Most people believe that family tech is meant for people with children. Recently I started working with T-Mobile to experience their digital solution that gives parents control over their kids’ online activities and screen time (T-Mobile FamilyMode). Although this is a great tool for parents to manage their children’s devices, it’s also a great tool for grandparents too.
Now how would a grandparent incorporate this into our life?
The grandchildren are often here to be spoiled, however, this doesn’t mean they have free range with all their devices. We take screen safety as serious as their parents. They use our many devices and since we have T-Mobile FamilyMode, I can easily manage any of their screen time.
With the controlled data usage I can pause or resume their devices easily from my phone with the app. So when it’s time for dinner or time to go outside for some real fun, I don’t have to hear, “wait a minute”. I just pause and we go!
When it’s time to pack up and go home, we don’t go crazy looking for the devices because we have real time location. It tells us exactly where everything is and we don’t waste precious time.
The real-time location is also great for kids when they’re old enough to go off on their own. I remember it taking an hour to locate my daughters when we were at carnivals, fairs, and even the mall! I would say this is a luxury feature for parents!
It’s important for grandparents to stay on top of what the kids are accessing on the web too. Together with my daughter, I make sure we filter the web content with only the shows and games they have permission for, like Fortnite and movies. So, every device is covered (ipad, computers, and phones)
T-Mobile FamilyMode may give parents control over their children’s devices but it also helps me to make sure my husband and I have control when the grandkids are with us.
I travel a lot, probably once a month, and it’s important for my husband and I to stay in touch. As America’s “Un-carrier”, T-Mobile has many things like, ended the 2-year contract and made unlimited data the industry standard. The last thing I want to do is worry about how much data I have left or how many minutes I have left to talk to my husband. With T-Mobile’s LTE signal I never have to worry about NOT having a signal. I can even go to Mexico and Canada with unlimited talk, text, and data and up to 5GB of 4G LTE!
If the grandkids are with my husband and he lets them watch something or play over their limit while I’m away, I will get a notification and I can remind him of their limits.
One of our favorite features is the real time location information. As I’m traveling, my husband and grandkids like to track my travels. They can easily see when I arrive at my destination without waiting for me to get checked in and settled before calling home.
While other carriers’ solutions only cover the devices connected to their networks, T-Mobile FamilyMode lets you manage, monitor, filter for your kids’ (or husband’s) phones, tablets, gaming consoles, laptops, smart TVs and the other Wi-Fi-connected devices in your home. All of this is just $20 out of pocket for the device and $10/mo for the T-Mobile FamilyMode app! T-Mobile FamilyMode is available to all T-Mobile postpaid customers on a T-Mobile ONE or Simple Choice consumer plan.
And T-Mobile ONE family accounts (two or more lines) also include ALL these Un-carrier benefits at no extra cost, like:
- Family Allowances:you can monitor talk and text usage on the lines on your T-Mobile account. For families, this is a great way for parents to manage their kids’ smartphone activity
- Netflix On Us: through an exclusive partnership, get a standard 2-screen subscription at no extra charge
- Simple Global: unlimited text and data roaming and low flat-rate calling in 140+ countries
- Mobile Without Borders: use your device in Mexico and Canada with unlimited talk, text, and data and up to 5GB of 4G LTE
- GogoInflight: get unlimited texting all flight long and 1 free hour of smartphone Wi-Fi on all domestic flights
- DIGITS: use up to five numbers on one device, or use one number on multiple devices
- MobileHotspot: connect all your devices to the internet with included tethering data
- Un-contract: only you have the power to change the price you pay
- Carrier Freedom: we help cover your switching costs
- T-Mobile Tuesdays: get thanked with free stuff every week just for being a customer
TECH ANYONE CAN DO!
You can download the app from the app store on your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet.
Adding the Home Base device is simple – pick one up at any T-Mobile store or call 1-800-T-MOBILE (existing customers can dial 611 from their T-Mobile phone). It keeps my grandkids on the same device rules when they come to my house and helps me stay connected at home when I’m traveling.
Grab your T-Mobile FamilyMode
*This post is sponsored by T-Mobile.
This is SUCH a good idea! We have a family plan (sort of) but this one is much closer to the plan we really need!
This is such a great idea! We don’t have T-mobile in Canada yet – but I hope we can have options like this soon!
The real-time location sounds like an invaluable setting! I think T-Mobile hit it out of the park.
This is a great plan with so many useful safeguards. I don’t micromanage my kids and their surfing but this is a good way to keep track of the kids usage.
I’d like to see this in the homes of everyone, including my own lol! Great idea to get grandparents in on the screen limitations!
Wow, I did not know TMobile had something like this. I would to have the ability to have more control over how much screen time the kids are having. That pause feature sounds pretty cool!
What a great idea! I had no idea T-Mobile had something like this but think its a great idea for grandparents or even us with loads of kiddos!
I have really all but ignored T-Mobile as a viable carrier but I have to relook at them because they have so many great features I can use.
I really need to check into this for our family because my son is always telling me to wait a minute and it drives me up the wall. Although there are times when I do it as well so I could use it to keep us both on track and make my husband happier as he gets so aggravated at us when waiting for us to finish a game of blog post.
As a Mom to 5 kids I definitely need the TMobile family mode. I really need to start putting limits on electronics in our house. I also love the idea of the TMObile unlimited data!
If you thought the generation gap from parents to kids was wide, you had no idea about the grandchild to grandparent chasm! Not only that gap, but the capacity for scaffolding to build new knowledge upon is daunting!
It’s amazing that T-Mobile is offering great features like this. I will share this to a friend that might want to switch network.
Woah! I’m loving the pause feature on this! This could actually get me to switch carriers since our son just got his first phone
WOW! T-Mobile’s Family Mode will really help the whole family take care of each other via their mobile phones.