I have posted before about the importance of knowing what mobile apps are available to protect your family, especially teen drivers when on the road. All of the carriers now offer some form of protection. Sprint's version is called Sprint Guardian.
I was asked to take a look at Sprint Guardian. To get the task done they sent me a Samsung Galaxy S3 (oh my heart), and a Samsung Galaxy Victory. Both devices run on Sprint's recently upgraded 4G LTE network. The S3 is setup as the parent device, and the Victory is the child device. Sprint Guardian is a suite of Android apps created by Safely, a division of Location Labs, and Lookout. These apps work together to protect you and your family when using mobile devices. If you are the parent of teens you definitely want to protect their mobile device. Even if your children do not drive, you still want to monitor and protect them from inappropriate content.
The suite includes the following apps:
Sprint Mobile Controls: Sprint Mobile Controls allows you to view and control what happens on your child's phone. You can set a schedule for usage, lock the phone on demand, or browse data and apps on your child's phone.
Sprint Family Locator: Sprint Family Locator lets you quickly and easily locate your family on a map. You will know when your kids arrive at their destination safely.
Sprint Drive First: This one is my favorite app. Sprint Drive First does as the name states. It makes you put your mind on driving first. It monitors speed and when the car accelerates past 10mph, it locks the screen. Calls are routed to voice mail, and texts receive a return text. The app can be customized to set the return text, add allowed contacts, and add allowed apps that you can use while driving. You can also disable the auto reply function. This can be useful if you receive automated text alerts that you might not necessarily want to respond to.
Contacts added to the Allowed Contacts list are able to call and/or text you while you are driving. Perfect for making sure that Mom and Dad can get through when calling. The screen also includes a 911 button for emergency calls. And yes, the Drive function can be turned off. But if it is an alert is sent to to the home account letting them know that the function has been disabled.
Once the services are setup on your child's phone you can control everything from the Sprint Mobile Controls website. The site keeps a comprehensive log of all activity during school hours, late at night, and beyond. You can view calls and text messages and make sure that your child is not talking talking to anyone that they should not be talking to.
The Sprint Guardian suite is $9.99 per month per line for up to 5 lines on your Family Plan.
My children do not drive yet since they are young. 😉 But I have been testing the service on myself. The Drive app is very good about activating when driving. I love the comprehensive options available in the Sprint Guardian suite to protect teen drivers. If you are the parent of a teen driver, you should definitely check out the Sprint Guardian suite.
Disclosure: This review is part of my role as a Sprint Ambassador. No compensation was received. All opinions are my own.
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