Verizon Family FAQs

To manage your account, open the Verizon Family app.

For step-by-step instructions, refer to our How to use Verizon Family page. You can also watch our Verizon Family Overview video.

Note: If you’re having trouble signing in to the Verizon Family app, visit the Troubleshooting section of our How to use Verizon Family page.

In the Verizon Family app, you can add family members in the Manage profiles section on the Family Profiles tab, or by tapping the More tab and selecting Profile management.

Get step-by-step instructions on our Verizon Family - Add, Edit or Remove Guardian / Dependent / Member Roles page.

Yes, you can assign roles to other lines on your account, including another guardian device role in the Verizon Family app. Visit Verizon Family - Add, Edit or Remove Guardian / Dependent / Member Roles for steps.

Good to know: Account Owners and Account Managers can only be assigned a guardian role. Account Members can be assigned a dependent, guardian or member role. Individuals not on your Verizon account can only be assigned a member role.

Yes. If you change the phone number of your guardian device, your Verizon Family account will be suspended. You'll need to re-subscribe to the service and set up all of your controls again.

If your dependent changes their phone number, all of their controls need to be reset.

If the dependent changes their device, you'll need to pair the Verizon Family Companion app on your dependent's new device.

If your dependent allowed the companion app to be paired with his phone and location permission is enabled, a map displays:

• The dependent's location
• Check In and Pick Me Up buttons
• The location of other family members who are sharing location with the dependent

Good to know: If the Verizon Family Companion app isn't paired, a message displays reminding you to pair the phone with the app.

Yes, with Verizon Family, you can share your location with other guardian lines or all family members on the Verizon Family account.*

Turn location sharing on and off by selecting More > Profile Management in the Verizon Family app. By default, your location sharing preferences are set to Not shared.

Note: If you allow location to be shared with others, and you turn off device location permissions, your approximate location from the wireless network will continue to be shared.

Learn more by visiting our Verizon Family - Locate a Family Member page.

*Also applies to Smart Family Premium.

No, Verizon Family doesn't collect, use or share this information for lines designated in Verizon Family as guardians or members.

Keep in mind: Your dependent can view their own web and app activity as you see it.

The experience differs based on the type of phone your dependent has:

• Android - If the Companion app is removed, a text message immediately sends to the guardian and displays as a tamper error on the dependent's dashboard in the guardian's app.
• Apple
  • If the app is removed, some controls are no longer active on the dependent's device.
  • Guardians receive a notification within 48 hours that the app was removed.

Learn how to pair and unpair devices:

• Verizon Family - Pair Guardian and Dependent Devices
• Verizon Family - Unpair Guardian and Dependent Devices

No, Verizon Family doesn't let you view the content of your dependent's texts. You can't view the pictures and videos on your dependent's phone, or access the content of third-party messaging apps.

Note:

• Messages sent within third-party messaging apps (such as iMessage, Google Messages, WhatsApp or social media services such as Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct Messages) don't appear in the text activity feed.
• iPhones have the ability to turn off iMessage and use SMS solely.

Verizon Family does allow you to see the following information about your dependent's calls and texts made over Verizon's wireless calling and messaging services:

• See incoming and outbound text and call activity from any dependent device on the account.
• See the times associated with each text and call received.
• View contact rank (ranking is based on the frequency of texts and calls in a 7-day period).
• Add contacts to a watch list and get notified about texts or calls with this contact.
• See the number of texts and calls the dependent receives during school and night hours.
• Save the numbers that your dependent's device interacts with under unique names.
• See the names associated with each text and call received, as stored in your or your dependent's contacts.

No, Verizon Family doesn't show messages sent within or calls made through third-party apps such as Apple iMessage, Google Messages, WhatsApp or social media services such as Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct Messages.

With Verizon Family Plus*, you can view screen time activity. Screentime shows you:

• An overview of how much time your dependent spent on their device each day.
• A breakdown of apps used and the amount of time spent on each.

You can also tap View more to see an hour-by-hour Screentime chart. Learn more about Screentime by visiting our Verizon Family - View Screentime* page.

Note: Screentime may not be available for all apps and may not reflect the actual time spent on the device or certain apps. Website and app activity may include both user generated activity and websites and apps that run in the background on the device and ads served on sites visited.

