Bark Phone: The Best Way For Keeping Kids Safe Online
The Bark Phone is the company’s first comprehensive solution, and it continues Bark’s reputation as the best software for controlling children’s electronics. I have tested several top-rated children’s smartphones and smartwatches. While I have never used the Bark App personally, I was curious to try out the new phone with my two young children.
In today’s digital age, parents face immense challenges keeping their children safe online. The Bark Phone seeks to give parents peace of mind by introducing smartphone functionality with excellent parental controls and monitoring. Made by Bark, the leading parental control app company, the Bark Phone leverages AI and machine learning to analyse texts and social media for signs of danger. With customised hardware and software working together, we found the phone largely succeeds in its mission despite a few shortcomings. Read on for a full rundown of the Bark Phone’s features, capabilities, and performance.
Critical Features Of Bark Phone
| Feature | Description |
| Robust Parental Controls | Time limits, approved contacts, remote locking |
| Danger Alerts | Analyses texts and social media for threats |
| Location Tracking | Check-ins and geofencing |
| Tamper-Proof | Prevents disabling safety features |
| 8MP + 50MP Cameras | Front and rear with flash |
| Unlimited Talk & Text | Over Bark Wireless (no contract needed) |
What Is In The Box Of Bark Phone?
- Speech and text are unlimited.
- A Bark Premium membership that covers the whole family.
- A charging cable with a USB-C connector.
- A family-friendly data plan (no beginning plans available)
- Easy setup using this quick start instruction
Pricing Of Bark Phone
Fall 2022 saw the Bark Phone launch to match the company’s other offerings. Phone cost differs for various brands. Paying $49. a month for the phone, service, and app features replaces buying the device. You can only buy it on Bark’s website. The Galaxy A13 is Bark’s lone hardware at publishing.
Understanding The Hardware Of Bark Phone
The Bark Phone is physically a Samsung Galaxy A13 running Android 12, nestled in a protective bumper case. The 6.6” 1080p screen, Exynos 850 processor, and 5,000mAh battery deliver solid performance. Setup only takes a few minutes—simply scan a code to link the device to the Bark parental app. While calling and texting work over the Bark Wireless network, a $59-89 monthly fee for mobile data is required for web access. This cost is relatively high compared to regular carrier plans. However, it includes Bark’s monitoring service.
Comprehensive Safety Features
What sets the Bark Phone apart is its comprehensive approach to safety, made possible by the deep integration of hardware and software. Beyond parental controls, the phone leverages Bark’s AI-powered monitoring service to analyse communications for threats comprehensively.
Parents receive alerts informing them of the situation if questionable content is detected in texts or connected social media accounts. While we observed lag times of up to two hours for alerts during testing, they still offer helpful warning signs something may be amiss. Location services like check-ins and geofencing further enhance monitoring capabilities. Other safety measures in the OS prevent tampering with restrictions and safety settings. However, changes in the parental app, like updating rules, can take several minutes to sync to the child’s device. During this gap, kids may be able to circumvent blocks briefly.
Capable Hardware with Shortcomings
Wrapped in a protective case, the Galaxy A13 at the Bark Phone’s core has a bright 6.6” 1080p display that works well for messaging, games, videos, and more. The Exynos 850 processor delivers smooth performance for a kid’s device. Battery life is impressive, lasting over 7 days on standby or 42 hours of continuous use per charge. While the phone ticks all the boxes for core functionality, a few limitations stand out. The single bottom-firing speaker can get plenty loud but lacks stereo sound. Charging maxes out at a slow 15W with no fast charging support or brick included. And the overall size may be difficult for smaller hands to manage.
Pros and Cons Of Bark Phone
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy setup | Pricey monthly service fee |
| Exceptional parental controls | Some alerts are slow |
| Danger alerts for texts and socials | No included mobile data |
| Durable build with case included | |
| No contract required |
Should I Use Bark Phone?
The Bark Phone hits the mark on delivering robust parental controls and critical danger alerts. Where it falls short is the lag on alerts, sync delays enabling workarounds, lack of included data, and high monthly fees. But for parents willing to pay a premium for online safety assurances from a seasoned monitoring provider, the upsides outweigh the downsides. If keeping within a budget, Bark’s competent app provides safety features at a lower cost. Bark has compelling solutions to ease parents’ worries and provide essential safeguards.
FAQs
Does the Bark Phone work on existing carrier plans?
No, the Bark Phone runs exclusively on the Bark Wireless network. You cannot integrate it with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or other provider plans.
Can kids delete messages or turn off safety features?
The tamper-proof software prevents disabling parental controls or deleting messages. However, brief gaps after rule changes may provide temporary workarounds.
Is a phone contract required?
No, the phone bills are every month without requiring any long-term contract. You can cancel anytime.
How much mobile data is included?
Unfortunately, no data is included by default. You need to add a data package starting at $59 per month for 4GB.
Can I see social media activity?
Parental monitoring will analyse connected social media accounts and provide alerts for any dangers or questionable content detected. But accounts must first be linked through the app.
