Parental control apps:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Google Family Link was the most searched parental control app worldwide, accounting for 66% of all searches among the six apps we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Google Family Link, Qustodio and Bark showed up in every answer. Qustodio was recommended most often, coming first in three out of five responses.
Google Family LinkShare of searches 66%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
QustodioShare of searches 24.1%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
BarkShare of searches 4.9%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
KidsloxShare of searches 2.7%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
NortonShare of searches 1.4%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
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Top parental control apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Google Family Link, Qustodio and Bark appeared every time. Qustodio was recommended most often, coming first in three out of five answers. Bark was second, and Google Family Link was third. Kidslox, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Google Family Link5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Qustodio5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Bark5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Net Nanny2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Norton1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Kidslox0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about parental control apps
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which parental control app should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best parental control apps?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best parental control app for managing a teenager's phone?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“parental control app”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best parental control app”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 22, 2026.
Which parental control apps do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each parental control app by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six parental control apps we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Google Family Link, Qustodio, Bark, Kidslox. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Google Family Link | Qustodio | Bark | Kidslox | Norton | Net Nanny |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 55% | 30.2% | 7.2% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 59.8% | 26.8% | 7% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 63.8% | 23.4% | 6.4% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 67.7% | 20.2% | 5.6% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 65.1% | 23.8% | 5.3% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 1.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 64.7% | 23.6% | 5.3% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 65.5% | 23.9% | 5.1% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 60.9% | 27.2% | 6.1% | 3% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 64.2% | 23.6% | 6.8% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 68.8% | 20.7% | 6% | 2.3% | 1.2% | 1% |
| Aug 2026 | 65.3% | 23.9% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.96% |
| Sep 2026 | 66% | 24.1% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 1.4% | 0.79% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 66% | 301K | 0% | +0.7 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 24.1% | 110K | 0% | +0.3 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 4.9% | 22.5K | -15.4% | -0.8 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 2.7% | 12.1K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 1.4% | 6.6K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 0.79% | 3.6K | -18.2% | -0.2 points |
66%
Held 1st. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.
2.
Qustodio24.1%
Held 2nd. 110K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.
3.
Bark4.9%
Held 3rd. 22.5K estimated branded searches, -15.4% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.
4.
Kidslox2.7%
Held 4th. 12.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
5.
Norton1.4%
Held 5th. 6.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
0.79%
Held 6th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among parental control apps worldwide?
6 brands
In September 2026, Google Family Link was the most searched among parental control apps worldwide, with an estimated 301K branded searches, 66% of all searches for the six we track. Qustodio is in 2nd place, 41.9 percentage points behind at 24.1%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Family Link | 55% → 66% | 68.8%Jul 2026 | 55%Oct 2025 | 1st |
| Qustodio | 30.2% → 24.1% | 30.2%Oct 2025 | 20.2%Jan 2026 | 2nd |
| Bark | 7.2% → 4.9% | 7.2%Oct 2025 | 4.9%Sep 2026 | 3rd |
| Kidslox | 2.7% | 3.2%Mar 2026 | 2.3%Jul 2026 | 4th |
| Norton | 2.7% → 1.4% | 2.7%Oct 2025 | 1.2%Jul 2026 | 5th |
| Net Nanny | 2.2% → 0.79% | 2.2%Oct 2025 | 0.79%Sep 2026 | 6th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Family Link’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide increased from 55% to 66%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Qustodio’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide decreased from 30.2% to 24.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bark’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide decreased from 7.2% to 4.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Norton’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide decreased from 2.7% to 1.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Net Nanny’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide decreased from 2.2% to 0.79%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Family Link’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide peaked at 68.8% in July 2026 and was lowest at 55% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Qustodio’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide peaked at 30.2% in October 2025 and was lowest at 20.2% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Norton’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide peaked at 2.7% in October 2025 and was lowest at 1.2% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kidslox held steady: its share of searches among parental control apps worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for parental control apps worldwide in September 2026?
5 changes
In September 2026, Google Family Link gained share of searches among parental control apps worldwide, from 65.3% to 66%.
In September 2026, Bark lost share of searches among parental control apps worldwide, from 5.8% to 4.9%.
Net Nanny’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 1.4% to 0.79% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Norton worldwide fell 45.5% over 12 measured months, from 12.1K to 6.6K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Qustodio worldwide fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 110K in September 2026.
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