Verizon is one of the biggest wireless providers in the United States, and offers multiple products and services to customers, including services like Smart Family.
However, if you’ve never heard of this before, you might be wondering- what is Verizon Smart Family, and how will it help me? If so, keep reading to learn everything I’ve discovered about it!
What Is Verizon Smart Family In 2024?
Verizon Smart Family is a subscription service that allows you to set parental controls for your child’s iOS or Android device in 2024. You can monitor calls, purchases, web activity, app activity, and set time restrictions for the device. You can also limit calls, see who your child is talking to, and filter content your child sees online.
Do you want to know more about Verizon Smart Family, such as if it’ll cost you extra money and how it works?
If so, read below to learn the answers to those questions and more!
Can Parents See Texts on Verizon Smart Family?
You cannot see texts on Verizon Smart Family, regardless of whether the text is through the native messenger or another messaging platform.
However, Verizon Smart Family will allow you to see the name of the person that your child has been communicating with, the time of the texts, and the frequency of texts with each person.
Does Verizon Smart Family Block WiFi?
Verizon Smart Family gives you the option to block WiFi to your child’s device, regardless of which Smart Family plan you’ve signed up for since they both offer this handy service.
Is Verizon Smart Family Location Accurate?
Verizon Smart Family gives fairly accurate location details, and you’ll get the most accurate details possible if you have the app installed on your device and the child’s device.
However, the location could be off by a few miles, so it’s not going to be giving you an exact location a majority of the time.
Does Verizon Smart Family Show FaceTime Calls?
Verizon Smart Family doesn’t show FaceTime calls, since FaceTime is encrypted and isn’t offered through Verizon, but instead uses either data or Wi-Fi.
Also, you can’t block FaceTime through the content filter setting, which is also a downside if your child likes FaceTime or knows how to use it.
While Smart Family doesn’t show the FaceTime calls, you’re able to see data usage and Wi-Fi usage, but that’s as far as you’ll get with the details. However, you can block FaceTime if you’re blocking or restricting data usage or Wi-Fi so they can’t use it.
How Much Does Verizon Smart Family Cost?
Verizon Smart Family costs will vary depending on which plan you choose since there is both the Verizon Smart Family plan and the Verizon Smart Family Premium plan, which are as follows:
- Verizon Smart Family- The basic plan is $4.99 per month for each account, but with this basic service you don’t get location details and services.
- Verizon Smart Family Premium- For $9.99 per month for each account you will get location services and details and Verizon will pay for the first month.
Additionally, if you have the Just Kids plan on your Verizon account, you’ll get Verizon Smart Family Premium for free!
Can My Child Turn off Verizon Smart Family?
It’s possible your child can turn off Verizon Smart Family, but it depends on whether you have an Android or iOS device as far as whether it’s possible and how it would work.
Furthermore, if your child has an Android device, they cannot turn off Verizon Smart Family, but they can remove the app from their device if they know the code required to remove the app.
However, the code needed to remove the app from the child’s device is sent to the parent device.
If the child does manage to remove the app from their device, the parent will get a text message immediately after and the dashboard within the parent app will show “Tamper Error.”
On the contrary, it’s easier to remove the app on an iOS device since there is no code needed, and the app controls will no longer be active on that particular iOS device.
If your child removes the app from their iOS device, you’ll receive a text notification that it was removed, but it could take up to 48 hours for you to receive that notification.
How Do I Turn on Smart Family Companion?
There are several steps you’ll have to take if you’d like to turn on the Smart Family companion app, but follow the steps below for easy setup if your child has an Android device:
- Either click the link from the text message sent to the child’s device or install the Verizon Smart Family app from Google Play Store
- To pair with the parent phone, open the app on the child’s device and click “Allow Companion to access this device’s location”
- Click on “Show me how” and then “Got it”
- Go to “Settings” on the device and select Accessibility > Smart Family Companion
- If you get a prompt saying you cannot disable the app, then you don’t need to do anything else and it’s set up on the device
- However, if you don’t get that prompt, you’ll need to click on the switch to turn on the app
- Confirm all information and then click “OK”
- Head to the “Enable device administrator” section and click on “Enable,” which prevents your child from removing the app
- Click “Activate” and then “Connect”
- You need to click on “OK” and then you should see a “Congratulations” window that tells you the device has been paired, and then click on “OK” again
Likewise, if your child has an iOS device, follow these steps to install and pair the Smart Family companion app:
- Use the child’s device and either open the text message or install Smart Family from Apple’s App Store
- Using the child’s device, open the app and then wait for the prompt “Allow Companion to access your location” to come on and choose which setting you want
- Click on Continue > Allow > Companion would like to add VPN configurations
- You should see the “Congratulations” screen at that point and pairing is finished
How Do I Get Rid of Verizon Smart Family?
If you’d like to get rid of the Verizon Smart Family app and remove it from your account completely, you can do this either through the My Verizon app or the My Verizon website.
However, if you have Smart Family Premium as a result of the Just Kids plan, you’ll need to change the type of plan you have if you’d like to remove Smart Family altogether.
To remove Smart Family from your account using the My Verizon app, simply follow these steps:
- Go into the “Add-ons and apps” section
- Find Smart Family and click “Manage Enrollment”
- Click “Remove Verizon Smart Family”
Similarly, if you want to remove Verizon Smart Family from the My Verizon website, simply follow these steps:
- Go to the My Verizon website and click on “Add-ons and apps”
- Click on “Smart Family”
- Click “Remove”
To learn more, you can also check our posts on whether or not Verizon offers student discounts, if Verizon offers unlimited data, and if Verizon offers free Hulu & Netflix.
Conclusion
Verizon Smart Family allows you to set parental controls on your child’s device and allows you to see who they’re talking to, how long they’re on the device, and monitor call frequency.
Additionally, with Verizon Smart Family, you can set filters for the types of content they can see on the internet and limit the time your child can spend on the device or in specific apps.
