Honest Qustodio Review: Why Think Twice Before Using It?

Interestingly, one study highlights that parents’ screen habits influence their children’s screen time. As a result, they are more likely to be exposed to harmful content due to increased pop-ups, suggested videos, and social media feeds. With kids spending more time online than ever, finding a solid tracking app is a top priority for many parents.

You might have heard about Qustodio, so there’s the question – what is Qustodio and why should you think twice before using it? In this Qustodio review, we will tell you everything about how it works, its features, the pros and cons, what real users are saying, and even an alternative that might be better – especially so if you decide that Qustodio app isn’t the right fit for you. And we don’t say it lightly; there’s more beneath the surface of a seemingly okay app. Read on!

How Does Qustodio Work?

Starting strong, we offer you a simple explanation of how does Qustodio work – what OS it supports, how many devices you can monitor at once, its price, and more:

On the other hand, installing the Qustodio app requires these steps:

1. On the Qustodio website, sign in using your name, email, and password.
2. You will then be directed to a page where you can click “Add a child” to set rules and supervise their activity.
3. Next, choose your child’s name, date of birth, and gender, as well as an avatar for them.
4. Once done, access your child’s phone and open the provided link in their browser. From there, download the app and follow the on-screen instructions.
5. Time to subscribe! Qustodio offers two plans – Basic ($54.95/year) and Complete ($99.95/year). Choose the one that best suits your needs (the Basic plan has significantly fewer features than Complete).
6. All done! Now, you can use Qustodio however you like – either from the app on your phone or via the browser dashboard.

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Honest Qustodio Reviews from Real People

The Qustodio app seems to be a hit-or-miss for parents – some swear by it, but plenty are beyond frustrated. It’s supposed to help manage screen time and block inappropriate content, but a lot of users say it just doesn’t work as advertised:

• Subscription nightmares: Auto-renewal is tricky to turn off, and canceling feels like jumping through hoops. In their Qustodio reviews on Trustpilot, some users say they’ve been charged even after canceling.
• Weak content blocking: In Qustodio reviews, parents report that Qustodio struggles with YouTube restrictions and doesn’t consistently block social media, gambling, or adult sites. Monitoring iPhones seems to be especially unreliable.
• Kids outsmart it: Despite claims found in a Qustodio app review that it can’t be uninstalled, parents say even their non-techy kids figured out how to remove or disable it – some within hours of installing it.
• Bugs & useless support: From incorrect time tracking to glitchy location features, users run into all sorts of issues. And when they reach out for help? You can open any Qustodio app review and see that many say customer support either doesn’t respond or gives generic, unhelpful advice.

That said, a few parents do find it useful for younger kids or children with special needs. But for a lot of families, the frustration just isn’t worth it, and they end up switching to something else.

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Qustodio App Main Features: What Can You Do with This App?

Qustodio is a tracking app with its own ways to offer its services. What services, you may ask? Read on to find out.

Social Media

You can monitor what apps your kid is using, block them, or set a time limit for the usage. But… that’s about it. Yes, Qustodio lets you see social networks or apps, such as Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram, but you won’t be able to dive deeper and actually look at what’s going on there. Checking out their messages, calls, posts, or stories is out of reach with Qustodio, which can feel a bit lackluster for those parents who want to make sure that their kids don’t engage with weird or forbidden content (or people) online.

Location Tracking

The Qustodio app lets you track your kid’s location in real time, but its effectiveness depends on the device. If they have an Android, you’ll get more frequent updates. However, if they’re using an iPhone, there’s about a five-minute delay between location pings – which could be a problem if you’re trying to track them in the moment.

The geofencing feature, called My Places, allows you to set up a virtual boundary around an address, so you’ll receive an alert when your kid enters or leaves. But, well, there are some frustrating limitations. 

• Small radius: You can only set a boundary between 350 and 650 feet, which might not be precise enough for larger areas like parks or schools.
• No place search: You must enter an exact address instead of simply typing “Lincoln High School” or “Central Park”.
• No manual adjustments: Once you set the boundary, that’s it – you can’t move or resize it to fine-tune the area.

Text and Calls Monitoring

Qustodio’s call and message monitoring feature lets parents keep tabs on their kid’s calls, texts, and iMessages. Essentially, it shows who they’re talking to, allows parents to read SMS and iMessage conversations, and keeps a log of when calls and texts occur. It also enables blocking specific numbers. However, there are some major downsides:

• Not on Google Play: If you’re using Android, you can’t just download this feature from the Play Store. Instead, you’ll have to sideload a special version of the app from Qustodio’s website.
• Limited for iPhones: Apple’s rules make things tricky. If your kid has an iPhone, you won’t be able to monitor texts or block calls. Even on Android, this feature doesn’t track messages from apps like WhatsApp, Signal, or Snapchat – so there are some significant blind spots.
• Not full media display: While there is a toggle to view the content of SMS text messages, it won’t capture MMS (photos/video) messages.
• Slow updates: Don’t expect real-time tracking. The app updates call and text logs only once an hour unless you refresh it manually. So, if you’re hoping for instant alerts, you’re out of luck.

