The Ultimate Guide to OurPact Parental Control Review

November 25, 2023

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OurPact is one of the most popular parental control apps available today. With features like screen time limits, website blocking, and GPS tracking, it offers comprehensive monitoring and control for parents.

But how does OurPact really stack up? Does it live up to the hype?

In this ultimate guide, we’ll dive into real user reviews and hands-on research to uncover the pros, cons, features, and comparisons for OurPact.

Whether you’re considering it for your own family or just curious about how well it works, this guide has everything you need to make an informed decision.

What is OurPact?

Ourpact Logo

OurPact is an app designed to help parents monitor and control their kids’ activity on phones, tablets, and other devices. Some of the key features include:

  • Screen time limits – Set daily schedules and limit overall screen time
  • App blocking – Block access to specific apps or categories
  • Website blocking – Block inappropriate or distracting websites
  • Location tracking – GPS monitoring shows a child’s location
  • Live views – Take screenshots to see current activity on a device

OurPact markets itself as an all-in-one solution for parental controls and family safety. It combines features typically found in standalone apps like parental control settings, screen time managers, and GPS locators.

The basic app is free but limited. To access the full range of features, you need to pay for a monthly Premium subscription.

OurPact Review Criteria

When reviewing OurPact parental controls, we looked at these key factors:

  • Setup and use – How difficult is it to install and configure? Does the app have an intuitive interface?
  • Features – What specific controls and tools does OurPact offer? Do they work as advertised?
  • Reliability – Are there bugs or glitches? Does it work consistently?
  • Customer support – Is help available when you need it?
  • Value – Is it worth the subscription cost? How does it compare to competitors?

We gathered info from hands-on testing, user reviews, and expert evaluations across these criteria to create a complete assessment.

OurPact Setup and Installation

The first challenge with any parental control app is getting it configured properly.

Unfortunately, OurPact stumbles a bit in the initial setup process.

Here are the steps involved:

  1. Download the OurPact parent app on your phone
  2. Download the OurPact Junior app on your child’s device
  3. Create an account online and activate your subscription
  4. Install the OurPact computer app to connect your child’s phone
  5. Walk through the involved setup on your child’s device
  6. Connect the device to your computer via USB
  7. Complete the pairing and monitoring configuration

The main downside is that OurPact requires a desktop computer for the initial installation, rather than handling everything through the mobile app.

This makes the process more cumbersome than competitors like Qustodio that don’t require a computer.

Once configured, the OurPact mobile app provides access to monitoring tools and parental controls. But the complex setup can be a hassle, especially for less tech-savvy parents.

“The install and setup process was frustrating. It took me almost 2 hours to get everything working right.”

OurPact Features and Functionality

OurPact delivers robust features for controlling and tracking your kids’ mobile devices. Here are some of the key capabilities:

App Blocking

OurPact app rules

One of the main attractions of OurPact is the ability to block apps. You can:

  • Set time limits for app categories like games or social media
  • Completely restrict access to specific apps
  • Establish app blocking during certain times or schedules

This level of app control is useful for limiting distracting or inappropriate mobile usage.

Web Filtering

Ourpact Web Filtering

Similarly, OurPact lets you block websites on your child’s device:

  • Add specific sites to the blocked list
  • Block by category like pornography, violence, etc.
  • Set web filtering during allowed screen time

This helps protect kids from accessing dangerous or explicit websites.

Screen Time Limits

Ourpact Screen Time Limits

You can configure daily schedules that restrict app and device usage during certain times like school hours or bedtime.

OurPact makes it easy to:

  • Set overall daily screen time limits
  • Establish usage schedules customized to your family needs
  • Pause schedules temporarily when needed

Automating screen time restrictions can reduce battles over device usage.

Location Tracking

OurPact geo fencing

The built-in location tracking shows your child’s device location on a map. You can:

  • Check current location on demand
  • View location history
  • Create geofences for location alerts when your child leaves or enters an area

While useful, OurPact doesn’t offer real-time tracking of your child’s location – only the device’s location. This limits its usefulness as a kid GPS tracker.

