Boomerang Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?

I opened the parental dashboard on my computer to configure the settings and was surprised that it looked so outdated. I view the dashboard as the nerve center of the parental control app. I want an intuitive design, so I can see at a glance what my child is doing online, read any alerts, and make adjustments to the rules as needed. I was disappointed with how the data is displayed on Boomerang, as there is no central section that displays all the important updates, like there is in the leading parental control apps, such as Bark, for example.

It took me a few minutes to figure out where everything was, that I actually had to watch a Boomerang tutorial video on YouTube, so I could make adjustments to the filter. To save you time, press on the child’s device name under Family Devices on the left menu bar, and then click the Devices tab on the middle section of your screen.

Multiple Screen Time Features

Boomerang has two main options for setting screen time limits:

1. Set a daily limit.
   
2. Create a daily calendar of when the phone can be used.
   

I was able to combine the two options, meaning there was a total screen time of 2.5 hours a day, but there were specific times throughout the day when the phone was locked.

This part of the screen time feature isn’t unique and, in fact, has fewer customizable options than Bark. Both the daily limit and the daily calendar work in half-hour increments instead of actually letting me create limits and schedules that fit my family.

What is unique is the Encouraged Apps feature. I could tag specific apps that I want to encourage my son to use, and they remain separate from all of the screen time rules. It means I can add educational apps, personal fitness, and e-readers so that he uses those instead of TikTok, Netflix, and Twitter.

Now for the disappointing part – my son was able to bypass all screen time rules. When the Boomerang screen time limit is reached, it automatically closes an app a few seconds after opening it. He opened a VPN app on his phone and connected to a local server before Boomerang shut it down. Once connected, he could use his phone however he wanted.

What’s even worse, is that after disconnecting the VPN, the phone still wasn’t affected by the screen time rules. To make it work, I had to open the parental dashboard and refresh the page. Then, Boomerang was able to block the apps from staying open.

If screen time rules are important for your family, check out Bark. It has a 7-day free trial so you can see how well it works for yourself before subscribing.

Web Filter has 45 Categories – But Only Works With Special Browser

The web filter appears to be very comprehensive, It has 47 categories that are divided into three sections:

• Always On: Includes porn, file sharing, VPN or Proxy SItes.
• Recommended: Categories include Drugs, Gambling, Gross, Illegal, Violence, Suicide, and Plagiarism Sites. The default setting for these categories is enabled, although you can disable them if you want.
• Additional Categories: Includes Entertainment and Arts, Hunting and Fishing, YouTube, Sex Ed, Dating, and Games. These categories are disabled by default.

You can also create a list of URLs that you want Boomerang to block.

Unfortunately, you need to download Boomerang’s SPIN safe browser to enforce the filters. SPIN did a good job blocking websites, and we couldn’t find an easy hack. My son tried connecting the VPN again, but the SPIN was able to block the inappropriate websites. It’s a shame that the filter can’t work with other browsers. If your kids went to use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari, try Bark free for 7 days, and you don’t need a special browser, and see how its filers work on any browser that your children use.

Boomerang incorporates a Dictionary feature that identifies specific words and phrases in SMS and text messages, triggering an alert. Along with this, the user can customize the list of words by adding or removing them, and even include non-English words.

App Management – Only Some of the Features Work

The dashboard gives a complete breakdown of which apps your kids are using and how long they spend on each one per day. If I see that they’re on one app for too long or using apps I don’t approve of; I can create rules for each app.

Set App Usage Schedule: I haven’t seen this feature in other apps. I created a time for each day when the app is prohibited (you can also set it only to allow the app during the specified time). My son was watching a movie on Netflix, and it automatically closed based on the schedule. The only problem I have with the feature is I can only set 1 timeframe per day.

Daily Time Limit: I don’t know why, but to set the daily screen time limits for apps, I had to download the Parent Mode app for Android or iOS.

Block App: I had mixed results when I tried blocking apps. The first app I tried blocking was the VPN, since my son showed me he could bypass screen time rules when it’s connected. It didn’t work. I watched him open the VPN and connect it. Next, I tried blocking Chrome to force him to use SPIN, and that worked fine. I was also able to block some games, and social media apps, and that worked, even when the VPN was connected.

Location Tracking and Geofence – A Work in Progress

Boomerang doesn’t have live location tracking. Instead, the app connects with the server a few times an hour, so I can view the most recent updates.

I also noticed that the updates weren’t always accurate. In the screenshot below, you can see that the “current position” was updated at 4:51 PM, and the current time was 8:13 PM. Not only that, the information was incorrect. I was at that mall, where the location pin is, with my son at 11:30 that morning, and we were home at 4:50 that afternoon.

The geofence is still in the testing phase for Android and hasn’t been released for iPhone yet. I’ll update this review after the full feature is released, hopefully, it will be easier to set up.

When it comes to live location tracking and geofences, Qustodio is the best parental control I’ve tested. Try it free for 30 days, and you’ll always know exactly where your kids are and the location history tracks where they’ve been for the last 30 days.

Call and SMS Monitoring – Not Accessible Through Google Play App

Google Play has strict privacy rules that prohibit third-party apps, such as Boomerang, from monitoring phone calls or seeing SMS. If your child has a Samsung Galaxy, you can download the app from the Galaxy Store. For any other Android device, you’ll have to download the app directly from the Boomerang website. Note there is no Call and SMS Monitoring feature available for iOS devices.

I like that I can add keywords, slang, and phrases that will trigger an alert if they show up in a text message. I added words to ensure my son isn’t being bullied via text messages, looking for drugs and alcohol, depression, self-harm, and more.

While this feature is nice, I didn’t like that I had to download an app from the Boomerang website and update the keyword list myself. I prefer the Bark parental control app, which uses AI to monitor SMS, social media, and comment threads for a wide range of inappropriate or dangerous words.

No Social Media Monitoring, But It Tracks YouTube

Other than limiting screen time or managing the apps, Boomerang doesn’t monitor social media. It has no way of filtering the content, preventing inappropriate conversations, or conversations about sex, drugs, and alcohol. If you need those features, start with the Bark 7-day free trial, and connect with over 35 social media, email, and SMS apps.

The one exception is YouTube. Boomerang can enforce YouTube’s Restricted Mode and prevent your child from changing the YouTube settings. I was able to go back and check out his viewing history for one month. However, it doesn’t store the YouTube search history.

Installing Boomerang on my son’s phone was very straightforward. He doesn’t have a Samsung Galaxy, so I decided to download the full version from the Boomerang website. Before I could install it, I had to change the device settings to allow installations from unknown sources.

I opened the Boomerang site on my son’s phone, so I could download the app directly to his phone. Otherwise, I would have to transfer the file from my computer to his phone, which is more of a process.

From there, the installation was simple. Boomerang has a guided tutorial that clearly shows what settings need to be changed. For example, I had to give the app permission to display over other apps, access to the GPS, accessibility, and most importantly, Device Admin Rights. This prevents the child from uninstalling the app without permission.

The parent app is much easier to install and it’s available in the Play and App Store. The download process is the same as any app, and once you log in with your Boomerang username and password, it syncs with the child app.

You can check the parental dashboard on any PC or Mac without downloading any software.