*Also available with Smart Family and Smart Family Premium.

Web & App Activity is available with Verizon Family Plus.* You see a graph that shows:

• General categories of content, such as social media, games or videos, and a ratio for how much your dependent engages in each category.
• A breakdown of which websites and apps they used within those categories and how much time spent on each individual website or app.

Learn more about viewing Web & App Activity by visiting our Verizon Family - View Activity page.

Note: Dependent lines receive a periodic text message (or push notification on tablets) telling them that their web and app activity is being monitored. Guardians should ensure that Verizon Family Notifications are enabled in the device settings for tablets.

*Also available with Smart Family and Smart Family Premium.

You'll be informed* of any noteworthy events by push notification. This includes:

• Visits to an objectionable website**
• Device usage during school hours
• Device usage during nighttime hours

Note: You can turn off all alerts regarding noteworthy events in your settings or specific alerts you don't want to receive in the Noteworthy events tab under each dependent's profile.

*Web & App Activity is available with Verizon Family Plus, Smart Family and Smart Family Premium.
**You can view what categories fall under Objectionable in the Content Filters section of your Verizon Family app. You'll receive these alerts even if you don't have any content filters turned on, but you can turn off these alerts at anytime.

All online activity will be available in the Web & App Activity* view, including while your dependent is on Wi-Fi.

Keep in mind: We aren't able to show your dependent's usage of apps that don't use internet services and run offline.

*Web & App Activity is available with Verizon Family Plus, Smart Family and Smart Family Premium.

When setting up the Companion app on your dependent's phone, we will ask permission to establish a VPN profile on that phone through which all internet-related activity passes. If enabled, we use the VPN connection to provide you with these Verizon Family Plus* features:

• Content filters
• Time restrictions
• Web and app activity monitoring

*Also applies to Verizon Smart Family and Smart Family Premium.

When setting up the Companion app on an Android or iOS device, you provide us with the Usage Access permission, which provides the apps accessed and time spent on the device.

No, the Web & App Activity feature is only available for lines designated as a dependent. They can't be used for guardian lines.

Only designated guardian lines on your Verizon Family account and any members that are granted permission by the guardian are able to view your dependent's web and app activity.

If you no longer want to view your dependent's web and app activity or screen time, you can disable the Verizon Family VPN from your dependent's device or uninstall the Companion app from your dependent's device.

During a time restriction, the dependent won't be able to:

• Use Verizon wireless calling or messaging services to call or text people who aren't included as trusted contacts*
• Use cellular data
• Use Wi-Fi (if the dependent's device is paired)

Note: With the Just Kids** plan, you can only limit data with time restrictions. Restricting calling and texting to trusted contacts only is already in place and can't be changed.

*For Verizon connected tablets, only data and Wi-Fi restrictions apply. These devices cannot make or receive calls and text messages.
**No longer available to add to accounts.

Even if you set call and text restrictions through Verizon Family, your dependent can download and use OTT apps or smartphone features that don't send calls or texts through the Verizon cellular network. These apps and features can let your dependent call or message people who aren't trusted contacts.

To prevent use of these apps and features, you can:

• Use Verizon Family to block the Google™ Play store, so your dependent can't install these services
• Use Verizon Family to block certain apps from using any data (if that app is listed in our content filter options)
• Disable the feature directly on your dependent's device

You can set up content filters to block all websites and apps in a variety of content categories.

You can also allow websites in the content filters section of the Verizon Family app so that they are not otherwise blocked by a content filter.

You can't block an app that is not included in one of the content filter categories. However, on the Verizon Family app's* content filter screen, you can report an app that should be blocked. We take these reports into consideration for possible future Family updates.

You may also enter the URL of any online entity featuring content you don't want your dependent to view. Doing so will also block this content from any related apps.

No, you won't be notified if your dependent attempts to access blocked content or websites on their phone.

Learn how to remove content filters on our Verizon Family - Edit Content Filtering page.

When Verizon Family's content filters conflict with your router's content filters, your router's content filters will be given priority.

If you would like to use Verizon Family's content filters instead, you'll need to disable your router's content filters.

