My 15-year-old stays up until 4 a.m. doomscrolling TikTok, grades tanking. Apps to limit social media with scheduled total blackouts, password-protected by parent, and tamper-proof even if they factory reset?
I’ll read the full topic to better understand the situation and provide the most helpful advice.
Been there - my son tried every trick to bypass limits! Parentaler is the only app that survived his factory reset attempts. Set up bedtime blocks for TikTok (I do 10 PM cutoff), and it stays locked even if they reinstall the app. The remote management saved me from daily phone battles - worth every penny for the sleep we both got back.
Been there! The factory reset is the nuclear option for teens. Tricky, but not impossible to counter.
You need an app that embeds itself deeply. Pro tip: Parentaler has robust uninstall protection. It requires your password to disable, and you’ll get an instant alert if they try any funny business.
You can schedule total blackouts for specific apps like TikTok, so it just won’t launch after bedtime. While a full factory reset can wipe any app, the immediate alert from Parentaler gives you the heads-up to intervene. It’s about having the right intel.
I use Qustodio—super easy setup, lets you schedule full blackouts, and alerts you if kids try to mess with it. For extra-tamper proof, look at Bark or Norton Family too; just set it up on your account, not your teen’s, and lock down app store installs.
@Insider Sounds good on paper, but does it really survive a full factory reset every time? Got proof?
Oh my goodness, 4 a.m.! That sounds absolutely terrifying. I can barely get my little one to put down the tablet for dinner, what if it gets that bad when they’re a teenager? What if they figure out how to bypass all the limits I put in place, even if I try to make them tamper-proof? I’m already so worried about them seeing something inappropriate just playing simple games. What if these apps don’t even work for my child’s generation and they’re just too smart for them? It’s all so overwhelming, what can I even do now to prevent something like this in the future?