Qustodio’s calls & SMS monitoring for Android devices lets you supervise and block your kids’ calls, and view their SMS messages. Read the instructions to get set up. 

How do I set up calls & SMS monitoring for Android?

Note that due to Google Policies, the Kids App version on the Google Play Store does not include calls & SMS monitoring. It is only available on the full version downloaded from this help article.

1. Download the full version of the Qustodio Kids app on your child’s Android device.
   
   If you are on your child’s device already, tap the download button to download the full version.
   
   
   Otherwise, use your child’s device to scan the QR code to open this page and then tap the download button.
   
   
   
   If your child uses a Huawei device without Google services, download the Kids App here instead.
   
   

2. You may see a popup letting you know that the device can’t install unknown apps. If so, tap Settings and then Allow permission.
   
   

        
   
   

3. Once the Kids App has been downloaded, tap Install then Open. 
   
      
   
   
4. Sign in to your Qustodio account and follow the instructions on screen to set up protection. Make sure you allow all the permissions. For step by step instructions, head to step 6 in our article on installing the Kids App. Please note that the permissions requested will also include calls, contacts, and SMS, and may vary depending on your phone’s settings.
5. Once you’ve completed the installation, restart your child’s device.

If this happens, close the popup and then tap Allow restricted settings. You’ll then be able to allow the permission as normal.

If you can’t see the ‘Allow restricted settings’ button, follow these steps instead:

1. Open the device Settings
2. Go to Apps
3. Search for Qustodio Kids
4. On the App info page, tap the three dots menu at the top right corner
5. Tap Allow restricted settings

Note: these steps may vary depending on your device model. Please contact the device manufacturer for more information. 

Where can I see my child’s calls and SMS?

Log in to Qustodio and go to your child’s profile. To see their full calls and messages history, including message content and blocked calls, go to their timeline. For an overview, go to their dashboard. 

How do I block calls?

Log in to Qustodio and go to your child’s profile. Then go to Rules, then Calls & messages, and ensure that Monitor calls & messages is toggled on. Then follow the steps below depending on the rules you want to set:

Block all incoming calls:

Toggle Incoming calls to the left

Block all outgoing calls:

Toggle Outgoing calls to the left

Block or allow incoming and outgoing calls for specific phone numbers:

1. Tap Add a number
2. Enter the name and phone number
3. Choose Allow all calls or Block all calls
4. Tap Save

How do I read message content?

Head to the calls & messages rules page and tap the Messages tab. Make sure the Show message content toggle is switched on. Message content will then appear in your child’s timeline. 

What happens on my child’s phone when calls are blocked?

Incoming calls: Your child won’t see that someone has tried to call them. Qustodio blocks the call and any notifications for it. However, the caller may be able to leave a voice message. Information about the call will be reported on your child’s activity timeline.

Outgoing calls: When your child tries to make an outgoing call, they’ll see a block screen letting them know the call has been blocked. Information about the call will be reported on your child’s activity timeline. 

Please note: 

• Emergency service numbers (e.g.: 911 in the US, 999 in the UK, 112 in Europe) will not be blocked by Qustodio.
• In the case of a Panic Alert, your trusted contacts will still be sent alerts even if the contact is blocked.

What’s the difference between Free and Premium calls & messages monitoring?

If you have Qustodio Free, your child’s timeline will show when they send or receive a call or text message. However, it won’t show the contact details or message content. If you have Qustodio Premium, you’ll be able to see the contact details and message content.

Troubleshooting

I’m having trouble installing the Kids App

This is an APK version of the Qustodio Kids App. To prevent any issues during installation, please review the following settings on your child’s device:

• If Family Link is enabled, disable it completely.
• In the device’s settings, ensure that ‘Install unknown apps/sources’ is allowed for the browser.
• If a Google Play Protection warning appears, tap ‘More details’ and then ‘Install anyway.’
• If a ‘Restricted settings’ alert is triggered when attempting to allow permissions, refer to this section for further guidance.

Calls and SMS are not reported correctly

If calls and SMS are not reporting correctly, please double check the following:

You have installed our web version

Please ensure you have the correct version of Qustodio Kids installed. To verify this, open your child’s profile in the Parents App, then navigate to Rules > Calls & messages. If you still see the "Instructions for Android" button, please follow the installation steps provided above. 

Chat features

Some devices, service providers, and carriers have Chat features that can affect Qustodio’s monitoring. We recommend disabling this feature if you notice that SMS are not reported correctly. Please follow these steps:

Samsung Messages App:

1. Open the Messages app on your child’s Samsung device
2. Tap the 3 dot overflow menu button at the top of the conversations
3. Select Settings from the drop down menu
4. Tap Chat Settings 
5. Turn the chat features off

Google Messages App:

1. On your child’s Google device, open Messages 
2. Tap the profile picture or icon
3. Tap Messages settings
4. Tap RCS chats
5. Turn RCS chats off
6. Go back to Messages settings
7. Scroll down and tap Advanced and then Group messaging
8. Select: Send an SMS reply to all recipients and get individual replies (mass text).

Advanced messaging

Some devices have a modified SMS feature, called Advanced Messaging, which affects Qustodio’s monitoring. Some devices may also send messages as group or multimedia messages (MMS), which Qustodio cannot monitor. We recommend checking and disabling all these options on your child’s device.

The setting may vary depending on the device model, but you can usually disable it by following these steps:

1. On your child’s device, go to the default SMS/texting app
2. Select More and then Settings
3. Go to Advanced Messaging and turn it Off

If you can’t find Advanced Messaging, look in the phone settings for VoLTE and turn it off. Then, restart the phone, make sure it has an internet connection, and check if monitoring is now working by sending a test text.

Extreme alerts

In older versions of Android, if ‘extreme alerts’ are disabled on your child’s phone, this could be affecting Qustodio’s reporting. You can check this setting in the ‘emergency alerts’ section on your child’s device:

1. Go to Messages settings on your child’s device
2. Tap Emergency alert settings
3. Tap Emergency alerts
4. Ensure that Extreme alerts are turned on