Verizon adds location tracking to its parental control app
The redesigned app has a new name and a new look.
Verizon announced today that it's revamping its parental controls, introducing more capabilities and giving the app a new look. What was known as FamilyBase will now be called Verizon Smart Family and it lets parents set content filters, manage screen time, pause internet access, check the battery status of their kids' phones and get a summary of their children's call and text history. Among the new tools are the ability to block certain apps and location tracking, which can provide alerts when a child enters a predetermined area, like when they come home or get to school, for example.
Apple announced earlier this year that it would soon introduce tools that will give parents more control over their kids' phone usage and screen time.
A basic Verizon Smart Family subscription costs $5 per month and it will get you the majority of the capability offerings. But if you want to use the location tracking feature and the alerts that come with it, you'll have to spring for the $10 per month premium subscription. "Being a parent in today's digital world can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be," Verizon Senior Product Manager Susie Fernandes said in a statement. "We created Verizon Smart Family to give parents the tools they need to help them raise tech savvy kids with a healthy and responsible approach to screen time and content viewing." You can learn more about the tools here.
