/Algorithmic
Monitoring Features
Social Media
SMS
Email

Social Networks Monitored

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Snapchat
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Google+
  • Flickr
  • WhatsApp
  • Kik
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Ask.fm
  • GroupMe
  • Google Drive
  • Gmail
  • iCloud
  • Outlook
  • Hotmail
  • Yahoo!
  • AOL Mail
  • Comcast Email
  • Musical.ly
  • Slack
  • Kidzworld
Display Less
17 More
Notifications/Alerts
App
Email
Text
Combination

Bark Pricing & Subscription Model

Pricing & Subscription Model - 5 / 5

Bark offers one of the most comprehensive monitoring suites out there for the price. After a 7-day free trial where customers can test run the service, Bark Jr plans are $5 per month or $49 billed annually, and Bark is $14 per family month-to-month, or $99 billed annually. As parental control app offerings go, this is one of the least expensive out there.

Plan 1/Price

Bark Jr. - $5.00 monthly or $49 annually

Plan 2/Price

Bark Plan - $9.00 monthly or $99 annually
Free Trial
Yes
Number of Devices
Unlimited
Number of Accounts
Unlimited
Auto-Renew
Yes

Subscription Model

Both month-to-month and annual plans will auto-renew for the same price if the customer does not cancel. Customers can cancel on the "my account" page and the subscription will terminate at the end of that billing cycle.

Bark Customer Experience

Customer Experience - 5 / 5

As a relatively new company, Bark has no presence on the BBB or Trustpilot. Bark can be contacted through email or chat, but it is unclear what their customer support hours are. Developed in conjunction with psychologists, law enforcement, and digital media experts, Bark has received awards from The National Parenting Center, Mom’s Choice, and National Parenting Product.
Year Founded
2015
Platforms and Devices
Mobile
iOS
Android
Contact Method
Email
Online Form
Live Chat

Company Profile

Full Name
Bark Parental Control App
Company Website
https://www.bark.us
Headquarters
3423 Piedmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30305

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35 Customer Comments & Reviews

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Anne C
6/5/2020
Bark in instrumental in helping parents keep their kids safer online. There are just too many factors, apps, messages, deep dark corners of the internet that we would never be able to keep track of in order to monitor our children by ourselves. Bark has alerted me to so many things that I have then been able to go to my children and have honest conversations about. Its just too much to keep up with, without the help of Bark. I am forever grateful for everything they have done for my family.

K
katey m
6/2/2020
Bark has been an amazing tool for me to use as a parent and educator. We have 4 children and I am constantly worried about what is being sent to them and shared within their friendship circle and beyond. The set up was relatively easy considering we have 4 children and multiple accounts. The information that I have received back from the app and have been alerted has allowed me to have courageous conversations with our children. It is not always them I am worried about. When you open your child up to 4 billion strangers, you have to have trust that they will make mistakes and that you will be there to guide them through them. Bark sends out a blog that allows me to keep up on the latest... Read More

harrisjunkmail1000
5/18/2020
terrible app. initially offered discount but then billed me full amount. doesnt track snapchat (HUGE NONO!) without some weird work around that the kids can skip. then, when i asked to cancel they do the "extension" thing, dont cancel and then billed me for a year! then when i disputed they fought with TONs of lawyer stuff - BEWARE NOT WORTH IT talk to your kids and discuss how these things work - in 2 years I never saw anything worth following up on. Just false peace of mind - its junk.

D
Darren
5/11/2020
I signed up but it didn't track messages after the initial download for the next four days. A lot can happen in four days. Didn't get any real help from customer service. What they told me to do didn't work. Disappointing.

mommytrevino
4/3/2020
It takes 3 days to get an appointment for help. I don’t have time to wait that long.

Dawn A
3/18/2020
It worked great when I first had it. After a couple of updates it stopped sending my anything but youtube. Tech confirmed it wasn't scanning like it was suppose to. They called me and had me uninstall and reinstall. It didn't work. I even sent "test" messages to my kids via instagram and snapchat. Things like "she's going to get beat up if she doesn't watch her mouth", or "hey, you want to go to the party?" I got no notification of them. Then they told me everything was working fine although I was not getting notifications. Its too bad. It was a great app until the updates.

courtenaynj
3/3/2020
All I seem to get notified of is "violence" in homework in Google docs, and the occasional swear in a YouTube subscription notices, and concerns about Apple news alerts. I get nothing about real-time uses on Insta, Snap, or text messages. Really quite useless IMO. On top of that, there is no way to stop autorenew without cancelling the subscription. You have to remember before it auto-renews. I did request a partial refund for the year, which they honored. That's why 1.5 stars.

ezcookn
2/18/2020
Bark did not give real time up to date info...it was giving us alerts on conversations that were 3 days past. Need to find a more up to date app.

J
Jerry
12/19/2019
We tried Bark but it didn't work very well from out testing. We now use MMGuardian and it is much more effective. Not only does it have the alerts that Bark has (albeit it doesn't cover as many apps, but we just block the ones we can't monitor), it allows you to see all their messages and do other things like lock the phone, get the location, block contacts, etc. Their customer support is very helpful as well, and I highly recommend them as either a replacement or supplement to Bark (if you can get Bark to work for you).

K
Kelly
11/29/2019
This app is terrible. I bought it to control my ten year old son's internet use. Does not work at all. Complete waste of money. Are there any other parental control apps that I can use that will work effectively? I have free trialed many but they all don't work.

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  • Most comprehensive coverage of any parental control app
  • FREE 7 Day Trial, and coverage starting at $5 a month
  • Get alerts for cyberbullying, sexual content, and more
  • Filter content, manage screen time, track locations, and monitor activity 
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