Parenting in the Digital Age just got a power-up: meet Bark

This story is sponsored by Bark. PhoneArena's opinions in this article have not been affected in any way!
Let’s face it—parenting in 2025 isn’t just about keeping your kids fed, clothed, and vaguely moral. It’s also about keeping their digital lives from turning into a trainwreck of dopamine loops, cyberbullying, and algorithmically-served chaos.

This is where Bark comes in. And not the kind that scares off squirrels. The Bark App, Bark Phone, and Bark Watch are three tightly integrated tools that — when used with intention — give parents just enough control to guide their kids online without becoming surveillance tyrants.

Bark isn’t here to scare parents into buying stuff. It’s not pushing fear. It’s promoting digital literacy — starting early, with the right tools. Because let’s face it — the world has been turning increasingly digital over the past couple of decades, and things are only accelerating with the introduction of AI.

So, if you need a fighting chance to raise healthy, connected kids that don’t live in a Faraday cage, maybe you want to check out the three main pieces of equipment Bark has for you:

• Bark App that can work on (almost) any phone
• Bark Phone that’s a through-and-through Android device, but with guard rails pre-installed
• Bark Watch for the younger kids

Bark App: AI-powered monitoring that respects the line

This isn’t your average “track-every-text-message” app. The Bark App takes a smarter, more nuanced approach. It uses AI to scan for potential issues — think bullying, depression, sexting, predators — and flags them discreetly. You get alerts, not transcripts. Signals, not noise.

If your teen jokes “I hate my life,” it’ll flag it, but it won’t send you an alert for every “LOL I’m dead” meme. It’s not about catching single words — and let’s face it, we can’t really keep up with all the words that are trendy nowadays. Yes, we used to laugh at people our age… we used to.

No, Bark monitors for trends before sounding the alarms.

The app can also tap into the phone’s GPS, granted you set up the permissions prior. It will simply send you notifications if the child arrives or leaves a destination. Or, if you have an TikTok-addicted young driver on your hands, the Bark app has a setting to lock the phone whenever your child is driving.

Pros:

• Works quietly in the background
• Sends alerts only when something’s potentially concerning
• Lets your kid have privacy, until they shouldn’t

Cons:

• Still dependent on platform permissions (cough, iOS, cough)

Learn more / download Bark App here

Bark Phone: first steps into an increasingly digital world

Now if your child is due for their first phone, and you’re already feeling the digital dread, the Bark Phone is your answer. It’s a Samsung Galaxy A36 or A16 (your choice) under the hood, but with a custom Bark OS layer that comes with all the bars pre-installed.

The Bark Phone lets you control practically everything: app installs, screen time, bedtime phone shutdowns, even whether your child can delete texts (spoiler: they can’t). It looks like a normal phone, feels like a normal phone, but it behaves like a digital training wheels machine.

This isn’t your helicopter-parent tracker — it’s more of a gentle co-pilot. Bark wants your kid to graduate to a normal phone one day. But when your 11-year-old asks for Instagram, you’ll probably want to “Think about it” while disabling the Play Store entirely.

Pros

• No app store access until you allow it
• Text and image monitoring built in with default support for 30+ apps
• Location tracking that is enabled and guaranteed
• Custom screen time schedules (goodbye 3AM YouTube binges).

Cons

• Slightly higher monthly cost than a burner phone
• Your kid will eventually want a “cooler” phone

Learn more / shop Bark Phone here

Bark Watch: minimal, keeps you in the loop

The Bark Watch looks like a hybrid between a Fitbit and a Garmin — but inside, it’s all about location and communication. No TikTok. No browser. No app zoo. Just:

• GPS tracking
• Step counter
• Messaging and calling (with contact management, parental controls, and monitoring)
• Emergency alerts

Basically, it’s the “first phone” that isn’t actually a phone. For a 7-10 year old, it’s the sweet spot: they feel connected; you feel calm.

And yes, it tells time.

Learn more / shop Bark Watch here
Visit Bark here