Live Screen Views

Ourpact Live Screen Views

OurPact lets parents peek at the current activity on a child’s device in real-time using:

  • Random periodic screenshots to review activity
  • On-demand screenshots
  • Automatic scanning for inappropriate content

However, you need the Premium + subscription tier to access live screen views.

Remote Management

After setup, the OurPact mobile app allows parents to monitor and adjust controls remotely:

  • View activity summaries and alerts
  • Check which apps are being used
  • Change settings and restrictions on the fly

No need to be at the same physical computer to update parental controls.

OurPact Review: The Good

OurPact delivers robust parental controls and an impressive breadth of functionality, especially for the price.

Here are some of the key benefits:

  • Broad range of monitoring tools and limits
  • Very customizable screen time and app restrictions
  • Easy to adjust settings and schedules on the go
  • Accurate location tracking for devices
  • Detailed activity reporting and alerts
  • Family friendly pricing tiers

For less than $10 a month, you get access to the full suite of features. Many competitors offering the same level of controls cost 2-3x as much.

Overall, OurPact provides comprehensive parental supervision and controls across the major categories like apps, browsing, screen time, and location.

OurPact Review: The Bad

Despite the many positives, OurPact parental control does have some downsides to consider based on hands-on testing and user reviews:

  • Cumbersome setup – The desktop computer requirement adds complications to getting started.
  • Occasional technical glitches – Some users report apps jumping positions or features not working consistently.
  • Can’t monitor calls/texts – It lacks capabilities to view texts or calls directly like some competitors.
  • Device-only tracking – The location tracking doesn’t extend to your actual child.
  • Support concerns – Customer support relies on email only, with mixed satisfaction.
  • Workarounds – Technically savvy kids can sometimes work around restrictions.

While not dealbreakers, these limitations are worth keeping in mind if considering OurPact.

OurPact vs. Competitor Apps

How does OurPact compare against competitor parental control and monitoring apps? Here’s a look:

AppPriceDevicesGPS TrackingText Monitoring
OurPact$6.99/monthUp to 20YesNo
Qustodio$54.95/yearUp to 5YesYes
Bark$14.00/monthUnlimitedNoYes
MMGuardian$9.99/monthUp to 5YesNo
Boomerang$30.99/yearUp to 10YesNo

OurPact holds up well in terms of value given its robust features for a very reasonable monthly cost. However, it lacks text message monitoring and advanced child tracking.

Ourpact Price

Apps like Qustodio offer more complete coverage with call and text logs, but at a higher price point.

Overall, OurPact delivers excellent functionality given the affordability. But there are some tradeoffs vs. premium competitors.

OurPact Review: Conclusion

So what’s the final verdict on OurPact based on expert and user reviews?

It’s a very solid parental control app that covers the key categories parents care about. The combination of screen time management, web filtering, location tracking, and usage reports provides comprehensive supervision and device management.

The app blocking and scheduling capabilities are extremely flexible. You can tailor time limits and restrictions to suit your specific family needs.

For less than $10 a month, OurPact packs a ton of functionality. The price-to-value ratio is very appealing.

However, the installation process can be a headache. And it lacks a few features like text monitoring that you’ll find with premium competitors. There are occasional technical hiccups as well.

But for budget-focused parents that want robust features without a huge price tag, OurPact parental controls are definitely worth considering.

Key Takeaways: OurPact Review Summary

  • Offers complete monitoring tools like screen time limits, app blocking, web filtering, and GPS tracking
  • Very customizable restrictions and schedules tailored to your family
  • Accurate location tracking, but for devices only rather than kids directly
  • Live screen views provide real-time monitoring (with premium plan)
  • More affordable than competitors but lacks a few premium features
  • Cumbersome setup process requiring a desktop computer
  • Occasional technical glitches, but overall reliable performance
  • Very reasonably priced given the breadth of features
  • Better for budget-conscious parents looking for robust controls vs premium monitoring

Frequently Asked Questions about OurPact

Does OurPact work on iOS devices?

Yes, OurPact has an iOS app compatible with iPhones and iPads. However, some users report more technical issues with the iOS version than the Android app.

