App to monitor kids and restrict them on the fly?

[dorlow]

Ok, we've tried giving our oldest daughter a phone in the past and we usually end up getting mad and taking it away because she's not doing what she's told. But it would be really nice if she had one so we could get a hold of her after school.

What I'm thinking would be really cool and make a phone work for her even when she's grounded is some app I could put on it that can't be uninstalled or changed by her. Then if she's ungrounded, I could unlock the whole phone remotely from some website. I could hopefully get a summary of what and who she's talking to...

But then that day comes around and she's grounded. We won't take the phone away. But we can login to that website and lock her phone down so no apps work and the only person she can call is us, her parents. Does such an app exist?

 

[Unforgiven]

I feel your pain with teens and phones. It may be easier to get a smart phone and a dumb phone and swap the sim to the dumb phone when she is grounded as kids are resourceful and can usually find a workaround for what you are attempting.

 

[Thom]

That is what I was going to suggest. Keep it simple.

... Thom

 

[dorlow]

But isn't two sims basically two phone bills?

 

[Unforgiven]

But isn't two sims basically two phone bills?

No, one sim, two phones. So whatever smartphone you prefer, then a cheap flip phone for when she is grounded. Yank the sim from the smart phone and put it in the dumb phone. She would still be able to make calls and text, but no apps or web which means no facebook, twitter, etc. but you would still be able to get in touch with her.

 

[Thom]

Make sure both phones use the same size SIM ... example nano-SIM.

... Thom

 

[Unforgiven]

What carrier are you on and what would the primary phone your daughter uses? We may be able to offer more specific suggestions or compatible devices.

 

[KOLIO]

Make sure both phones use the same size SIM ... example nano-SIM.

... Thom

Adapters are available,but,care is called for when using 'em & NEVER put a blank/empty SIM adapter into a SIM Slot,odds are it will get hung up in the slot,damaging the phone (Been there,done that,I'm afraid to say ).

 

[dorlow]

I haven't gotten the phone yet. If we do this, it will be with cricket wireless.

 

[Unforgiven]

OK, so you want an unlocked phone that uses a sim, like the moto x or nexus 5x or nexus p or iphone. Just make sure that it uses a GSM sim. Cricket will sells a sim kit for $9.99, but I bet you could find a code and get a discount. I'm not a customer, but I think I've heard of that before. Once you have picked a primary, non child grounded phone, you can grab a dumb phone that is also GSM and unlocked. They list one, but it is for $50. I'm sure you can find one new or used for far cheaper for the grounded phone. I'm making two assumptions here that I would with my sons, you don't expect them to be grounded much (I hope, even though it turns out more than I like ) and that you don't care about aesthetics, really, the uglier, the better.

Then, when you need to move from the ungrounded phone to the grounded phone (and vice versa) you simply pop out the sim from one phone and pop it in another. I'd take posession of the non-grounded phone while the grounded phone is in use too, so it can't be used on WiFi.

 

[Unforgiven]

OP. Hang tight. I'm checking in with some folks to make sure you can swap cricket sims like that and it will work.