SkieSkie vs Norton Family
A security-brand family tool against device-owner control on Android
Norton Family is a parental control product from Norton with web supervision, time limits, location and activity reports for Windows, Android and iOS. Norton's own regional page says the Android app needs Android 8 or later and that Family is not supported on some device types such as Huawei and Amazon devices. Skie takes a different approach on Android: device owner, with no message reading and no time limits yet. Prices for India are not on the pages we reviewed.
Skie enforces rules as the Android device owner and does not read messages, while Norton Family adds time limits and reports.
Side by side
| What you are comparing | Norton Family | Skie |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A parental control product from a security brand, with web supervision, time and location features. | Android device management software for parents, schools, hostels and organisations. For families it runs as the Android device owner on the child's phone or tablet. |
| Main audience | Families already using Norton security products. | Parents with a child on an Android 12 or newer phone or tablet; Skie for Enterprise covers schools, hostels and companies. |
| Platforms | Windows, Android 8 or newer and iOS per Norton's regional page. Not supported on Mac, Huawei, Amazon or Chromebook per Norton. | Any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet where Google Play services are present. Parents use a browser dashboard. No iPhone or iPad support yet. |
| Do you have to buy hardware from them | No. It is software for devices you already own. | No. Skie is software. You use a device you already own or buy your own. |
| Works on devices you already own | Yes, install the app on the child's existing device. | Yes, after the device is freshly set up or reset once and any Google account is removed. |
| Mobile plan or carrier included | No. The family keeps its own carrier. | No. Skie has no SIM or mobile plan, so the family keeps its own carrier. Wi-Fi-only tablets work for most features. |
| Level of control on Android | App level on the child's device. Not publicly documented as device owner mode on the pages we reviewed. | Device owner. Android itself enforces the rules, with each protection a separate policy switch. |
| Can the child remove it or reset around it | Not publicly documented on the pages reviewed. | Built to be tamper-proof. Factory reset from Settings, safe mode, developer options, adding users and uninstalling Skie are blocked by default, and Factory Reset Protection ties a wiped device to the Skie organisation's Google sign-in. If anything did get through, the parent is alerted immediately, down to the exact device. |
| App control | App supervision on Android and iOS; per Norton, full benefit needs the in-app Norton browser. | Parent chooses which apps work. An app installed later that is not allowed is removed silently. The Play Store can be hidden. Blocking beats allowing. Apps are hidden or suspended, not deleted. |
| Web filtering and safe search | Web filtering and supervision; per Norton, the in-app browser is used for full benefit on mobile. | Adult-site blocking with a filter locked on the device, so it works on any Wi-Fi or mobile data. SafeSearch and YouTube restricted mode are forced in Chrome, and more than 50 other browsers, VPN apps and proxy apps are always blocked. No per-website allow or block lists yet. |
| Schedules, bedtime or school-hour modes | Time limits and schedule controls are listed as features; iOS limits are described in older reviews. | Yes. Study and bedtime windows with days, start, end and allowed apps; windows can run overnight and the device switches app sets on its own. |
| Location, geofences and SOS | Location tracking is listed; a review notes one user found it unreliable on Android (a single report). | Live location and trail, geofences with alerts, a go-to directions button, and an SOS button that calls the emergency number. |
| Lost or stolen device handling | Not publicly documented beyond location lookup. | Lost mode locks the device, shows a contact message, tracks it, and builds evidence for a police report (IMEI, serial, SIM details, location trail). Mark found to return to normal. Remote erase is not available yet. |
| Replace or reassign a device | Not publicly documented | Yes. Replace a device and keep the child, group and history; the old seat is freed. A reset device is recognised by IMEI or serial and does not take a second seat. |
| Alerts and who gets them | Activity reports and alerts to the parent. | A breach centre shows tamper and compliance events, and a missing check-in counts as a breach. Email alerts and push notification of alerts to parents are not available yet. |
| Screen time reports and per-app limits | Yes. Time supervision is listed. Details by platform are Not publicly documented for 2026. | Not yet. Skie has no daily screen time limits, per-app time limits or usage reports. Schedules with allowed apps cover study and bedtime. The team is working on it, with no dates. |
| Message or social media monitoring | Text monitoring is Not publicly documented here. Norton says video supervision covers YouTube in its own browser. | None, by design. Skie never reads messages, call logs, or records audio or video, and has no hidden mode. |
| Kiosk or single-app lock | Not publicly documented | Yes. Full-screen kiosk mode, and a one-app allow list locks a device to one app. |
| Tablet support | Not publicly documented | Yes. Phones and tablets get the same controls. |
| Pricing model | Subscription. Norton lists device limits and prices by region; no India price on the pages reviewed. | Pricing is on request. One device per child. |
| Countries available | Not publicly documented on the pages we reviewed. | Worldwide, subject to local law, wherever the device has Google Play services. |
| Setup effort | Install the app on the child's device and sign in. Not publicly documented for time taken. | A parent dashboard plus the Skie Provision app or a computer and cable. The device must be new or reset once. Guided steps with live progress. |
| Data and privacy approach | Reports activity to the parent. See Norton's privacy notice; Not publicly documented here. | Data is stored in an India region (Mumbai). No message reading, no audio or video, and the phone visibly shows it is managed. Location needs the family's clear consent. |
| Best suited for | Families who want a known security brand and Windows plus Android coverage. | Families who want device-owner-level control on an Android phone or tablet they already own, with no message reading. |
As of November 2026, no India price for Norton Family was found on the pages we reviewed; Norton prices vary by region and bundle. Skie pricing is on request (contact us).
