Effective Alternatives to Qustodio on iPhone and iPad
On iOS, there are a few alternatives to Qustodio that use similar novel approaches (Mobile Device Management, Supervised Mode) to enforcing restrictions and preventing bypass.
Qustodio on iOS is an app that parents and adults use to restrict access to unwanted apps and websites on iPhone and iPad while also monitoring for concerning activity. Qustodio's key differentiating feature is the use of Mobile Device Management alongside it's app to implement more effective blocking and bypass prevention compared to a typical Screen Time app. In this article, we'll look at alternatives to Qustodio that use novel techniques to restrict device usage.
As of iOS 27, Qustodio's tamper protection feature was seriously impacted, leading customers to seek out close alternatives that still had effective blocking and bypass prevention. We'll dive into what makes Qustodio unique and close alternatives to the app on iPhone and iPad.
What Makes Qustodio Different?
Compared to Android applications, iOS apps are locked down in a "sandbox" and depend on Apple Screen Time to enforce restrictions and a VPN connection for more effective website blocking.
Screen Time apps are missing key capabilities:
- Permanently block specific apps that aren't already installed on the device.
- Monitor which apps are installed and used on the device.
- Protect content filtering VPN or DNS settings to enforce a connection with a DNS Filtering service , which is used to block websites based on category. This is a core requirement for an effective iOS app.
- Lock down certain settings not available through screen time, like preventing
Erase Content & Settings.
In our Qustodio review , we showcased what makes them different: they use Mobile Device Management in combination with their iOS app to enforce their content filtering VPN and access more restriction/monitoring capabilities. But with the recent iOS 27 release, their ability to enforce that MDM was seriously impacted, so customers are naturally seeking alternatives that are just as effective as Qustodio was on iOS 26.
Alternatives to Qustodio on iOS with Novel Enforcement Techniques
Parental control apps on iOS have limited effectiveness without the use of Mobile Device Management and Supervised Mode .
There are alternatives to Qustodio that use novel approaches to go further with blocking and bypass prevention compared to a typical screen time app.
Tech Lockdown
Tech Lockdown uses an approach that doesn't depend on an app to be effective: Apple configs combined with Supervised Mode, a special restrictive mode on iOS that is similar to Qustodio's use of Mobile Device Management.
Tech Lockdown can be used to enable Supervised Mode on an iOS device, then get access to restrictions normally not possible using an app. Restrictions can be applied to a device and prevented from being bypassed using the config editor.
Tech Lockdown is used to thoroughly block which apps can be used on the device, protect content filtering VPN and DNS settings, and disable certain features like Internet Results in Spotlight Search .
LivingRoom
It will detect explicit content on the screen, no matter what app is used, and shield the screen while also notifying a parent with a screenshot trail for context.
Unlike typical parental control apps, LivingRoom uses an effective approach for preventing itself from being bypassed. Similar to Qustodio and Tech Lockdown, LivingRoom uses Supervised Mode combined with the app to prevent itself from being bypassed.