Some apps or websites may share resources with another one, which could cause your blocking of one to impact the other.

For example, if Facebook is blocked, you may not be able to sign in to Spotify using the Sign in through Facebook option.

We have done our best to limit these instances and continue to do so.

The Driving Insights feature* lets guardians view their dependent's driving activity or their own driving activity. A driving score for each trip includes events such as:

• Speeding and rapid acceleration
• Phone usage while driving
• Hard braking based on the driving activity detected through the dependent's mobile device
• Hard cornering

An overall driving score is also calculated based on these events, unless your dependent is designated as a passenger.

Learn more about Driving Insights by visiting our How to Use Verizon Family page.

*Driving insights self view only is available with Verizon Family. Family view is available with Verizon Family Plus and Smart Family Premium.

To use Driving Insights*, you need to:

• Have the Verizon Family and Verizon Family Companion apps installed and paired with your dependent's compatible device.
• Your dependent must provide permission for Verizon Family to access location, motion sensor data and phone usage data and enable driving insights for the dependent's device to provide trip details and crash detection. You have the option to set your dependent as a Passenger or Driver for all trips or individual trips.

*Driving insights self view only is available with Verizon Family. Family view is available with Verizon Family Plus and Smart Family Premium.

The Companion app uses the motion sensors in your dependent’s phone to determine that they’re traveling in a vehicle. It records the corresponding data until it's detected that the trip has ended.

No. You have the option to set your dependent as a Passenger or Driver for all trips or individual trips. For trips where a dependent is designated as a passenger, only a trip driving score is available.

On a scale of 0-100, the driving score represents the frequency of risky behaviors that could contribute to unsafe driving practices, including:

• Hard acceleration
• Hard braking
• Hard cornering
• Speeding
• Phone usage

A lower score suggests frequent risky driving behaviors.

Each trip is scored and an overall driver score is presented. The overall score only includes trips where the dependent was a driver over the past 7 days.

Verizon Family* gathers data from mobile sensors and measures driving activity based on:

• Hard acceleration
• Hard braking
• Hard cornering
• Speeding
• Phone usage (screen is on/unlocked and phone is moving around) - not available for trips when dependent is designated as passenger

In the app, you can view your or your dependent's overall driving score, as well as individual trip scores for specific drives.

*Driving insights self view only is available with Verizon Family. Family view is available with Verizon Family Plus and Smart Family Premium.

During setup of the driving insights feature* on the dependent's device, the dependent has to allow permissions and turn on Driving insights in the Companion app in order to share the activity with other members on the Family account.

*Driving insights self view only is available with Verizon Family. Family view is available with Verizon Family Plus and Smart Family Premium.

Driving history is available for 7 days.*

*Driving insights self view only is available with Verizon Family. Family view is available with Verizon Family Plus and Smart Family Premium.

You won't be able to set any controls to prevent your dependent's phone usage specifically while driving.

To enjoy all driving insight features, make sure your device maintains:

• Battery power above 15%
• An internet and network connection
• A GPS signal
• All necessary smartphone settings including, but not limited to, permission for location sharing, battery usage, motion sensors, and background data processing

Trips may not record if the dependent device is in Power Save Mode.

Other issues that can affect drive recordings:

• The beginning of a trip may be delayed
• A trip may get divided into 2 trips if there's a pause in the trip lasting longer than 5 minutes
• The service may not recognize short trips or short stops during a longer trip
• Other open apps running
• Device acquiring a GPS signal

*Driving insights self view only is available with Verizon Family. Family view is available with Verizon Family Plus and Smart Family Premium.

Yes, drives can still be reported* if the dependent is using Android Auto™ or Apple CarPlay®.

*Driving insights self view only is available with Verizon Family. Family view is available with Verizon Family Plus and Smart Family Premium.

Yes, an internet connection can come from your cellular network or a Wi-Fi network.

If the device isn't connected to the internet when new trip data is acquired or newly scored trips are ready to be downloaded, the upload/download happens when the internet connection is re-established.

Yes, guardian lines can monitor their own driving activity by turning on Driving Insights from Get driving insights located in the More menu.

