In this age of technology, communication between parents and children is vital. Kids are getting phones earlier than they did just a few years ago. They are using cell phones for communication, entertainment, navigation, and more.
While I want to make sure I can communicate with my children, I know it’s foolish to hand a tween or even a teen a smartphone. Like most parents, I want to keep my kids safe and protect them from the dangers of the internet.
I was pleasantly surprised when I learned about the Troomi phone and then tried it out with my child. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this phone, but it definitely exceeded any expectations I had.
What makes Troomi different from other phones?
Troomi is a training phone for kids, helping them learn responsibility and self control. Parents can choose to allow apps, with limited time restrictions if desired. As children mature, parents can choose to allow more on this phone. Unlike some other phone options, Troomi allows parents complete control over their child’s contact list. And no unapproved numbers can contact or be contacted by the Troomi phone, which means no spam calls or spam texts.
Perhaps you will start out with restricted access to apps and then allow more as the child grows. Or maybe you will give your child a trial run and dial back the access if your child isn’t quite ready. That’s the beauty of this phone–at Troomi they understand every child is different and every parent should be able to parent each child individually.
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Check out our full review on Youtube with the video below.
Features of the Troomi Phone
The following are the features of the Troomi Phone
Online parent portal
As a parent, you manage and control your child’s Troomi phone through the online Parent Portal. I have to say the Troomi Parent Portal is so easy to use. It allows you to manage contacts, monitor text messages, add or delete apps, make changes to phone time allowances, and more. The parental control ease of use for this phone are the best of any kid safe phone we have tried.
Contact white list
Troomi is different in a few ways. First, it has a contact white list. This means parents have to approve every contact to be able to call or text the Troomi phone (and to receive calls and texts). Through the parent portal, parents are able to add new contacts. Kids can also request contacts on the phone. Then the parent can choose whether or not to approve the contact. The white list ensures your child will not receive spam calls or texts.
Remote text monitoring
Remote text monitoring is another great feature with Troomi. Through the parent portal, parents can read every text message sent and received by the Troomi phone. I’ll admit I don’t go through every single text each day, but I do scroll through occasionally to make sure everything is ok. I also like that I can see what photos my child has sent or received. Even deleted messages will show up on the parent portal. Parents can also look at a log of phone calls made and received as well as how long each call was.
KidSafe browser
Parents have three internet choices with Troomi.
- No internet browser allowed
- KidSafe Browser. The KidSafe Browser is one of the most unique things about the Troomi Phone. Parents decide which websites they want their children to have access to. Then parents enter the websites they want to allow on the Parent Portal under the KidSafe Browser. Only these parent-approved websites will be allowed to be accessed on the phone. This domain safelisting keeps kids protected from inappropriate content.
- Unrestricted Chrome Browser. This option gives kids choices on which websites they want to use without any restrictions or filters.
GPS
Troomi has GPS which tracks the phone in real time. It tracks in the Parent Portal. We have found it to be quite accurate. The above image is from the Parent Portal (with edits to protect privacy). You will notice the map clearly shows where the phone is. There is no ability to see where the phone has been previously, however.
Curated, vetted apps
Troomi has an expert team researching and trying out apps to make sure they are kid safe and appropriate. Most apps are available only when connected to WiFi (except GPS and Google Maps).
Basic apps
The following is the current list of basic apps available on all Troomi phone plans.
KidSmart Apps
These KidSmart Apps are available on the Troomi Discover Plan. Parents can choose whether or not to allow each app individually. Some of these apps do contain ads, which Troomi does not guarantee will be appropriate for your child. The list of apps on the Parent Portal gives a warning on the apps that do contain ads so parents can decide for themselves if it’s an appropriate fit. More apps are being added as they are approved.
Weekly and daily schedules
Parents can set up schedules on a Troomi phone. This means you control the hours your child can access text messages, phone calls, and individual apps. I love that I can schedule each app separately so my child doesn’t have access to most apps during school hours or at bedtime.
Games
My son, like most teen boys, loves to play video games. While I don’t allow him to play endlessly, I don’t see a problem with him playing for short periods of time after he has done his required chores, homework, music practice, and some socializing. Troomi allows a few fun games (which of course have to be allowed by a parent).
I love that I restrict the total time each game can be played as well as what hours of the day my son can play each game. Then I’m not worried about him trying to play a game during school.
Music options
We have debated how to handle music with our young teen. He loves listening to music, but I’m not sure he’s ready for a streaming service. The Discover Plan from Troomi has Amazon Music, Spotify, Spotify Kids, iHeartRadio Family all available over WiFi. We are holding off on music streaming platforms for now. The Troomi phone does have a built-in MP3 player that is perfect for what we need right now. Later, we might consider allowing music streaming.
No contract
One of the most unique things about Troomi is there is no contract required. You can cancel at anytime. They are confident enough that you will love the phone that there aren’t any strings attached. If you have looked around at competitors, you know that’s not the case with most other safe phones for kids.
Troomi Cell Phone Options
Troomi runs their own network. For me this was huge because it means I only have to pay one bill per month. Some other phones require you to pay one company to use the software and a separate company for cell service. With Troomi, it’s easy to just pay one bill a month. Then if there’s a problem (which we haven’t had yet) you know who to contact.
Troomi Samsung phone models
Troomi has three different Samsung phone models to choose from them. Here is a comparison of the three phones.
Phone plan options
Troomi offers three different plans to fit your child’s needs and your preferences. The following shows what each plan includes. All plans have unlimited talk and text to US, Canada, and Mexico. They also have unlimited texting to 190 countries (when texting from the U.S.).
Overall Troomi Phone Review
The Troomi phone is definitely one of the best safe phone options for kids. It has excellent parental controls and will grow with your child as he is ready for more independence. The phones are good quality, cell coverage is excellent (even in the middle of nowhere), and kids love the apps.
Unlike many other kid phones, Troomi does not require a contract; you can cancel at anytime. And Troomi offers a 30-day money back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied. We found only one drawback with this phone–most apps are available only when connected to WiFi. However, this hasn’t been a problem with my child.
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