Phone to tablet communication

[babracmmm]

I've searched the internet and can't find the answer and this forum usually comes through with great answers, so I will ask here. My teenage son is visiting me for the summer but he doesn't have a phone. He uses my Fire tablet at home. I would like to be able to text him from my Moto Z Force while I'm at work, but I set up Verizon Messages+ on the tablet and it uses my phone number and I found I can't text to myself from my phone. Is there any thing out there that would allow me to communicate with my son on the tablet from my phone?

 

[methodman89]

Email.

 

[Bitterman]

Try Kik messenger. It goes by user name, not your phone number. Been using it for years.

 

[babracmmm]

Email.

Is there a way to do this without setting up all new accounts because I don't want him messing with or seeing my regular emails?

 

[Ry]

Is there a way to do this without setting up all new accounts because I don't want him messing with or seeing my regular emails?

Does the Fire Tablet already have your email on it? If so, he can already see your regular emails.

 

[Ry]

I've searched the internet and can't find the answer and this forum usually comes through with great answers, so I will ask here. My teenage son is visiting me for the summer but he doesn't have a phone. He uses my Fire tablet at home. I would like to be able to text him from my Moto Z Force while I'm at work, but I set up Verizon Messages+ on the tablet and it uses my phone number and I found I can't text to myself from my phone. Is there any thing out there that would allow me to communicate with my son on the tablet from my phone?

And he'll be staying home while you're at work?

Or will be taking the Fire Tablet out with him to placed he'll have WiFi access?

 

[methodman89]

Fire tablets get registered to your Amazon account before its shipped.

 

[babracmmm]

Well, it does have my gmail app but I don't have it set up to sync unless I (or he) opens the app.

 

[babracmmm]

He will use it only when he has WiFi, which is mostly home.

 

[babracmmm]

I set up Kik, and it seems to be working ok, but I don't know how private and safe it is since it seems to be very social center. I want something that will be safe to use for a naive (and I want it to stay that way) preteen.

 

[babracmmm]

Fire tablets get registered to your Amazon account before its shipped.

I don't understand how this helps me. Are you referring to something I could be using?

 

[Bitterman]

I set up Kik, and it seems to be working ok, but I don't know how private and safe it is since it seems to be very social center. I want something that will be safe to use for a naive (and I want it to stay that way) preteen.

Go into Privacy in Kik settings and uncheck "let friends find me". Then somebody would need, or have to guess his actual user name to send him a message. I've been on Kik for 2644 days, with "let friends find me" turned on. I do get the occasional chat request from somebody I don't know, but it's very easy to report and block them. As long as he doesn't share his user name with other people you should have little problems.

 

[methodman89]

I don't understand how this helps me. Are you referring to something I could be using?

I just wanted you to be aware that if you, let's say do what I did and bought a 3 pack over Christmas, 3 colors, me, my son, and his girlfriend. Luckily I wanted to charge them up before gift wrapping. It was then I realized that they sent all 3 unlocked and registered to my account. They had access to the cloud, my Alexa settings, etc. I think this is a big security problem that doesn't need to be there. I unregistered the devices, and wrapped them up. Take care.
P. S. Viber works well too.

 

[SpookDroid]

Just get a Google Voice number. They're free and can work over WiFi (not just the tablet, on any browser too). That way he has his number and you have yours.

Otherwise the options above are pretty much the only choice: either use IM which would need each one to have their own account or set up two e-mail accounts or access to the same account.

If both have FB accounts, for instance, you can use FB's Messenger. Plenty of IM options out there.