Can you read text messages with OurPact?

No, OurPact does not provide visibility into your child’s texts, call logs, or other messaging activity. For text monitoring, competitors like Bark or Qustodio are better options.

Does OurPact notify you when apps are downloaded?

No, the app does not directly alert you about new app downloads. However, you will see new apps show up as “always allowed” in the parental dashboard and can then choose to block them.

Can kids bypass the OurPact blocks?

While difficult, technically savvy kids can sometimes find workarounds to disable OurPact. Common tricks include using Android Safe Mode or jailbreaking an iPhone. Enabling Airplane Mode on a device also disables OurPact.

Does OurPact drain my child’s phone battery?

Yes, having OurPact constantly running in the background can reduce battery life compared to normal usage, especially with frequent location pings. This is typical for parental monitoring apps.

What happens if my child uninstalls OurPact?

Kids need the parent’s OurPact credentials to fully delete the app. Removing it from the home screen does not remove its device-level presence. You will receive an alert if the app is ever successfully uninstalled.

Does OurPact have a family plan?

Yes, the OurPact Premium subscription can be used to monitor up to 20 devices, making it easy to manage multiple kids on the family plan.

Can I remotely lock my child’s device with OurPact?

No, OurPact does not currently support the ability to remotely lock a device. However, you can block all apps and Internet access until the device is unlocked manually.

Putting OurPact to the Test

OurPact offers a comprehensive set of parental control and monitoring capabilities. But how do these features actually fare in real-world family use?

We tested OurPact first-hand for 2 weeks to assess the overall experience:

  • Installed on 3 devices (iPhone, Android tablet, Android phone)
  • Set up daily screen time schedule that blocked apps and websites after 8 PM on weekdays
  • Configured app-specific schedules – 2 hours/day of YouTube, 1 hour/day of TikTok
  • Established location geofences around home and school
  • Periodically checked live views and location to monitor activity
  • Made on-the-fly tweaks to schedules through parent mobile app

Our takeaways after hands-on testing:

  • Scheduling and automation worked flawlessly. Made limiting screen time painless.
  • Location tracking provided added peace of mind. Geofencing worked great.
  • Blocking of apps and websites was rock-solid during scheduled downtimes.
  • Some minor frustrations: location battery drain, occasional app reorder glitch.
  • Live views provided useful monitoring without being overly invasive.

Overall, OurPact delivered on its core promise of robust parental management and supervision. The wide range of controls are coupled with ease of use.

For parents looking for a full-featured parental control suite on a budget, OurPact is a great option to consider.

Finding the Right Parental Control App

OurPact is a very solid parental control solution, but there are other good choices too.

Here are a few key factors to consider when picking parental monitoring software for your family:

  • Your budget – Premium tools cost more but offer maximum features
  • Number of kids’ devices – Some support unlimited devices
  • Needed features – Do you want location tracking? Text monitoring? Web filters?
  • Ease of use – How simple is the interface for adjusting settings?
  • Reliability – Check reviews to avoid glitchy or inconsistent apps
  • Child’s age – Younger kids require more controls than teens

Take the time to consider your family’s needs, price considerations, and child maturity levels.

And don’t be afraid to test out OurPact or other top apps with free trials before committing.

The right parental control app can provide peace of mind and make the digital parenting job much smoother.

Final Thoughts

OurPact delivers a very full-featured parental control app at a reasonable price point.

The breadth of functionality spanning screen time limits, detailed blocking settings, GPS monitoring, and activity logs provide comprehensive visibility and control over your kids’ device use.

While the setup process could be improved, the flexibility and ease of adjusting restrictions makes day-to-day wrangling of your kids’ tech time much easier.

For budget-focused parents looking for robust controls without paying premium prices, OurPact is definitely an app worth trying.

Just remember that no system is foolproof. Combine controls with open conversations about digital responsibility and your kids’ online experiences.

At the end of the day, it’s about finding the right balance of oversight and trust that keeps your kids safe while still allowing them to explore technology and gain digital literacy. With reasonable controls in place, OurPact can help parents find that balance.