Sprint Product Ambassador: HTC One E8: I let my kids use my phone!
I know the right thing to do is to recycle or donate old phones, but I often keep the old models as backup, and as “toys” for the kids. When they were toddlers, it didn’t matter if the battery was in or if it worked for just having a “real” phone to play with (instead of those plastic toy cell phones) was great.
As they are now in grade school, they are wiser, and know if a phone is doing anything. And mom’s phone has been used for a camera, and for some reason the maps and calculator provide amusement. I don’t tend to have games on my phone, but that is because I use it more for my work and connections. And when I did let them play with my phone, I was always nervous they would accidentally call or text someone.
But the HTC One devices have a “Parent Dashboard” that allows you to set up a kid only view where they only can do what the log on lets them. So I gave it a try and installed some games for them.
I judge an application based on if I can figure it out without having to look up instructions. And the Parent Dashboard did pass that test, but I wish the application when opened gave an introduction type thing. You first set up a Zoodles account (with an email address) and then you add your kids to the dashboard, and then add what applications you want them to be able to access.
Then when you want to let them use the Kids Mode, you open the “Kids Mode” application and then they pick their picture/log in and they are set!
And the best part is that the kids can’t accidentally access anything they shouldn't unless they go back to the parent’s dashboard and enter in the code (Which is the parent’s birth year, which I won’t tell them!).
It is a nice feature and will allow me to give them more responsibility too on using a phone, preparing them for their own phone (some years away yet).
Disclaimer: The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. sprintemployee.”
I know the right thing to do is to recycle or donate old phones, but I often keep the old models as backup, and as “toys” for the kids. When they were toddlers, it didn’t matter if the battery was in or if it worked for just having a “real” phone to play with (instead of those plastic toy cell phones) was great.
As they are now in grade school, they are wiser, and know if a phone is doing anything. And mom’s phone has been used for a camera, and for some reason the maps and calculator provide amusement. I don’t tend to have games on my phone, but that is because I use it more for my work and connections. And when I did let them play with my phone, I was always nervous they would accidentally call or text someone.
But the HTC One devices have a “Parent Dashboard” that allows you to set up a kid only view where they only can do what the log on lets them. So I gave it a try and installed some games for them.
I judge an application based on if I can figure it out without having to look up instructions. And the Parent Dashboard did pass that test, but I wish the application when opened gave an introduction type thing. You first set up a Zoodles account (with an email address) and then you add your kids to the dashboard, and then add what applications you want them to be able to access.
Then when you want to let them use the Kids Mode, you open the “Kids Mode” application and then they pick their picture/log in and they are set!
And the best part is that the kids can’t accidentally access anything they shouldn't unless they go back to the parent’s dashboard and enter in the code (Which is the parent’s birth year, which I won’t tell them!).
It is a nice feature and will allow me to give them more responsibility too on using a phone, preparing them for their own phone (some years away yet).
Disclaimer: The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. sprintemployee.”
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