Verizon Smart Family: Review, Guide & Alternative
Verizon is a popular name in the telecommunication space. Apart from being one of the top three carriers in America, they provide parental control services. The need for parental control services keeps increasing daily because of the growing accessibility to inappropriate content. Hence, parents need control tools to protect their children.
These tools are for seeing what they are doing on their gadgets and ensuring they spend only a little time on them. These reasons fueled Verizon's launch of its Smart Family app in the spring of 2018. Even though they remodeled their previous parental app – FamilyBase, it has provided better services. In this article, you will find the features and customer reviews of Verizon Smart Family.
1Verizon Smart Family Overview
Smart Family is a parental control tool for only Verizon network users. If only the parent or child is on the Verizon network, the app will not work. However, parents can use it once activated to check all their kids' online activities. Below are the features you will find on the app.
Features
- Temporarily suspend your kids' phones.
- Blocking internet access over cellular or wireless connection.
- It provides a real-time location for tracking your children.
- You can use it to access social media and gaming applications.
- It helps to follow every web activity and check browsing history.
- You can block or track calls, messages, and purchases activities done on your phone.
- You can use it for setting time and geo-fence restrictions.
- It sends alerts once there is a bridge of any restriction.
Cons
- It is only available for Verizon network users.
- You can only use it on your 3G or 4G LTE phones. Hence, it is not supported on Tablets.
- Tracking and geo-fencing features are only available on the premium subscription package.
- It is limited to only 10 lines and prepaid accounts.
- Does not have a screen-capturing feature.
Compatibility
It is compatible with Android 5 and above. Likewise, you can use it on your iOS 10 and later versions.
Customer Reviews
It currently has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 from over 24 thousand reviews on Google Play Store. Below are some of the users' reviews.
Price
It is a paid app that requires $4.99 per month for its basic package or $9.99 monthly for the premium package.
2How to Set up Parental Controls with Verizon Smart Family
Setting up the app on your phone and kids' devices is mandatory before using Smart Family. Hence, here is how to set up the app.
- Step 1: Download and install the app on the parent phone.
- Step 2: Launch the app and sign in with your Verizon account details.
- Step 3: Pick a subscription package, pay for it, and complete the setup by adding your kid to the account.
- Step 4: Download and install the Smart Family Companion app on your kids' phones.
- Step 5: In the app on your phone, click on the Settings icon.
- Step 6: Select Family Setting and pair it with your kid's companion app.
- Step 7: Click on Send Invite to send an invitation link to your kids.
- Step 8: In the app on your kids' phone, click on the link.
- Step 9: Allow different permissions for the apps on both phones, like Allowing the VPN always be On.
3Verizon Smart Family vs. AirDroid Family Locator
Users have found several app limitations on Smart Family that have prompted them to seek other viable alternatives. Our recommended alternative is the AirDroid Parental Control app. This app is one of the trailblazers providing parental control tools to keep kids away from inappropriate content. Below are some of its features and why it is a superior alternative to Smart Family.
Family Locator
You can use it to keep your child safe without following them anywhere and anytime. Also, you can watch, hear, and record the environment through the microphones and cameras of your kids' phones. So even if there are on the wrong social media apps, you can monitor them.
Phone Monitoring
You can monitor your child's phone remotely by casting their device on your phone. If they are online, you can monitor their online activities in real-time to ensure their digital activities are risk-free. Also, when your child leaves home or school, you can see their current location or location history.
Activity Report
View your kids' daily phone activities to know which apps have been used and for how long. Hence, you can find out if your kids are addicted to some apps. Also, you can detect malware attacks on their device.
Screen Time & App Management
You can manage your child's screen time by locking all apps on the cell phone or tablet with one click. Alternatively, you can schedule a time for your children to access their devices. For instance, you can schedule time for your children to access certain apps daily.
Instant Alerts
You can get instant alerts when your kids try to open blocked apps or games. It also helps to know when your kids' phones are without battery or data for a long time.
The Bottom Line
Verizon became one of the most revered networks in America because it is always ahead of the service-providing curve with several features. One of those features is the Verizon Smart Family. It helps parents keep track of their kids remotely and protect them from many dangers online.
However, many issues on the app may prevent many people from using this parental control tool. For instance, it is only available to Verizon network users, parents, and kids. Hence, we have provided a suitable alternative, like the AirDroid Parental Control app.
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