Keeping kids away from mobile technology, even if you wanted to do it, is an exercise in futility. So, if you can’t ban it, allow it and regulate it – just like the government!
FamilyBase is an app from Verizon available for Android devices. In short, it allows parents almost full access to their children’s smartphone use. Using the app, parents can view who their children are texting with and calling, and can monitor which apps are being used when, and for how long. It’s a comprehensive look at all smartphone activity – it’s unlikely that anything suspicious will make its way past your overseeing eye.
There are some active parental controls included, too. Parents can control when the phone is used and for how long, by imposing approved times for smartphone use, and locking it during school nights, for example. The phone can be remotely locked for up to 30 minutes, too. And, if something concerning is found on the text history or call logs, parents can set an approved list of contacts for their children, to be safe.
You can get FamilyBase on Google Play now for free. After a 30-day free trial, FamilyBase will add $5 monthly onto your Verizon bill. With that $5, you can use FamilyBase to monitor up to 10 lines.
