Verizon Family (previously called Smart Family) lets parents (known in the app as Guardians) and other trusted adults (known as Members) keep an eye on kids' phones and tablets. It helps families find each other's devices, and includes tools that let your Guardians and others they allow set screen time and usage limits, approve contacts, block certain websites and apps, pause the internet, see who and when you call and text over the Verizon network and what websites you visit and apps you use, and monitor your driving activity. Verizon Family also has Safe Walk, which lets you quickly send your device location to your emergency contacts.

When a Guardian adds you to a Verizon Family account, we may collect from them your name, photo, birthday, trusted and emergency contacts, and info about the Verizon Family features they want to use, like whether they want to block certain websites or apps, and if you are a driver or passenger (if you have turned on driving insights monitoring). When you use your phone, we collect your device location using our wireless network, information about who and when you are calling and texting over the Verizon wireless network, how much data you are using, and information about your phone or tablet, like its phone number and certain device identifiers.

If you download the Verizon Family companion app and give us permission, we may also collect your device’s precise location using GPS, online activity, the contacts saved on your phone or tablet, and motion activity that shows if you are walking, running, biking, or riding in a car. We also collect other information about your device, like the device type, the version of the Verizon Family app you are using, the features you use in the app, and other device identifiers and IP address. This information is used to provide the services requested by your Guardian. 

We will also collect a PIN from you which you can use to cancel an SOS alert that you may activate during a Safe Walk session. If you enable driving insights, we will collect information about where you are and other information like your trip route and distance; how fast the vehicle traveled; how the vehicle braked, accelerated, and cornered; and potential crashes. This information is used to create a driving score for each trip you take. If your Guardian says you are a driver, we will also collect info about whether you are using your phone when the car is moving and use that to help calculate your overall driving score.

If your phone or tablet is connected to the Verizon network, we will also collect an E-911 address to help with emergency response in case you need help.

Verizon Family only collects from you the information we need to make Verizon Family work and to improve it. We never sell kids’ information or use it to show them ads.

Verizon Family shares  information about you with other people on the Verizon Family account and with companies that help us provide Verizon Family. These companies can only use your information to provide and help us improve Verizon Family and they must delete your information when they no longer need it to provide the service. We don't share information we collect through Verizon Family for any other purpose.

When your Guardian adds you to their Verizon Family account, they have to agree to let us collect some information about you. They can also invite you to download the Verizon Family Companion app. If you download the app, you’ll be asked to let Verizon Family collect some information about you, like your location, how you’re moving (like walking, biking, running, or in a vehicle), and the contacts on your phone or tablet. You’ll also be asked to allow Verizon Family to install a VPN, which lets your Guardians and others they allow see what websites and apps you’re using, block certain ones, and even pause the internet. 

You can turn off some permissions, like the VPN and the sharing of your motion activity or your contacts, in your phone or tablet’s settings. If you uninstall the VPN, some features that let your Guardians and others they allow see your web and app activity may be turned off. But, if you use an Android, your screen time info might still be collected depending on your settings. You can also change your location permission in your device settings, but Verizon Family will still get your approximate location from the wireless network if you have a Verizon device. You can turn off driving insights monitoring in your Verizon Family app’s settings.  

If you delete the Verizon Family Companion app, it will stop collecting your GPS location, how you’re moving, online activity, and driving info. But Verizon Family will still get your approximate location from the Verizon wireless network. 

To stop all information sharing by Verizon Family, your Guardian needs to remove your profile from their Verizon Family app. Verizon will continue to collect information to provide wireless service to your device.

We only keep the information for as long as we need it to provide the Verizon Family service to you. When your Guardians don’t want to use Verizon Family any longer and unsubscribe from Verizon Family, or delete your profile from their account, Verizon Family deletes the information we have about you.

Some states give you the right to see what data we have about you and ask to have it deleted or corrected. If you would like to see the data we have about you or ask to have it deleted or corrected, talk to your parents. They can see, delete, and make changes to some information we have about you directly in their Verizon Family app or can make a request on your behalf. You can also call (800) 333-3972 to make a request to see the data we have about you or ask to have it deleted or, if you are 13 years or older, you can make a request through our Verizon privacy inquiries form.

If you want to know more about how Verizon Family uses your information, view our full Verizon Family Privacy Policy with your parents. You or your parents can also email us at verizonfamily@verizonwireless.com. 

Last Update: October, 2024