The Bark Phone vs. The Gabb Phone

Key Takeaways

• The Bark Phone offers built-in content monitoring across texts, photos, videos, and over 30 apps and social media platforms, which means it’s designed to grow with your child.
• The Gabb Phone provides a simple experience that keeps kids offline with no access to the internet or social media.
• Both brands include unlimited talk and text, GPS-powered location tracking, and parental controls, but serve different parenting philosophies.

For parents today, handing a child their first phone can feel like crossing a threshold. Between social media risks, online dangers, and constant screen distractions, there’s no shortage of reasons to hesitate. Still, at some point, every family needs to figure out how kids can stay connected safely without opening the floodgates to the internet.

Two of the most talked-about kids’ phone options are the Bark Phone and the Gabb Phone. Both are built from the ground up with child safety in mind, but they take very different approaches. One emphasizes monitored growth, while the other prioritizes simplicity and minimal exposure. Both aim to give parents peace of mind, but each phone caters to different parenting philosophies and styles.

This article compares these two devices, from parental controls and app access to cost, usability, and long-term value.

How Bark Technologies and Gabb Approach Safety Differently

Although the Bark Phone and Gabb Phone share a similar mission, their approaches are a bit different. The Bark Phone focuses on monitored usage, while Gabb prioritizes an experience without internet or social media access.

Bark’s technology is built directly into a Samsung smartphone. This means the software operates within the phone’s core, rather than as a removable app. Parents can monitor texts, photos, and app activity, adjust permissions, and even modify the device’s capabilities as their child matures or scale it back when needed. It’s a kids’ phone that’s designed to evolve over time, so a single device can support a child from early adolescence through their teenage years.

Gabb blocks social media and internet access altogether, allowing kids to send texts and other media through their proprietary Gabb Messenger app. There’s no app store, and kids can only use preloaded apps, such as Weather, Photos, Camera, Gabb Maps, and Gabb Music. For access to a larger library of approved app options, older teens can look to Gabb Pro models. These are a different category of phone, intended for ages 13 to 18, while the Gabb Phone is designed for kids aged nine to 14.

Parental Controls: The Heart of Every Children’s Phone

Parental controls are the primary draw of a kids’ phone, making them an integral part of any device comparison. Bark Technologies and Gabb both offer a suite of parental control functions, each providing a different experience for parents.

Bark Technologies’ built-in system automatically monitors text messages, photos, and videos for potential dangers. The technology scans for concerning content and sends alerts if something concerning is detected.

Parents can access all controls from any iPhone, Android, or web browser through a unified dashboard. They can choose whether children are allowed to delete texts, review flagged conversations, and more. It’s a system designed to provide parents with an opportunity to intervene early when something doesn’t seem right.

Gabb offers its parental controls in a format that prioritizes basic connectivity. Its controls are built into Gabb Messenger, the company’s proprietary texting platform. It automatically flags inappropriate language or content, but the phone itself doesn’t allow broader app or internet access, meaning it doesn’t include a monitoring or filtration system beyond its branded apps.

App Access and Internet Freedom: Growing With Your Child

The key difference between the Bark Phone and the Gabb Phone lies in how they handle access to apps and the internet.

The Bark Phone allows parents to choose between a Starter Plan and an Advanced Plan, both of which are available on the same phone, allowing you to upgrade or downgrade at any time without having to get a new device.

The Starter Plan is ideal for younger users. It removes browsers, apps, and social media entirely, allowing only calls and texts. When a child is ready for more independence, parents can seamlessly upgrade to the Advanced Plan without needing to replace the device. The Advanced Plan introduces parent-approved app access, monitored browsing, and adjustable controls. It’s an all-in-one solution that evolves with the child’s level of responsibility within the same device.

Gabb’s model works differently. The standard Gabb Phone 4 does not include a browser, an app store, or access to social media. To access more options, families can purchase a Gabb Phone 4 Pro, a separate device that introduces a curated library of pre-approved apps.

Beyond Texts: Monitoring Social Media, Photos, and Apps

Digital safety isn’t just about messages anymore. Today’s kids communicate through a variety of apps and platforms, and kids’ phones need to monitor a wide range of variables.

The Bark Phone automatically scans more than 30 social media and messaging platforms. Its algorithms identify potentially harmful or inappropriate content and notify parents quickly. It’s among the most comprehensive coverage of any parental monitoring system currently available. Parents can also approve which apps are installed, set time limits, and block inappropriate content.

The Gabb Phone 4 avoids social media entirely. Its operating system doesn’t allow these apps to be installed, meaning there’s no need to monitor them. Meanwhile, the Gabb Phone 4 Pro allows access to a curated list of pre-approved apps, but apps outside of that list cannot be installed.

Tamper-Proof Controls: Safety That Can’t Be Bypassed

For all the technology that goes into parental controls, they only matter if they can’t be undone. Both the Bark Phone and the Gabb Phone work to ensure that kids cannot alter or remove the safety settings their parents have chosen.

The Bark Phone’s approach is built on integration. Since the software is embedded directly into the phone’s operating system, even a factory reset can’t disable it. This also means that parents never have to worry about a curious teen discovering a loophole. Additionally, the Bark Phone offers options for daily screen time limits, routines for the school day and bedtime, and the ability to block specific apps, entire categories of apps, or websites. Parents can create custom schedules that match their household's routine, allowing for a balance between online and offline activities.

The Gabb Phone 4’s controls are also built-in and tamper-resistant, but they don’t currently allow for time scheduling or screen limits.

Everyday Usability: How They Fit Family Life

In day-to-day use, both phones perform the essential tasks parents expect, namely keeping kids reachable and safer. However, the user experience may feel different for the kids themselves.

Both the Bark Phone and the Gabb Phone include unlimited talk and text and GPS-powered location tracking. Their primary difference comes from their intended audiences. The Gabb Phone is designed for kids aged nine to 14, while the Bark Phone is suitable for children from age six through their teenage years.

The Bark Phone looks and feels like any regular smartphone. There’s no visible Bark Technologies branding, bright colors, or design cues that label it as a “kids’ phone.” For children, it gives them a sense of ownership and maturity, reducing resistance to parental oversight. For parents, it means a discreet, modern device that integrates seamlessly with their family’s tech ecosystem.

The Gabb Phone 4 is purpose-built for kids. Their basic layout and proprietary system make them less intimidating, but some families may prefer access to app stores or browsers for older children.

Different Philosophies, Shared Goals

Underneath all the specifications, what really separates Bark Technologies and Gabb is philosophy.

The Gabb Phone 4 represents safety through simplicity. The device is designed to eliminate exposure by removing access to the internet or social media altogether.

Meanwhile, the Bark Phone teaches children on a device that allows parents to expand privileges as kids demonstrate maturity. The system monitors activities, flags concerns, and gives families a safer environment for ongoing conversations about online safety and responsibility.

The right choice depends on your family’s needs and parenting style.