T-Mobile offers many options for parental control, such as internet access controls, web filters, location tracking, and Line management. These parental controls are accessible if you have a T-Mobile line and are subscribed to the FamilyMode app.
As the most widely used mobile network with 5G capabilities and unlimited access to its wireless network, it’s enough reason to have parental controls to keep children safe on their network.
The T-Mobile FamilyMode plan allows you to track family members’ location and supervise children’s online habits. In this article, we’ll review T-Mobile’s parental control main features, capabilities, and compare them with a dedicated parental control app for family.
T-Mobile Kids’ Line
T-Mobile allows you to designate a line as a kid’s Line for children under 16 years. When you turn on this feature, T-Mobile applies security safeguards that protect a child’s data. You can manage your child’s data on the T-Mobile app or T-Mobile.com.
To set up T-Mobile Kid’s Line:
- Log in to your T-Mobile account or the T-Mobile app. Go to Profile.
- Select Family Controls.
- Click Privacy Settings for Kids.
- Click Let’s Get Started. The Line will be set to either Adult or Kid’s Line.
- Click Edit, then tap the red button next to the Kid Line.
- Enter your child’s month and year of birth, then click Save Changes.
- Check the Certification Box to accept the consent for privacy information. You have successfully changed a T-Mobile line to a kid’s Line.
T-Mobile FamilyMode
T-Mobile FamilyMode is a solution that helps you control your kid’s online activities and set up screen time on your children’s phones.
Another feature that comes with FamilyMode is Safe and Found. However, this feature is no longer available for new subscribers.
With FamilyMode, you can apply parental controls when your child accesses the internet, set web browsing history, use it for location tracking, and set Safety Areas that let you know when your child enters or leaves a specific location.
Here’s how to set up FamilyMode:
- First, download the FamilyMode app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store. The app is compatible with iOS 13+ and Android 9.0+.
- Open the app and click Get Started. You must be the primary account holder to continue.
- Sign up with your T-Mobile ID, and then sign in.
- You can start creating profiles for your family members and choose their profile as Adult or Child.
- When you choose a child’s profile, you can then set up filters, bedtimes, and time limits.
- Next, add devices to each profile by selecting “Join Your Family’s Account” on the FamilyMode parental control app. You will need to enter an invite code from the device or scan a QR code on the parent device. Then, follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup.
Set Time Limits
- Go to a child’s profile and select Time Limits > Set Now.
Choose either the weekend or weekday tab. - Select the amount of time your child’s phone can access the internet. If you want to block internet access for some apps or websites, this option is available at the Set Time Limit level.
- Now, click Save to finish the setup.
T-Mobile Home Internet Parental Controls
T-Mobile has various settings for internet control on the T-Mobile home internet. You can set up web filters, manage internet use, and pause the internet on all family devices in your account.
Web Filters
- Go to the T-Mobile FamilyMode app and tap Settings.
- Select Set Filters. You will be presented with four filter levels: High, Medium, Low, and None. Choose the one you want. To view your child’s online history, you have to choose a filter between High, Medium, or Low.
- In the same window, you will also be able to turn on Safe Search and Restricted YouTube, which also allows filters on popular apps, websites, and categories, such as restrictions for downloading apps from the Google Play Store.
Manage Internet Use
You can manage internet use by setting bedtimes and off times.
- Go to Settings and select Bedtime > Set Now.
- Choose the toggle for weeknights or weekend bedtimes. Enter the desired Bedtime and awake times, then click save.
- You can also select Off Times, which are times of the week when your child cannot access the internet. To set up Off time, go to a child’s profile and tap Off time > Set Now.
- Enter the name of the Off Time and the day and time when the internet won’t be available on your child’s device. Click save to complete the setup.
Pause the Internet
It’s possible to pause the internet by disconnecting all devices or a single device from your account from Wi-Fi. For this feature to work, you need to install the FamilyMode base station on your wireless network.
If you want to pause the internet for all devices, Go to the FamilyMode app and click on the + sign. Select Pause Internet. Confirm that you want to pause the internet, and all devices will be disconnected from Wi-Fi.
To pause a family member, click on their profile and click Pause. Confirm your choice to disconnect the individual phone from Wi-Fi.
To Pause a single device, go to a profile and choose devices. Choose the device you want to pause and then click Pause. Confirm you want to pause the internet on that device, and your command will be enacted.
To unpause the internet from a device or a profile, click Pause again to restore Wi-Fi.
Safe & Found Features
Safe & Found allows you to locate your family in real time. You will see all the profiles on your account on a map. When you need to see the location of one person, click on their profile picture, and you will be able to track their live location.
To Set Up Location and Safety Areas
- First, you must enable location sharing on your child’s device.
- For iOS, click Settings > FamilyMode > Location Permission. On the Allow Location Access window, choose Always and then turn on Precise Location.
- For Android, Open Settings > Apps & Notifications > FamilyMode. Select Location Permissions and then click Allow all the time.
- Now, open the FamilyMode app on the parent’s device, click on a profile, and tap the Settings icon. Scroll to Location Sharing and click Enable to have your child’s device share its location with the parent device.
- With location sharing turned on, you can track your child’s T-Mobile phone whenever you want.
- You can also set up Safe Areas by going to your child’s profile and choosing the Menu icon. Select Location Alerts.
- Choose Create Safety Area and enter the area’s name and address.
- Select the area by dragging the ring to make it smaller or larger. Tap Save to complete the setup.
