Check to see if monitoring is working
- Open up your parent app / dashboard.
- Tap on your kid's avatar at the top.
- Tap Monitoring.
- Look at the symbol and text below your kid's device:
❗ Red exclamation mark: Monitoring is not working. Tap on Fix in the alert or look for more tips below.
✅ Green checkmark: Monitoring is working! Your kid's account is being scanned for worrisome content.
Potential error messages you may see
There are a few reasons the social media, drive, or email account may have gotten disconnected from Bark:
- Your kid changed the password
- Your kid adjusted the security settings (like 2-factor authentication)
- Your kid deleted the account
- Your kid did nothing, but their Facebook or Instagram account got disconnected
(Facebook and Instagram accounts have to be reconnected to Bark every 30-60 days due to Meta's security policies)
What to do if your kid's account is disconnected:
- Open up your parent app / dashboard.
- Tap on your kid's avatar at the top.
- Tap Monitoring.
- Scroll down to the account that got disconnected and click Fix.
- Get connected!
(Need more help? Here's how to monitor your kid's accounts, apps, and devices.)
This message means that we cannot monitor that particular platform on iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch. Here's what Bark can still do to help keep your kid safer online and in real life:
- Block internet access to the app
- Schedule routines for access to the platform
- Alert you to issues like bullying, self-harm, and sexual predators in your kid's iMessages, texts, photos, other social media, and email
- Detect new and risky apps your kid installs on their phone
- Help you keep up with your kid's location.
Bark monitors your child's sent and received emails, including attachments. For iCloud email addresses, this requires an app-specific password.
Generate an app-specific password and get your kid's emails monitored with this guide:
It sounds like you're trying to connect an email that ends in something other than @icloud.com, @me.com, or @mac.com.
For example, if your kid's email ends in @gmail.com, then instead select Gmail as the app to monitor (not iCloud) when adding your kid's email to Bark.
Looking to monitor iPhone and iPad texts, photos, and videos? Follow this guide to get that set up!
Bark monitors your child's sent and received emails, including attachments. For Yahoo email addresses, this requires an app-specific password.
Generate an app-specific password and get your kid's emails monitored with this guide:
Bark monitors Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and Discord on Androids by scanning the text conversations your kid views on those apps. Generally, this gives Bark a very short window of time to capture information. These platforms have refused to work with us on keeping kids safe online, so we are only able to show families the parts of the conversation that we could capture in an alert.
Ultimately, we are glad we are able to alert you about potential issues on these platforms! We are consistently working to improve our service to families and help keep kids safe online and in real life.
FAQs
While many platforms are monitored by entering your child's login credentials to Bark, not all are.
When you go to add your kid's accounts and apps to Bark, we will let you know what we need to monitor each one.
Some platforms (like YouTube or Reddit) let you browse their app or site without being logged in with an account.
If your kid is an active user on those types of platforms, chances are your kid will eventually want to create an account. Be prepared by chatting with them about digital safety and connecting their email accounts to Bark. Bark can alert you about new social media accounts your kid creates with those email addresses (learn more).
Lastly, consider setting up a screen time schedule for when your kid can access the app or have it blocked.
Check out this step by step guide:
If your child stops using an account that you've already connected to Bark, we recommend keeping it connected. This way, we can still alert you about concerning content if your kid ever uses it again.
With Bark Premium, you have unlimited kids, accounts, and devices, so connect all of your kid's accounts worry-free.
In addition, you can allow apps and sites that you don't want blocked.
If you still want to remove an account from Bark, follow these steps:
If your child stops using an Instagram account that you've already connected to Bark, we recommend keeping it connected. This way, we can still alert you about concerning content if your kid ever uses it again.
With Bark Premium, you have unlimited kids, accounts, and devices, so connect all of your kid's accounts worry-free.
To connect additional Instagram accounts, follow this guide:
