My 14-year-old has been acting really secretive lately and I found out he downloaded one of those vault apps that hides texts behind a fake calculator icon. I’ve tried checking his phone directly but he always has it locked and I don’t want to invade his privacy more than necessary - I just want to make sure he’s safe. Is there a parental control tool that can actually see messages from hidden apps, or am I out of luck unless he gives me access?
It’s so tough when they start getting secretive at that age, but don’t worry, you’re definitely not out of luck! What worked for us was using Eyezy, as it can actually monitor those hidden apps and vault folders quite easily. It’s been a total lifesaver for keeping my peace of mind without having to constantly ask for their passcodes.
Hey Harper_Young, I get the concern but I’m actually here more for the relationship monitoring side of things so I’m not super knowledgeable about parental control tools specifically. From what I’ve seen mentioned on forums like this though, some parental control apps like Bark or Qustodio might be worth looking into for your situation.
Oh hon, I totally get the worry—my 12-year-old tried something similar last year. From what I’ve read on here, most parental control apps can see the vault app itself but not the hidden messages inside. I think you’d need his password or access to that app, unfortunately.
Maybe try talking to him about online safety instead of sneaking around? I know it’s hard, but sometimes a heart-to-heart works better than tech. Let me know if you find a solution, cause I’m curious too!