Blocking Features

Qustodio’s app-blocking features aren’t exactly flawless. Yes, they let you see which apps your kid’s been using on their devices, but instead of showing a list of popular apps upfront, it adds apps as your child uses them, which can be both good and bad depending on how often they switch things up. Once apps appear, you can choose to block them entirely, set daily time limits, or leave them unrestricted. This is handy if you want to limit access to certain apps (like social media) but let others (like a calculator for homework) slip through.

However, this is how things work on Android, Windows, and macOS. iOS, however, struggles with:

• Spotty functionality: On iOS, blocking apps doesn’t always go as planned. If a kid is already using a blocked app, it might still work as if nothing has changed – definitely not ideal for keeping them off certain apps.
• Limited app compatibility: Not all apps are blockable. For instance, big-name games like those from EA won’t be blocked, and some other apps might fall through the cracks because of incomplete support.
• Boomerang feature: The Boomerang tool tries to block apps based on age ratings, but it’s not as reliable or robust as what you’ll find with other apps.

Control Panel

Qustodio app has a clean and simple design – a white background with some pastel accents. Noteworthy, there are a few issues regarding blocking apps and websites that could be improved.

• Family management: The “Your Family” section lets you set up profiles for each kid, but you’ll only see new apps after your kid opens them. There’s no master list of apps on the device, and while you can set up alerts when a new app is used, it’s not exactly an ideal solution.
• Setting restrictions: You can set time limits, block websites, monitor YouTube, control calls and texts, and track location. But honestly, the whole process is a little clunky. It could be smoother and less time-consuming to apply restrictions across the board.
• Web filtering: The web filtering feature looks better now, but it’s still pretty weak. It blocks 10 of 29 website categories by default, but there are definitely sites that should be blocked but aren’t. You can’t create custom categories, and while you can block individual sites, it’s just not as robust as other options out there.

Photo & Video Monitoring 

When it comes to photo & video monitoring, the Qustodio app really falls short. The app doesn’t seem to do much beyond providing a general activity. It doesn’t track images or videos, which is a major downside.

Qustodio Pros and Cons

We can’t leave you hanging without explaining the most prominent Qustodio pros and cons, lovingly showcased in the table below:

uMobix as Qustodio’s Best Alternative

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Location Tracker

The Qustodio app technically offers real-time tracking, but it’s not super reliable. If your kid has an Android, updates are pretty frequent, but iPhone users get a location ping every 5 minutes – which isn’t exactly “real-time” if you’re trying to check where they are right now. Qustodio also has a geofencing feature called My Places, which alerts you when your kid enters or leaves a set area. But… it’s not as good as it might seem.

The geofencing range is weirdly small (350–650 feet), so if you want to track a big place like a park or a school, it’s not as precise as you’d hope. Plus, you have to manually enter an exact address instead of just searching for a place, and once you set the geofence, you can’t adjust it.

uMobix, on the other hand, does a much better job. uMobix GPS tracking is way more accurate (within 7-10 meters), updates in actual real time, and works in stealth mode – so your kid won’t know they’re being tracked. You can check their location anytime, view past locations, and even see addresses on Google Maps.

Keylogging

uMobix has a detailed keylogger that tracks every single keystroke on the target device – everything from typed text to passwords, even if they’re copied and pasted. This is great for parents who want to ensure their kids aren’t messing around with inappropriate content on social media, messaging apps, or anything else. It lets you see exactly what your kid is typing, down to the timestamp and the app they were using when they typed it. Our Qustodio review comparison showed that Qustodio skips the keylogger and focuses more on overall activity, like web searches, apps, and screen time.

Social Media Monitoring

In our Qustodio review research, we discovered that Qustodio’s social media monitoring is, honestly, pretty weak. It only lets you see which social media and messengers your kid used and for how long, and also allows you to block them, but that’s an all-or-nothing approach – you won’t actually see what your kid is up to on them.

uMobix, on the other hand, gives parents way more access. On iPhones, it provides full tracking for Facebook and Instagram, letting parents see news feeds, adjust settings, and even manage comments. If your kid has an Android, uMobix goes even further, offering real-time screenshot monitoring for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Tinder, Snapchat, etc. Basically, if you’re trying to keep an eye on your kid’s social media, uMobix actually gives you something to work with.

Checking Messages

Our Qustodio review shows that Qustodio does have call and text monitoring, but it’s not perfect. Parents can see SMS and iMessage logs, including timestamps and blocked numbers, but there are a lot of restrictions. If your kid has an Android, you have to download a special version of the app from Qustodio’s website (since it’s not on Google Play).

