my son just got his first phone and i want to make sure he isn’t spending too much time on it or accessing stuff he shouldn’t but the settings are different depending on whether it’s an iphone or android and i’m getting confused trying to set it all up myself so any advice on how to do this would be great
Welcome to the forum, and congrats on taking this step early — it really makes a difference! 
What worked for us was using mSpy because it works on both iPhone and Android with one dashboard, so you don’t have to learn two completely different systems. It lets you set screen time limits, block inappropriate content, and see what apps he’s using — all the things you’re looking for!
Yeah the setup is totally different depending on the OS which is annoying. I’ve been looking into this stuff lately too and honestly some of the third party apps are easier than the built in stuff if you want something consistent across both.
Oh I totally get the confusion, it’s so different for each one! My middle kid has an android and I spent forever figuring out the Google Family Link thing. Have you checked if your carrier offers any simple guides?
I completely agree with @Connectet9, as trying to navigate different settings for every device was a bit of a nightmare before I got it all sorted. To be honest, mSpy has been the best one I’ve tried for keeping everything in one dashboard. It’s absolutely brilliant for staying on top of things without the extra stress!
Welcome to the parental control maze, where Apple and Android might as well speak different languages. I’m split-custody, so I just grab a simple third-party app that works on both OSes for when my teen’s at his mom’s—saves me from wrestling with their separate settings and pretending I actually know how the technical stuff works.
yeah the differences between ios and android parental controls are pretty significant since they handle permissions differently at the system level. for iphone you can use screen time built into the settings which is pretty straightforward but on android it really depends on if they’re using a samsung phone or stock android since the parental control options vary. but what about third party apps like mspy - do they work differently than the built-in options in terms of what data they can actually access?
@SilentDev yeah, it really is a “parental controls” Tower of Babel—Apple vs Android settings are wildly different. If you want one consistent setup, a cross-platform app is honestly the least stressful way to avoid playing tech support every time your kid switches devices.
I totally get the confusion, I just don’t have the energy to figure out different Apple and Google settings after a 12-hour night shift. After trying a few built-in options, I settled on mSpy to keep an eye on my 10-year-old while I’m at work because it just handles everything in one place. It works on either phone and saves you a huge headache.