🛡️ Parental controls and family safety
Aura Parental Controls
By Aura. Visit Aura Parental Controls
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Parental controls inside Aura, a company best known for identity-theft protection, now also covering Circle's controls. Installed on a child's iPhone or Android, it filters sites, sets screen time limits and bedtimes, pauses the internet, and gives reports and 'wellbeing' trends such as changes in sleep or social activity. On Windows PCs, Safe Gaming (from Kidas) monitors voice and text chat in 200+ games for bullying and predators. Sold alone or in a family identity plan.
Our take: Makes sense for families who already want Aura's identity protection; those who only need screen time limits can use free built-in tools.
| Ages it suits | kids and teens |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Account holders must be 18 (or the age of majority); people 13-17 may use Aura only with a parent's permission and involvement. Parents add minor children to a plan. (terms) |
| Price | Paid. Kids plan $10 a month billed yearly or $13 monthly; Family plan (adds identity protection) $32 a month billed yearly or $50 monthly; 14-day free trial (Oct 2026). |
| Works on | iPhone and iPad, Android, Windows |
| Account | A parent's account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | AI analyzes the child's online activity to produce wellbeing insights and gaming alerts, and powers a conversational assistant for parents. |
What's good
- Unlimited kids and devices on one plan
- Pause the Internet button
- In-game chat alerts on PC
- Bundled with identity protection
Watch for
- Gaming voice and chat monitoring only on Windows PC
- Wellbeing scoring of kids' behavior is opaque
- Upsell toward the pricier family plan
- AI uses data from across Aura's services
Data and privacy
Aura's AI correlates data across its services, including parental controls, to make alerts and insights, and may use de-identified data to improve its AI. It says it does not knowingly sell or share data of children under 16, and it shares contact data with affiliate Circle for marketing. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No study of this product itself. Two 2018 CHI studies of parental control apps in general found 76% of 736 child-written app reviews gave one star (kids called the apps too strict and invasive), and that heavier parental control went with more, not fewer, online risks for teens. Aura cites its own research and a mystery-shopper study it paid for.
In the Big Index
- The maker in the who's who: Aura
Alternatives to Aura Parental Controls
Desk researchPaid
Amazon Kids Tablets (and Fire Kids tablets)
Amazon · ages 3+ and 6+ versions
A reasonable first tablet if you want Amazon's controls plus real Android apps; families who want a tightly closed device may prefer a device without the Play Store.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Amazon Kids+ and Parent Dashboard
Amazon · ages 3-12
A good-value bundle for families already on Amazon devices with kids 3-12; skip it if your child mostly uses an iPad or a phone.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Apple Messages and FaceTime (Communication Safety)
Apple · ages any age with a parent-made child account; teens 13-17
Worth turning on for any child with an iPhone or iPad; pair it with contact limits for younger kids.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Apple Screen Time
Apple · ages any age under 18
The first stop for any family whose child uses an iPhone or iPad; it does nothing on Android or Windows.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Apple Watch For Your Kids
Apple · ages kids who don't have their own iPhone; no set age
Good for iPhone families who want a phone alternative with strong contact controls; cheaper kids' watches exist if you only need calls and location.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Bark (app, Bark Phone, Bark Watch)
Bark Technologies · ages kids and teens
For parents who want alerts about serious risks on a teen's phone and will talk openly about it; families wanting simple limits can start with free built-in tools.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.aura.com/parental-controls
- https://www.aura.com/pricing
- https://www.aura.com/legal/privacy-policy
- https://www.aura.com/legal/service-terms
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.