- When you set up location sharing, your child can check in with you by sending their location to your device. In addition, they can send an SOS in an emergency. This feature may prove handy if a teenager gets into an accident to alert you of their whereabouts.
- Another location feature is finding a lost or missing phone. This feature works like Google Find My Device since it can make the lost phone ring even if it’s set to silent.
- When you want to find a lost or stolen device using the T-Mobile app, click Devices and choose Ring. This action will ring the phone for two minutes. Once you have found the device, click the Dismiss button to stop the ringing sound.
Family Allowances
Family Allowances is an optional feature that allows you to allocate minutes, SMS, and downloads to lines in your account. However, this feature does not have a usage limit over Wi-Fi or with Wi-Fi calling.
To start using Family Allowances, you need to add it as a feature on your account at a monthly fee. After that, you will be able to start managing allowances for all the lines in your account.
Calls
When you have Family Allowances, you will see the total amount of money spent on calls for any line in every billing cycle. Besides, you will be able to set the talk time limit for calls except those that you will have set to Always Allowed. With the Never Allowed option, T-Mobile will block calls and messages from ten numbers on a device.
Messages
On the Messages feature, you will see the total messages sent and received for every account and also set the total messages a Line can send and receive.
Downloads
Family Allowances also helps you set the amount of money that can be spent on downloads from your T-Mobile account. Nevertheless, children and other family members can download apps from the App Store and Google Play Store using a credit card.
Family Allowances also has an Allow and block feature for managed Lines. You will be able to manage when the lines on your account can use their devices and when they cannot, such as during homework, school, or dinnertime.
T-Mobile FamilyWhere App
The T-Mobile FamilyWhere app is a solution for locating any phone on a T-Mobile plan on the T-Mobile network. You can use it to find a phone’s location as long as the phone is on and connected to the T-Mobile network.
HeyLocate has already done a separate comprehensive T-Mobile FamilyWhere app review in our blog.
The FamilyWhere app is useful for location tracking when you want to keep tabs on your family members’ whereabouts in real time. Family members can also check in via text message. You will also be able to schedule reminders and get instant alerts via SMS or email.
To set up FamilyWhere, you need to sign up for a T-Mobile account and add a T-Mobile data plan. Then, you can start adding family members that you want to monitor on the FamilyWhere app.
When you want to locate someone with FamilyWhere:
- Log in to your T-Mobile account.
- Select My Account.
- Choose Family Controls and select FamilyWhere.
- Select the mobile number or name you want to locate. T-Mobile will find it and show its location on a map.
Web Guard for T-Mobile Customers
Web Guard is a content filter that limits access to inappropriate content on the web. Here’s how you can set up Web Guard on T-Mobile.
- Log in to your account on the T-Mobile app.
- Select More > Profile Settings > Family Controls.
- Select the Line you want to add Web Guard.
- Choose Web Guard, then select the filter option from High, Medium, or Low.
- Select Save to complete adding Web Guard to a profile.
Users’ Reviews
T-Mobile parental controls have received numerous reviews on the Google Play Store, the App Store, Reddit, and the T-Mobile community.
Most users agree that the filters work, although there are times when it gets challenging to set up the right controls. Parents like the location tracking feature, pausing the internet, setting screen time for various apps and websites, and the fact that the platform does not sell any data collected when providing their services.
Still, some parents have encountered difficulties with the app. They say the location tracking feature does not work well, and they don’t receive notifications when as advertised.
Can a Kid Bypass T-Mobile Parental Controls?
Kids cannot bypass parental controls since they are set up using the Parent account. While the app requires that you install the app on the child’s device, T-Mobile ensures that it’s impossible to uninstall the app once it’s on the child’s device.
Comparison of T-Mobile Parental Controls and Family Tracker
To understand which tool of T-Mobile Family Controls to choose, let’s compare them in the table. For the comprehensiveness of the review, we added a known family tracker, uMobix, to see the entire picture of the options for parental control.
Tool | Best For | Need to Install | Need to subscribe | Easiness to bypass by Kids | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
uMobix | Comprehensive phone monitoring | Yes on Android; through iCloud on iOS | Yes | Not possible (works in stealth mode) | $12.49/mo |
Kids’ Line | Managing a kid’s profile | Yes | Yes | Not possible | $60/mo for six lines |
FamilyMode | Setting time limits & managing internet usage | Yes | Yes | Not possible | $10/mo |
Family Allowances | Allocating limits to calls, messages, and downloads | Yes | Yes | Not possible | $10/mo |
FamilyWhere | Location tracking and finding lost devices | Yes | Yes | No possible | $10/mo |
Check the full uMobix review for tracking kid’s phone:
Conclusion
T-Mobile parental controls work as stipulated when you want a solution to manage your family members’ devices on the T-Mobile network.
However, it is not a comprehensive parental control solution, and you may need a better solution, like uMobix, for thorough tracking message monitoring, call logs, and keyword tracking.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
T-Mobile offers device management to help control a child’s digital activities, but it cannot control every feature on their phone.
FamilyMode costs $10 a month.
FamilyMode applies content filters and tracks a user’s location, while Family Allowances allocates limits to calls, messages, and downloads to a T-Mobile Line.
To stop mobile data on your child’s T-Mobile Line, you can do it on the T-Mobile browser by going to “Manage Data and Add-Ons” and then changing the data feature to “No Data.”
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