A mother and her son

Vodafone Guardian app for Android

Vodafone Guardian is a free Android app (standard download charges apply) that allows you to choose who can call/TXT your child, the times your child can use their phone and whether they can use the camera, browse the Internet or download apps.

“Technology is a real part of family life today and can be used in so many positive ways - but parents still need to be the ones who teach appropriate boundaries around technology. Vodafone recognises this and is leading the way by providing practical tools to help parents put appropriate boundaries around this medium.”

Bruce Pilbrow, Parents Inc CEO

Key features of Vodafone Guardian

New
  • Set the times of day your child can use their phone for calling and web access
  • Bar calls from numbers that aren’t in their contacts/address book
  • Set the phone to only accept calls from friends and family
  • Lock the Internet via browser; WiFi; or even certain apps e.g. YouTube
  • Give your child the ability to choose whether or not to accept TXTs. Unaccepted TXTs are locked in a password protected archive

How do I get Vodafone Guardian app?

Important things to know about Vodafone Guardian

Alert
  • You can tailor the app settings on your child’s phone - see the Vodafone Guardian User Guide for more detail
  • You’ll receive a TXT if your child uses emergency override; deactivates or tries to uninstall the app (standard TXT charges apply)
  • Your child will always be able to call emergency services

 

More important things to know about Vodafone Guardian

  • Calls made to the phone when not allowed on the ‘Active Hours’ setting will be diverted straight to voicemail (the phone won’t ring). If you want to give your child access to voicemail all you need to do is add 707 to their contacts/address book.
  • TXTs/PXTs sent to the phone when not allowed on the ‘Active Hours’ setting will be sent straight to the archive and are only viewable through the app by password.
  • When your child receives a TXT they have the option to ‘Accept’ or ‘Not accept’ the message. If they don’t accept the message it is removed from the phone’s inbox and stored in the app’s archive. If your child receives abusive TXTs that they want to stop then they can stop receiving any from the sender by using our free Blacklist service.
  • The app has a ‘white list’ - which is a set of numbers that will always be allowed no matter what restrictions have been set. These are emergency service numbers, child protection numbers such as Kids Line and key Vodafone numbers like customer services. Read the full Vodafone Guardian white-list.
  • Vodafone’s Top Me Up service is restricted from your child’s phone. If you want to give your child access to this service you need to add the shortcode 867 to the contacts/address book.
  • Vodafone Guardian Terms and Conditions apply.
 

Quick tips for using Vodafone Guardian

How do I block the internet on my child’s phone?

  • Go to ‘Phone Features’ then ‘Browser’ and ‘Wi-Fi’
  • To block internet apps like Gmail and You Tube go to ‘Phone Features’ then ‘More’ and select the apps you want to block. You can block the apps completely or restrict by time of day

How do I ensure my child and I can call each other?

  • Go to ‘Calls & Messages’ then ‘Contacts’ select your number and ensure your setting for ‘Incoming Calls’ and ‘Outgoing Calls’ is ‘Always allowed’

How do I stop my child from using TXT messaging?

  • Go to ‘Phone Features’ then ‘More’ then select ‘Messaging’ app to block. Your child will still see incoming TXTs as these aren’t restricted.
  • You can restrict incoming TXTs by selecting ‘Calls & Messages’; ‘Active Hours’ then ‘incoming SMS’

How do I stop my child from uninstalling the Vodafone Guardian app?

  • We recommend that you block ‘Settings’ in the ‘Phone Features’ to prevent your child from being able to remove the app
  • During set-up you’re prompted to download the Vodafone Guardian Add-On. This app will send you a TXT if the child uninstalls the app

What happens if my child needs to use their phone urgently?

  • When your child attempts to make a call they’ll get an ‘emergency override’ option that allows them to use their phone for 15 minutes
  • Set your number in ‘contacts’ as ‘always allowed’ your child can always call you even if the apps ‘Active Hours’ is on
  • At any time your child will be able to call emergency services

What do I do if I forgot my password?

  • When logging into the app select ‘forgotten password’ and a new password will be sent to your phone

We would like your feedback on Vodafone Guardian

Thanks for your feedback!

We’ll review all the feedback we receive and use it to make Vodafone Guardian even better at keeping kids safe when using their smartphones. Please check the Android Market Place for updates as we won’t be able to contact you directly.

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Vodafone Parents’ Guide

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