Bark Kids
The companion app to Bark
How much does Bark Kids cost?
Prices are current as of 11 Sept 2026.
Bark Kids has no in-app products on record in the United States.
10+ alternatives to Bark Kids
| Bark Kids |   sendit - get it now |   Litstick - Best Stickers App |   Coverstar - Positive Social |   Messenger Kids |   Zigazoo |   JusTalk Kids - Safe Messenger |   Copypasta Keyboard |   Peek: Secret Compliment |   Reclip: Clip Your Friends |   BAND for Kids | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating / 5 | 1.3 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.2 |
| Reviews | 9.6K | 2.4M | 396K | 280K | 202K | 66K | 61K | 12K | 9.5K | 6.6K | 809 |
| Released | 2020 | 2018 | 2019 | 2017 | 2017 | 2020 | 2018 | 2020 | 2024 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Weekly price | — | $4.99 | $8.99 | — | — | — | — | — | $7.99 | — | — |
| Monthly price | — | — | $14.99 | $9.99 | — | $9.99 | $3.99 | — | — | — | — |
| Annual price | — | — | — | $89.99 | — | $59.99 | $39.99 | — | — | — | — |
| One-time price | — | $0.99 | — | $9.99 | — | $0.99 | — | $1.99 | $1.99 | — | — |
The going rate for each plan in United States, in its own currency, shaded from the cheapest price on the row to the dearest. Plans fewer than four in ten of the priced apps sell are left out.
Bark Kids reviews
1.3 out of 5, based on 9,568 reviews.
What people like
- It helps you resist watching YouTube
- It protects you from online bullies
- It keeps you safe on the internet
What they complain about
- It slows down your phone significantly
- It blocks normal apps like Spotify
- It flags harmless messages as bad
- It destroys trust between parents and kids
Good but
I just turned 9 and I got a Samsung Bark watch for my birthday at first it was really cool then it became boring because there was no App Store and why can’t I can just request it to my parents and age check so big kids won’t get little kids games and little kids won’t get inappropriate games Bark if you’re listening, please make this as the next new Samsung Bark watch update and when I turned of low power mode it froze and shut down bark please do better and your company is still the best in the world. You really help kids get into electronics and help them learn cyber safety about online and real world. Please keep up the good work Bark I believe in you.
mental health
My parents got me this app about 2 months ago, and it is completely ruining my mental health and relationship with my parents. My whole coping mechanism so i don't harm myself is music, and I cannot listen to the music i want anymore without getting a lecture. i feel trapped in my phone, too scared to do anything. They put it on there without me knowing, and that outed me for being transgender. I get its supposed to keep kids safe, and thats good, but I feel completely ruined.
Can see why it’s good, but a few issues
I’m almost 17 and still have this installed on my phone, which I can find a bit annoying, but I understand why it’s there. My problem is not with the functionality of the app, I think it’s great for parents to monitor their preteens and young teens on the internet. My main issue has been that ever since the app was installed only a few weeks after I got my phone at 11 years old, it caused a lot of problems with things loading, everything on my phone is slow and it’s very frustrating when the VPN slows my internet speed, it is not due to things being blocked by my parents or screen time limitations either. Things that I am well aware should work and have worked before, will randomly not load during a free time period. It can become very frustrating. I understand the importance and use of apps like this, and don’t see it as an invasion of my privacy as my parents are very good at only using it to monitor me, rather than invade my privacy. I do feel I am a bit too old for the app, and that at this point I have grown out of it, but that is not an issue with the app itself.
One direction
For some reason it flagged one direction that I was listening to on Spotify….. that was weird but is very overdramatic and flags anything mild like a one direction love song like it’s a crime.
Ummm it’s fine??
So I’m in middle school, and I like the idea of this app. But I feel like I’m always being watched with this app, and it reports stuff that either is completely harmless, like my friend texting she’s dying of laughter, or is fine for someone my age, like watching a PG tv show with the word, heck, in it. I feel safe, but also uncomfortable if that makes since 😃. I like the idea of my parents being able to know if I’m being bullied, tho, and I like how it protects me from stuff online. Soooo I guess three stars!
