My 14-year-old just got a phone and I’m worried about who they’re talking to. I looked into a few options but don’t want anything too invasive. Any recommendations for something that shows texts without spying on everything else?
Good timing to set this up from the start — way easier than trying to monitor after the fact. For iOS, Screen Time (built into Settings) lets you approve contacts and see usage without going full surveillance mode, and for Android, Google Family Link does similar stuff including seeing who they’re texting.
If you want actual message content, apps like Bark are solid because they scan for red flags (predators, bullying, self-harm keywords) without you reading every “lol k” your kid sends — less creepy, more practical. 
Pro tip: just tell your kid the phone has monitoring on it, teens actually behave better when they know, and it saves a ton of drama later.