Bark Kids 4+

I like to have my privacy and this app totally invades it. Im a 14 year old girl who has friends and texts them, I don’t like that they have full control over it. I have stuff on my phone that’s just for me, I vent to myself, I tell all my secrets and problems to my best friends. There’s a reason I don’t tell my parents. There is a much better approach to parents controlling what their kids do and it’s not Bark. This app shouldn’t be a thing. If parents really have to use this app that means their parents don’t trust them. Teach your child how you can earn their trust and give them the privacy they need. As a teenager in todays world it’s much different then when parents were our age and in my opinion something needs to be done about this privacy stuff. It’s basically an app you pay for bc you don’t trust your child. Make them earn your trust don’t resort to having an app that looks at every single thin in their phone bc it can get into the wrong peoples hands. Parenting is not the same as it used to be and parents need to realize that. It messed up my phone, I can’t play game pigeon with anyone, I can’t send pictures, Pinterest isn’t even working, I can’t look up anything, it’s too restrictive and all around a bad app. It makes me feel like I’m a child again. If my parents want me to be more responsible and mature on phone then treat me like a mature person and not have this stupid app on my phone that makes me feel restricted and like I’m on a leash.

Hi! Our mission is to help keep kids safer, while still giving them privacy by never showing all of their data to their parents! Parents are only alerted to potential concerns. We sincerely hope that you have a discussion with your parents about what your family agrees is an appropriate and safe use of technology and the internet. 💚

This app makes me feel trapped. I don’t even do anything bad on my phone like at all. This is an invasion of privacy not protection. This app will make you kids not want to talk to you, trust me. I am 14 and my dad put this on my phone. I understand that he wants to keep me safe but I deserve privacy. 1 he can see the messages between me and my mom and those should be private. All messages between me and family should be PRIVATE. But no Im trapped. I used to be able to vent to my friends and get help but now I have bark on my phone and all of it was taken from me. This app is one of the reasons I cut myself cause I was always stressed about it, not because I do anything wrong but because the filter is so sensitive and labels everything as “sexual content” or something bad when its not. And every time my dad saw that on the bark thing he would make me explain but even though I told him the truth I don’t think it ever sounded believable. So it made me feel like every time he did the bark scan I was gonna get in trouble for something I didn’t even do. This app is just a place where a bunch of privacy invaders get together and watch their children like a spy. Its annoying, stressful, privacy intensive, and depressing. Please, for your childs mental health, DO NOT MAKE THEM GET THIS. Don’t believe any of the good things people say about this app please. Its all terrible.

So sorry to hear you’re feeling this way. We take a statement like this very seriously, and urge you to seek help from a trusted adult immediately. If there’s no one you feel comfortable talking with and you are in crisis, reach out for help. Call, text, or chat 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You can also text HOME to 741741 or visit crisistextline.org. It’s free, 24/7, & confidential. Your life is so very important and we care about you. 💚

(This is coming from a teen boys perspective) So my mother put this on my phone because I was doing things that a 13 year old should never be doing on the internet which is why it didn’t come as a surprise to me when she put this on my phone. I really couldn’t deny that I needed this sooooo yea. I understand why you would need this as a parent. As a teen tho it’s quite annoying. One time I was talking in a group chat and we were talking about how we were all gonna block someone’s contact who wasn’t even in the chat and it was reported to my mom as bullying and she ended up using this app to find out all the drama that was going on because it was all counted as bullying and violence. However even after all this I still get the point of the app and it works very good (maybe a little too good) but it’s not the worst thing that’s ever happened to me and I understand why this was put onto my phone. All the reviews before me are very hateful and honestly don’t complain about your parents being concerned about ur well being. Does it invade a quarter of ur privacy, yes. Can it be annoying, yes. But it’s all to keep u safe and honestly people that complain that the world is ending because of this need to get a life and stop being so hateful. It doesn’t make u cool by hating things or using profanity all the dang time. Most people are just mad because it exposes them for what they actually do and say.

Hey there! We sincerely appreciate your honest and thoughtful insight as to our purpose, and the need for parents to help keep their kids safer! Bark was actually created as a collaboration between parents and kids to allow for open talks, guidance, and adjustments as kids grow and learn how to better safeguard themselves in concerning situations. We also offer more privacy for kids than most others! 👊 Thanks for being here. Keep growing and learning, and please stay safe! 💜