Very, very good but one question
So the app itself is very good and fun, but my one question is why sometimes it disconnects my internet and makes it so every game says no network even though I have full bars and cellular data
My mom is stalking me
Help me
Kinda annoying app… but is good for younger kids
I mean I get it parents just want to look out for their kids but this app takes it a little far, I mean it blocked my Spotify account on my phone which I think is a little drastic… And also blocks messenger kids which I need for my lil sis. I do however understand the reason behind it the world has gone crazy and its not the safest. But still I can’t even open pics my grandma sends me on WhatsApp I mean it’s not harmful pics 🤷♀️
Good but privacy…
My parents have had this app on my phone for a little less than a year. And don’t get me wrong- it’s an amazing app for helping other teens like me from experience bad things. But at the same time I feel like I have no privacy in anything. It’s like I have a camera on me 24/7. It’s been keeping me from trusting my friends and parents. I feel like if this app had more privacy on it it would be an even better app.
12 year old perspective
I actually prefer having this app. I always feel so tempted to watch YouTube even when my mom doesn’t want me to. This keeps me from that. Thank you so much bark :).
Thanks for nothing
Thank you for giving parents more ways to break trust and spy on their kids 😊
it’s not bad but
I’m a child and it’s not even that bad, just really undesirable to have on your phone. So far I haven’t had any bad experiences and stuff but I would rather just not have it in my phone.
eh
i honestly feel like im getting too old for this app, i had first got it since i was around 11-12 and now im 15 and feel like i proved my maturity and theres barely anything turned on anymore. its just making my phone slower and more susceptible to battery loss. honestly just stick to normal screentime on apple literally all this app is for is either really anxious hover parents or overly bad kids that have mental issues or something. overall it does what its supposed todo it just makes your phone so damn slow.
Only 5 stars so you can see. App store sucks.
I have some things to say about this. This app takes away every molecule of privacy from kids/teens. Im 12 and my parents have always been really invasive. Specifically my mom. I have to use frickin Youtube KIDS. On an IPAD. Now, I will admit, some crazy stuff has been happening in my house recently. KFVRP areyffkwa, regarding me. (shift each letter to the left. Im paranoid, okay?) Which is completely normal for a pre-teen like me. This app has completely destroyed my trust with my mother. I cant even talk to my friends anymore. If shes reading this, I want her to know that I understand if she wants to monitor me. But what is there to monitor? She’s already taken away Discord (I only use it for talking to close friends), Builda (A social media platform, the worst you’ll find on there are a few kind furries), and nothing else. The ONLY TWO apps I use on here. Besides YouTube Kids. But theres not gonna be frickin (____) on YOUTUBE KIDS. YOUTUBE FRICKIN KIDS. Not to mention, she forbid me from EVER talking to my friend who helped me through my swoewaauib (yet another left shift cipher) and stopped me from LITERALLY JUKKUBF NTAWKD. Gw alcws nt deuxjub kudw. (guess what? same cipher) This whole situation has made me a little swoewaas. (same cipher as last time.) I understand that Bark is trying their best to make an app that provides kids with more safety on the internet, but all it really does is break them. I mean, look at me. Im venting in a review, because Ive lost all communication with my friends. SLNB, this is getting long. I guess Im done now. Thanks for reading this. It means a lot to me. All regards, Meowmentum (U nuaa gun ai deuxjub nyxg.)
Invades my privacy
I know this is up for debate for most parents but I am a person in high school who still has bark on there phone. I feel like I should have my own privacy because I’m going to be an adult. I just think they should have an age limit for this app and it stops at a certain age. Just know your kid will hate this app and find a way around it no matter what you do. This is an invasion of your kid’s privacy even if you think it’s best for them and you. I can’t access certain clothing apps online and it flags for everything even if it’s not inappropriate.
I’m a 15y/o girl and honestly..
I’m okay with bark. Obviously I feel like it’s kinda invasive but I understand where my parents are coming from🤷🏽♀️ The way my parents are using it, it shows them just enough where I still have some privacy. I personally was going thru some stuff and what happened during that time could have been WAY worse without bark(not to sound corny ofc) Not saying I like it,(hence the 3 stars) I feel like the older a child is there is some stuff bark shouldn’t be alarmed at. Some texts I send to my friends have a single swear and bark runs to send the report to my mom. The only reason I know this is because my mom didn’t sign out on her computer and I saw it. Other than that, bark is pretty reasonable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Just trying to keep kids safe
Sure it might seem as a kid it makes your device too safe and won’t let you do much but it just wants to keep kids safe. It is misunderstood as an app that ruins your device,but it’s not. It just wants to help your privacy.
Confusing and poor design
The all mistaking signed up my device instead of my child’s, and had no way to back out or reverse. Even worse, a pop up demanding vpn access that is not dismissible even at the software level. Blocking me from even restarting. Abysmal functionality. 0 stars.
