North Texas’ Parent Geenee Launches Parental Control App with ‘Safe Zones’ » Dallas Innovates – Charm

Frisco-based parental control app Parent Geenee has launched with the goal of helping parents and schools “effortlessly manage children’s access” to more than 450 of the most frequently used apps while promoting healthy digital habits.

The app is now available for iOS and Android devices, the company said.

“At Parent Geenee, we’ve reimagined the way parents can effortlessly manage and shape their child’s digital experience,” Chairman Sasi Naga said in a statement. “With our groundbreaking ‘Safe Zones’ feature, we’re not just blocking apps—we’re creating a smarter, more adaptive approach to digital safety. Whether at school, home, or a friend’s house, parents can now ensure their kids access the right apps at the right time, fostering healthier digital habits while maintaining control.”

Customizing digital safety

Parent Geenee said that unlike conventional parental control apps, its app revolutionizes digital safety by dynamically adapting to real-world settings, allowing parents to customize app usage based on their child’s location—ensuring the right digital experience at the right place.

Parent Geenee said it goes beyond traditional screen time management by offering a more personalized approach and that its innovative Wish feature encourages thoughtful app use, allowing children to request access to one restricted app at a time.

The company said it seeks to promote responsible digital behaviors for children across the U.S. as well as internationally.

North America holds the largest share of the global parental control software market in 2023 at 34%, per SNS Insider, and Parent Geenee said it is positioned to play a key role in shaping the future of online safety for children.

With children spending more time online than ever—U.S. teens spend an average of nearly five hours daily on social media—parents are searching for effective solutions.

Features and uses

Parent Geenee said its key features include:

Customize Screen Time by Location: Parents can set up Safe Zones for home, school, or even a friend’s house to block access to selective apps in each setting. Additionally, parents are notified when their child enters or exits their customized Safe Zones.
Enhance Supervision with the Beacon: An optional Beacon accessory refines control even further, allowing parents to manage screen time by room — for example, enabling educational apps in the study room while limiting games to the living room.
Encouraging Thoughtful App Use: With the Wish feature, children can request access to only one restricted app at a time, teaching them to make mindful decisions instead of mindlessly scrolling.
App Download Approval: Parents can activate a feature that requires their child to seek approval before installing new apps, allowing them to have a conversation about appropriate app choices and potential risks.
Web Content Filtering: Beyond app restrictions, parents can block access to age-inappropriate websites, ensuring a safer browsing experience for their child.

Parent Geenee is said to be “simple, intuitive, and easy to use” and is designed to minimize setup time while maximizing parental control. Parents can manage all their children’s devices under a single account, making it ideal for families with multiple children or households with multiple devices. Additionally, a secondary parent can be added for shared management of Safe Zones and app access requests.

Dedicated school version offered

Parent Geenee said it isn’t just for parents.

The app also offers a dedicated school version designed to empower educators. Parent Geene said that instead of confiscating student devices, teachers, school administrators, and designated staff can use a specialized schools dashboard to limit app access. That allows students to stay connected for learning while minimizing distractions, creating a more focused and productive school environment.

Also, by not blocking installed messaging and calling apps on the child’s phone, Parent Geenee said it ensures that children can always reach parents in case of an emergency.

Are the kids online all right?

Parent Geenee said that 40% of children aged 8-12 in the U.S. already use social media, despite 13 being the youngest legal age to sign up for most social media platforms.

It said that almost half (46%) of U.S. teens report being online “almost constantly,” up from 24% a decade ago, according to a 2024 survey by Pew Research Center.

According to a research study of U.S. teens aged 12-15, those who used social media over three hours daily faced twice the risk of poor mental health outcomes.

The company said overuse of devices and screen time (67%) ranked as the top concern among U.S. parents, followed by social media use (66%) and internet safety (62%), according to a 2023 poll conducted by the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

The app is also available to users across the U.K. and India, the company noted.