T-Mobile has rolled out FamilyMode, a new service that gives parents more control over how their kids use smartphones and other connected devices.
The service has two components, the FamilyMode app and the FamilyMode Home Base, an in-home box that connects to WiFi. With just the FamilyMode app, parents can manage usage time, set limits, filter apps and content, set bedtime hours, create geo-fences, and always access real-time location. The app controls phones’ access to T-Mobile’s cellular network independently of the Home Base.
The Home Base is not required to run the service just on phones. The optional Home Base is specifically meant for in-home devices that rely on WiFi. T-Mobile says the app and Home Base together work with phones, tablets, gaming consoles, laptops, TVs, and other WiFi-connected devices.
Using the FamilyMode app costs $10 per month. The Home Base can be added to