Would Work Fine...But
Too many passwords involved, and it takes too long to set up. Would be fine other words
15 years old experience with this app!!!!!!👎👎🚫🚫🚫🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️
I give this app 5 stars only because I want people to see this😛. sure it helps parents to keep their child safe but it’s ruining my life because I never can’t get my own Privacy on here like girl what?!🤨 ugh I’m in high school freshman and I can’t even do anything I want without getting in trouble like ugh! For the Parents who is so Strict on their child about safety this is for you ( what’s the point of getting your child a phone if you can’t trust them without having this dumb app to Monitored everything we kids these days do huh? Exactly you don’t even know🚫🚫👎👎👎👎👎👎🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️
Bark.
The app is cool for keeping people safe or whatever..but it gets to a point...they monitor EVERYTHING and it isnt even accurate most times. Ever since my parents got it, my normal online shopping apps from safari say "this page is unvalid" or even google docs to do my HOMEWORK. it's also affected my Pinterest, which, mind you, has nothing wrong with it, its just clothes and room inspo..
It’s fine
As a teen with this app on my device, I really don’t care that much. I actually appreciate it on my phone because it’s extremely easy to turn off with out my parents noticing. The only down side is that when you are turning off the app, you have to physiologically trick your parents a bit which is do-able.
Bark bark
My mom added this app to my phone an it has made everything harder. I am in a marching band and we have an app that we use to set drill outside. Well, bark was completely blocking that app and I had to look on with someone else which made I hard since only two people in my section had working apps. I also would try to just search up songs on my music app an it wouldn't work. I could not even get into games because of th VPN. When my mom tried to delete the app it would not work and kept coming back. I think the app is good for younger kids, but not for tweens and teens, or people like me who need their phones for extracurriculars.
🛑THE TRUTH🛑pt 1. Fast summary
I feel like I can’t be myself. Being watched constantly. I want to be free. Even though I’m a girl, I want to be a boy, gay, free..🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 I want to live the life, and do the things I can do as a teenager that I cant do as an adult. I can’t tell my dad these things because he doesn’t want that of me. But I want to be myself. I can’t now… 😭 It messes up your WiFi. Much slower.🛜 We pay extra money for no mess ups. But bark kids basically wastes our money. And I can’t get my homeschooling done because of bark. I’m using Miaprep, and now I kinda can’t. It’s most likely gonna mess up your relationship between you and your kid. They won’t trust you anymore. It’s earning trust. Not giving it. I don’t think you would like, if you’re casually texting your bf you love him. And bark reports you for it. And on top of that, you have someone invading your privacy to see your conversation with him/her. This app made my sisters iPad break. Her ipad was brand new. And two weeks later it crashes because of this app. I don’t think that’s entirely barks fault… Bark, your idea is brilliant, but you have to give up your money, and make a new app, that can fix this. I mean- you literally have 1.3 stars. That’s not a very good reputation. Also, bark your security is very very weak. I can get hacked easily. And you have our passwords, ip address, etc. I lot of info that can be taken. Please, at least fix that problem.. Thank you for reading this bark, I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings. (Although it an ai reading this so..) have a good day buddy- 💖🖤🩵🩶🤍
Stupidity
This is the most stupid app I have ever seen for my child. It is dumb. It’s so immature that they have to have a VPN. The whole entire time should be taken off this app. It is horrible. Delete it now or take off VPN!!!!!
I hate it
This app sucks and it makes it impossible to do anything you can’t text friends in Discord and the settings make no sense when me and my dad try to figure it out
Bark Kids FAQ
- Is Bark Kids free?
- Yes. The app is free, in all 174 countries it sells in, and it sells nothing inside it.
- Does Bark Kids have a free trial?
- No. None of its offers (US) come with a free trial.
- What are the best alternatives to Bark Kids?
- sendit - get it now (4.7 from 2,442,795 reviews, premium from $0.99), Litstick - Best Stickers App (4.6 from 395,799 reviews, premium from $4.99) and Coverstar - Positive Social (4.7 from 280,375 reviews, premium from $0.99).
Bark Kids download
Last updated 27 days ago.
Bark Kids sells in 174 countries. It was released 6 years and 6 months ago, on 15 Mar 2020. It holds a 1.3 rating from 9,568 reviews.
Supports 1 language: English.
How much does Bark Kids make?
Third-party estimates for the last 30 days, worldwide — not the store's own figures, which Apple publishes for nobody.