FamilyAtlasApple devices only
Screen Time manages iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. A child with an Android phone needs a different tool.
Apple Screen Time & Family Sharing alternative
When not every phone is an iPhone.
Apple Screen Time is free, built in and hard to beat on an iPhone. Parents look for an alternative when one child has an Android phone, or when the rules need to reach the TV and console too.
Checked September 26, 2026 · Written by FamilyAtlas, a competing product, not an independent review. FamilyAtlas is not publicly available yet.
Why parents look beyond Apple Screen Time & Family Sharing.
No location history
Find My shares live location and place alerts, but we did not find location history or low-battery alerts in Apple’s documentation.
The home network is out of reach
Screen Time does not manage a TV or games console on your home Wi-Fi.
Quick check: should you switch?
| Question | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Is every child’s phone an iPhone? | Keep Screen Time. FamilyAtlas on iPhone builds on Apple’s Screen Time framework and is still Preview. | FamilyAtlas covers the Android phones today, with limits, app rules and location. |
| Do you want location history and low-battery alerts? | FamilyAtlas has both on Android today. | Find My live location and place alerts may be enough. |
| Do you want rules for the TV and console at home? | FamilyAtlas HomeControl covers devices on your Wi-Fi (Family + Home, Brume 2 sold separately). | Screen Time alone may cover your Apple devices. |
Stay with Apple Screen Time & Family Sharing if…
- Your family is all Apple. Screen Time is free and built in.
- You rely on crash detection or Emergency SOS that calls emergency services.
- You want Communication Safety to blur nudity on the child’s device.
- You use Ask to Buy for every app download.
Consider FamilyAtlas if…
- One or more children use Android phones and you want one set of family rules.
- You want location history, check-ins and low-battery alerts.
- You want a family activity feed across the household.
- You want to pause or schedule the TV and console at home.
17 things FamilyAtlas offers today that Apple Screen Time & Family Sharing’s documentation doesn’t list.
Each is Available in FamilyAtlas on at least one platform. 23 more are still Preview and are left out here. Missing documentation is not proof that Apple Screen Time & Family Sharing lacks a feature.
- Enforced SafeSearchFamilyAtlas: Available on Android, HomeControl.
- YouTube Restricted ModeFamilyAtlas: Available on Android, HomeControl.
- YouTube watch activityFamilyAtlas: Available on Chrome ext..
- Location historyFamilyAtlas: Available on Android.
- Low battery alertsFamilyAtlas: Available on Android.
- Family activity feedFamilyAtlas: Available on Android.
- See and identify every home deviceFamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
- Pause any home deviceFamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
- Pause home internet (kids / everyone)FamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
- Internet schedules for home devicesFamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
- Block services (YouTube, TikTok…) on TVs and consolesFamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
- Child's web rules follow them to home devicesFamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
- Malware and phishing blocking for everyoneFamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
- Network-wide ad and tracker blockingFamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
- Country blockingFamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
- Encrypted upstream DNSFamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
- New device alerts and approvalFamilyAtlas: Available on HomeControl.
Where Apple Screen Time & Family Sharing is ahead: 9 capabilities.
Apple Screen Time & Family Sharing’s official sources list these, while FamilyAtlas lacks them or has them only in Preview.
- App category limitsEntertainment, Games, Social Media and custom categories Source ↗
- Only-approved-sites modeApproved Websites Only with Ask to Browse (Safari/supported browsers) Source ↗
- Nudity / explicit image detectionCommunication Safety blurs nudity (and gore/violence) for the child Source ↗
- Block calls from contactsAllowed Contacts limits Phone/FaceTime/Messages; new contacts need approval Source ↗
- Arrive / leave place alertsArrive/leave and 'is not at' alerts; recurring alerts need approval Source ↗
- SOS texts to outside emergency contactsTexts location updates to emergency contacts after an SOS call Source ↗
- Possible-crash detectionCalls emergency services; iPhone 14+/Watch S8+; texts emergency contacts Source ↗
- Live trip sharing with ETAShare ETA in Maps with live route and ETA updates Source ↗
- Shared family calendarFamily Sharing includes a shared family calendar Source ↗
See the full FamilyAtlas vs Apple Screen Time & Family Sharing comparison →
What it costs.
| Apple Screen Time & Family Sharing | Free, built into iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch; Family Sharing for up to 6 people. Check official offer ↗ |
|---|---|
| FamilyAtlas | Family $9.99/month or $79.99/year. Family + Home, with HomeControl, $12.99/month or $119.99/year. Planned launch pricing; FamilyAtlas is not publicly available yet. HomeControl also needs a Brume 2 (about $80 on Amazon), bought separately. Pricing → |
If you switch from Apple Screen Time & Family Sharing.
- You don’t have to choose. Keep Screen Time on the iPhones and add FamilyAtlas for the Android phones.
- Write down your current downtime, allowances and blocked sites so the rules match on every phone.
- Tell your children which app now sets which rule, so requests for more time go to the right place.
- Check the device notes before relying on FamilyAtlas Preview features on an iPhone.
FamilyAtlas is in early access. Check support for your child’s device before you plan a move.
Keep exploring.
The FamilyAtlas features behind this page: Device-by-device features, Location history, Screen time limits, TV and console parental controls.
Other alternatives we cover: Microsoft Family Safety alternative, Firewalla alternative, Gryphon alternative, Life360 alternative, Kidslox alternative. See all alternatives →
Build a routine that fitsMore family time starts
Join the early-access list →More family time starts
with a small change.
FamilyAtlas is coming soon. Join the email list and we’ll let you know when early access opens.