Where Norton Family is strong
- A known security brand with Windows, Android and iOS coverage.
- Time supervision and activity reports.
- Web supervision and location features.
- Reviews describe it as feature-rich for the price.
Where Skie stands out
- Runs as the Android device owner, so Android enforces the rules instead of an app asking for permissions.
- Works on any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet the family already owns, with no hardware to buy.
- Always-blocked list of more than 50 alternative browsers plus VPN, proxy and DNS changer apps, and a web filter locked on the device that works on mobile data.
- Lost mode with a contact message, tracking and police-report evidence, plus replace a device without losing history.
- Skie never reads messages, call logs or records audio or video, and the phone shows it is managed.
- Available worldwide, subject to local law, and also used by schools and hostels through Skie for Enterprise.
What Norton Family is and how it works
Norton Family is a parent tool from Norton. According to Norton's regional page and independent reviews, it supervises web use, sets time limits and reports on activity, and tracks location, on Windows, Android and iOS.
Norton notes that on mobile the in-app Norton browser is needed for the full benefit of features, and that some devices are not supported.
What it costs
Norton sells Family by subscription, often within bundles, and the price depends on region and offer. We found no India price on the pages reviewed, so check Norton's own site. Skie has no hardware cost and pricing is on request.
Controls compared
Apps: both can supervise apps. Skie hides, suspends and silently removes disallowed apps as device owner.
Web: Norton relies on its own browser for the best coverage on mobile, per its site. Skie forces filtered DNS on the device, SafeSearch in Chrome and blocks other browsers and VPN apps.
Skie does not offer daily screen time limits, per-app time limits or usage reports yet. What it does today is schedules: study and bedtime windows that switch the allowed apps on their own, plus remote lock. The team is working on usage limits, with no dates. If minute-by-minute limits and reports are the main thing you want, that is a real reason to choose a tool that has them.
Removal and bypass: app level versus device owner
Parental control tools work at two different levels, and the difference matters when a child is determined. An app on the child's profile relies on permissions the device grants it, such as device administrator, accessibility or usage access, and Android lets the person holding the device review or change some of those. A device owner is set when the phone is first configured, so Android itself treats it as the authority and Settings gives the user no way to remove it. That is a general difference between the two models, not a verdict on any one product, and each maker documents its own protections. Skie runs as the device owner and is built to be tamper-proof. Factory reset from Settings, safe mode, developer options, adding users and uninstalling Skie are blocked by default, and with Factory Reset Protection a wiped device asks for the Skie organisation's Google sign-in, which only Skie holds, so a reset device is of no use to whoever took it. If anything ever did get through, the admin or parent is alerted immediately, down to the exact device. The trade-off is setup: the phone or tablet must be freshly set up or reset once, with any Google account removed first.
Who should pick Norton Family and who should pick Skie
Choose Norton Family if you want a security brand, Windows coverage and time supervision. Choose Skie for device-owner enforcement on Android phones and tablets, with SOS and no message reading.
How setup with Skie works
Setting up Skie for a family uses the parent dashboard in a browser and the Skie Provision app from Google Play, or a computer and a cable. Because Android only allows device owner management on a device that has not been set up, the phone or tablet must be new or reset once, and any Google account removed first. You pair over Wi-Fi, follow the guided steps, and watch live progress with a clear reason if something fails. A new device model goes through a one-time model review during setup. After that you pick the apps that work, hide the Play Store if you want, turn on adult-site blocking, add study and bedtime windows and set geofences. The phone shows that it is managed, with no hidden mode. Skie does not include a mobile plan, so the family keeps its own carrier. Pricing is on request, and it is one device per child.
Choose Norton Family if
- You use Windows computers too and want one family tool.
- You want time supervision and reports.
- You already pay for Norton security.
- Your child uses an iPhone.
Choose Skie if
- You want device-owner rules on an Android phone or tablet.
- You want a locked filter and SOS.
- You do not want an in-app browser to be required for full protection.
- You want geofences and lost mode.
- You are outside Norton's supported device list.
Norton Family is a reasonable option for families that already trust Norton and want time supervision across Windows and mobile. Skie is a better fit for an Android phone or tablet where the parent wants rules enforced by Android itself, a filter that does not depend on a specific browser, geofences, SOS and lost mode. Time supervision is the clear gap on Skie's side today.
Questions people ask
Skie vs Norton Family: which is better for a 10 year old?
Norton Family has time supervision and reports. Skie has device-owner enforcement, SOS and a locked filter on Android, but no time limits yet.
Does Norton Family work on Android?
Yes, Norton's regional page says Android 8 or later. Skie needs Android 12 or newer.
Does Norton Family need its own browser?
Norton says the in-app browser gives the full benefit of features on mobile. Skie does not rely on a specific browser.
Can a child delete Norton Family?
Not publicly documented on the pages reviewed. Skie runs as device owner and blocks uninstalling it.
Does Skie have screen time limits like Norton Family?
Not yet. Skie has no daily screen time limits, per-app time limits or usage reports today. It has study and bedtime schedules with allowed apps, remote lock and kiosk mode. The team is working on usage limits, with no dates.
Sources
Not publicly documented when we checked: India pricing; Current device limit; Uninstall resistance; Device-owner support; SOS and lost mode.
This comparison was prepared from publicly available information and was last checked on 12 November 2026. Product features, prices and availability change, and anything we could not find is marked as not publicly documented. Norton Family and other product names belong to their owners and are used here only to identify their products. Skie is not affiliated with or endorsed by Gen Digital (Norton). If something here is out of date or wrong, email contact@knowphone.in and we will check and correct it promptly.