I know there are parental controls and screen time features for some of this, but I find those lacking, PLUS those keep getting reset or shut off periodically when doing software updates on their devices. I am looking for a third-party software (happy to pay for it) which allows us to monitor and/or restrict what the kids are doing on their devices and wondering what others have used and found success with.
I don't know what products you have tried but I have had incredible success using a Gryphon router to provide parental controls. I'm pretty knowledgable about computer networking and have tried many products (UniFi Ubiquiti & AmpliFi, Circle, Synology, Netgear) and have found the Gryphon product to be the best.
Gryphon is parental control router and internet safety system. Gryphon fights screen time addiction, prevents access to inappropriate websites, blocks adult content, and limit access to apps during homework and bedtime. Gryphon also provides security against hackers, malware, and personal...
gryphonconnect.com
The Gryphon parental controls are extremely feature rich - screen time w/ reward time, internet access scheduling, individual device settings, individual app/web sites/services settings, usage data and insights, etc. Using the Gryphon coupled w/ Apple's Screen Time features, my kid's Apple devices are locked down tight. You get parental controls on your home Wifi network bundled w/ the hardware router. You can extend the same parental controls when devices connect to external networks (cellular or roaming hotspots) using the subscription service which I find to be well worth the expense. You install the Gryphon client app on the device, pair the device to the router, and all network traffic is routed from the device back to the router. It's basically a VPN... and you can dynamically adjust the parental control settings remotely. Real life example, my son is at a friend's house and I am out shopping. My son texts me, requesting more internet time. In the store, I launch the Gryphon management app and "reward" him more time. It just works.
The Gryphon is also a security conscious product w/ baked in firewall and threat monitoring. As someone who has configured low level router security configurations, I was impressed w/ the sensible defaults. If you are someone who likes to tweak your router settings, you probably won't like the Gryphon. The only way to access router settings and features is via a mobile app. Gryphon's position is a web interface is an attack vector. If you have ever used Apple Airport routers and enjoyed the "set it and forget it", you'll appreciate the Gryphon. I simply got tired of tweaking and adjusting settings w/ other products. I've have been using two Gryphon AC Tower routers (ethernet backhaul) for about 2.5 years and the hardware has been rock solid w/ my 1Gbps cable internet service.
The Gryphon devices routinely see great discounts online, especially the Tower and the little Guardian. I helped a family friend w/ a 3-story house set up three Guardian network, one on each floor (ethernet backhaul). Solid as a rock. Best value as the Guardian supports all the parental control features and the subscription service as well.
I'm sure there will be other posts recommending other products. That is to be expected. There are quite a number of products on the market w/ decent parental control features. You have to really know what you want in order to sort through them. My recommendation is read some online reviews, blog posts, etc, figure out which features are most important to you and go from there.