If they have an iPhone, Apple’s security rules shut down all call and text monitoring – so you’re out of luck. Even on Android, Qustodio doesn’t track messages from third-party apps like WhatsApp or Snapchat, meaning kids can easily switch to a different app to avoid detection. Plus, the call and text logs don’t update instantly – they refresh once an hour unless you manually check them.

uMobix is way better in this department. uMobix text message tracker lets parents read all sent and received messages, including deleted ones. It works in stealth mode, so kids won’t even know it’s happening, and parents can see full conversation histories, complete with timestamps.

Trial Period

uMobix offers a 1-day trial for just $0.99, so you can test out everything before you commit. You’ll need to put in your billing info, and once the trial ends, you will need to renew. Our Qustodio review research showed that it offers a 3-day free trial, so you don’t need to pay upfront to start using it.

Installation

Setting up Qustodio takes effort to be installed, especially for certain monitoring features that require sideloading or additional steps. However, no rooting or jailbreak is required.

For Windows and Mac, the app remains visible after the installation. The app cannot be fully hidden, meaning tech-savvy kids may try to disable it. On iOS, installation is more complex due to Apple’s restrictions. You must install a VPN profile for monitoring, which appears in the settings and can be easily spotted. 

One of uMobix’s biggest advantages is how fast and easy it is to install. Parents might only have a few minutes to access their kid’s phone, so uMobix is designed for quick setup. 

On Android, you just follow a link, and it’s up and running in minutes. On iPhones, all you need is the child’s iCloud credentials – there is no need to access the phone at all physically. Once installed, it runs in stealth mode, meaning kids won’t even know it’s there.

Browser History

When it comes to browser history, uMobix lets you see what sites were visited on all the major browsers – Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. It can also recover deleted browser history! So, if your kid tries to delete something, you can still see the full list of websites they visited, with timestamps and URLs.Our Qustodio review research showed that Qustodio tracks search history across Google, Bing, and YouTube, but it doesn’t show the specific sites they’ve visited, while it does send alerts if it detects worrying search terms like bullying or self-harm.

Access to Deleted Data

uMobix takes it a step further with its ability to recover deleted messages. If you’re suspicious that your kid deleted something they shouldn’t have, uMobix can bring back those messages – even if they were wiped from messaging apps or text threads. You’ll see exactly what was deleted and when.

Unfortunately, according to the research we did for this Qustodio review, Qustodio doesn’t have this feature. Once messages are deleted, they’re gone for good, which is kind of a big deal if you’re trying to keep tabs on what’s going on.

Why Choose uMobix as Your Cell Phone Tracker

uMobix is the tracker for you if you prefer both the quality of life and the sheer quantity of features it offers. It works well with Android and iOS, and what’s even better – it stays hidden on your kid’s device, ensuring you remain 100% anonymous. Plus, with uMobix, you can:

• See who they’re talking to: Track all calls and messages, including deleted texts. It shows you who they’re talking to, when, and for how long, so nothing slips by.
• Stay on top of their social media: uMobix gives you access to their WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and other messaging apps. If they’re chatting with someone they shouldn’t be, you’ll know.
• Check their photos and videos: You can view and even save the photos and videos stored on their phone, so there are no surprises.
• Know where they are anytime: With GPS tracking, you can see their real-time location and check where they’ve been. They can be at a friend’s house or somewhere else, and you’ll know for sure.
• Record what they type: The keylogger feature captures everything they type (passwords, searches, private messages), so you get the full picture of their actions.
• Completely hidden: uMobix runs silently in the background, and no icon is shown, so they won’t know it’s there or be able to mess with it. While Qustodio is not hidden – it’s among the list of apps on Android/Windows/Mac and relies on a VPN on iOS, which is visible in settings. 
• Updates constantly: The data refreshes every few seconds, so you’re always looking at the latest activity.

Conclusion

To wrap up this Qustodio review, we can say that Qustodio might cover the basics, but it falls short where it really matters. The social media monitoring barely scratches the surface, the web filtering is unreliable (some sites slip through while harmless ones get blocked), and if you’re on iOS, good luck – it’s a clunky mess. On top of that, you can’t track calls or messages properly, there’s no way to see deleted data, and some features require sideloading, which is just a hassle.

Now, uMobix? That’s a different story. With this Qustodio alternative, you get real-time GPS tracking, full access to social media activity (yes, even deleted messages), and a powerful keylogger, and it all runs in stealth mode. No complicated setup, no frustrating limitations – just a solid, reliable way to keep an eye on what actually matters.

If you want real control over your kid’s online activity instead of dealing with half-baked features, uMobix is the way to go. Don’t waste time on something that barely does the job – make the switch now.