In the Verizon Family app* on your or your dependent's device, go into Get driving insights located in the More menu, and turn off Driving Insights for that particular device.

*Driving insights self view only is available with Verizon Family. Family view is available with Verizon Family Plus and Smart Family Premium.

Verizon Family Crash Detection* will notify you by Verizon Family app notification if there's been a potential crash involving your dependent. Verizon Family* won't contact or dispatch 911 or other emergency services.

Note: You must have notifications from the Verizon Family app turned on in order to be alerted to crashes.

*Driving insights self view only is available with Verizon Family. Family view is available with Verizon Family Plus and Smart Family Premium.

Crash Detection is enabled once you turn on Driving Insights.

No, Verizon Family* is designed to notify you of moderate to severe crashes. You likely won't receive a notification for a minor vehicle crash (e.g., low speed impacts, potholes, curbs) or a crash while the vehicle is stationary.

Note: You must have notifications from the Verizon Family app turned on in order to be alerted to crashes.

*Driving insights self view only is available with Verizon Family. Family view is available with Verizon Family Plus and Smart Family Premium.

No, Verizon Family won't contact or dispatch 911 or other emergency services automatically. By using the service, you acknowledge your understanding that in the event a crash is detected, we won't send emergency help.

Roadside Assistance is included with Verizon Family Plus and is provided through third-party providers. Your membership allows up to 4 service claims per year for these common emergency situations:

• Battery jump starts
• Fuel delivery*
• Changing a flat tire
• Key lockout assistance
• Towing*

Learn more about your coverage on the Verizon Family Roadside Assistance terms of service page.

*Fuel delivery up to 3 gallons, you may be charged for the cost of fuel. Towing up to 10 miles.

Roadside Assistance is included with Verizon Family Plus. If you have Verizon Family Plus, visit Verizon Family Roadside Assistance - Enroll for Service.

Pre-registering your vehicle in the Verizon Family app is not required but is encouraged. Pre-registering makes it easier to request emergency roadside assistance services when you need them.

You can add up to 10 vehicles per Verizon Family account.

Guardians on the Verizon Family account can request service for themselves or someone else, even if the guardian is not with the car at the time. If requesting service, the guardian enters the information for the person needing assistance:

• Location
• Name
• Phone number
• Car details

The guardian must provide their Roadside Assistance Member ID to the person needing assistance (if the guardian is not present).

Verizon Family Roadside Assistance starts immediately after you enroll in the Verizon Family app. After enrollment, you receive notification that your enrollment is complete.

You can view your Roadside Assistance Member ID in the Roadside Assistance screen in the Verizon Family app. Once you have a Roadside Assistance Member ID, the service is enabled on your Verizon Family account.

Verizon Family Roadside Assistance doesn't cover these vehicle types:

• RVs
• Boats
• Trailers
• Vehicles with more than 2 axles
• Vehicles with more than 4 wheels
• Vehicles designed or modified for commercial or heavy-duty use (e.g., limousines, emergency vehicles)
• Vehicles exceeding 10,000 lbs gross vehicle weight

When a service provider arrives, you need your Verizon Family account's Roadside Assistance Member ID. Find your Member ID in the Roadside Assistance homescreen of the Verizon Family app.

For instructions to request Roadside Assistance using the Verizon Family app, visit Verizon Family Roadside Assistance - Request Towing Service.

As the person requesting service, you receive these in-app notifications:

• Request is submitted
• Service provider is confirmed
• Service provider is on their way
• Service provider's progress
• Service provider has arrived
• Service is completed

You can opt out of receiving text message notifications. You can have text message notifications sent to the person you designate as needing service.

Terms of service are within the Verizon Family app when you enable Roadside Assistance. Or visit the Verizon Family Roadside Assistance Terms of Service page.

The top contacts category shows you which contacts your dependent communicates with most frequently based on the number of Verizon calls and texts. Contact rankings are updated every 4 hours.

Trusted contacts are people you want your dependent to be able to call and text at all times. Your dependent is able to communicate with their trusted contacts during time restrictions and after their usage limits have been reached (which could result in overage charges depending on your dependent's plan). You can trust up to 20 contacts.

