Has anyone tried using apps to track kids phone for safety?

My daughter just started middle school and I’m honestly a little nervous about who she’s talking to online and whether she’s getting to school safely. I’ve heard some parents use monitoring apps but I don’t want to be too invasive either - is there a good middle ground where I can keep an eye on location and maybe screen time without going full surveillance mode?

I installed mSpy on my son’s phone last month for similar reasons. It’s great for checking location history and setting screen time limits, without feeling like you’re spying on every message. You can customize which features you actually use.