Trusted contacts can include any of the following:

• 10-digit mobile or landline numbers
• International numbers (international calling is billable and could result in overage charges if you don't have an international plan)
• Your own number to access Voicemail (Voicemail usage is billable and could result in overage charges if your plan doesn't have unlimited minutes)

If you have the Just Kids plan*:

• All mobile numbers on your Verizon mobile account are included as trusted contacts. You can add or delete trusted contacts as needed in the Verizon Family app.
• Everyone except for trusted contacts is blocked from calling and texting you.**
• You can block data from third-party apps through Verizon Family, so your dependent doesn't use it to talk to people outside of their trusted contacts.
• You can disable device features, like iMessage, on your dependent's phone to prevent them from using it to message other iPhone users outside of their trusted contacts.

*No longer available to add to accounts.
**This feature is only for calls and texts made on Verizon wireless cellular calling and text messaging (SMS/MMS) services. Verizon Family does not monitor or block calls or messaging sent over the internet or through Rich Communications Services (RCS), such as Apple iMessage, Apple FaceTime, Google Messages, Google Voice, or WhatsApp, or via social media services such as Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct Messages.

You can block up to 20 contacts from communicating with your dependent's device. All calls and texts to and from blocked contacts will be prevented.**

You can block:

• 10-digit mobile or landline numbers
• International phone numbers
• Incoming calls from numbers listed as Private, Restricted or Unavailable
• Short codes, including 411, 1411, #411 and *411 directory assistance

To block specific phone numbers or contacts, enter the phone number as a blocked contact.

Note: You can't block 911, numbers that are within your own Verizon account, or numbers currently added to the trusted contacts list.

If you have the Just Kids plan:*

• Everyone except for your trusted contacts is blocked.**
• You can block data from third-party apps through Verizon Family, so your dependent doesn't use it to talk to people outside of their trusted contacts.
• You can disable device features, like iMessage, on your dependent's phone to prevent them from using it to message other iPhone users outside of their trusted contacts.

*No longer available to add to accounts.
**This feature is only for calls and texts made on Verizon wireless cellular calling and text messaging (SMS/MMS) services. Verizon Family does not monitor or block calls or messaging sent over the internet or through Rich Communications Services (RCS), such as Apple iMessage, Apple FaceTime, Google Messages, Google Voice, or WhatsApp, or via social media services such as Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct Messages.

If the caller has enabled Caller ID Blocking and the number is recognized by our network, a number on your blocked contacts list will still be blocked.

If you've chosen to block all Private, Restricted and Unavailable numbers on your dependent’s phone, any caller using Caller ID Blocking will be prohibited from contacting your dependent.

Go to the Caller ID Blocking FAQs to learn more.

Yes, you can sync Verizon Family with your contacts and your dependent's contacts. Your dependent's call/text activity, top contacts and individual contacts profile will appear with contact names.

If a phone number is saved in both of your address books, it will be displayed as the name in yours. When the name is only saved on your dependent's device, it will be displayed with the dependent address book icon next to the name of the contact.

Once permission to sync with your dependent’s contacts is provided on your and your dependent's devices, contacts will be synced every 24 hours.

If you don't have the Verizon Companion app installed and paired on the dependent's phone, you'll receive the approximate location of their phone from the mobile network. Location accuracy may vary up to a few miles.

If the Verizon Companion app is installed on your dependent's phone and paired with your phone, you'll get:

• A more precise location
• The ability to set up location alerts
• Access to the location check-in feature that lets your dependent send you a notification with their precise location
• Use of the Pick Me Up feature that lets your dependent send a request for a ride to a guardian line

Note: Verizon connected tablets must be paired with the Verizon Companion app and Verizon Family notifications enabled in device settings to display the location of the device.

No, your dependent won't know when you've located them.

Keep in mind: They'll get a monthly text message, or push notification if the device is a Verizon connected tablet, informing them that their location may be shared with account members.

If your dependent's device is paired with the Companion app and the location permission is enabled, the location results indicate a street address and approximately how many yards away the device is from that location.

However, location accuracy depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to:

• Pairing status of the Companion app with guardian device
• Dependent device has good connectivity to data network
• Dependent device has location ON and set to high accuracy
• Companion app has permission to always access dependent's device location
• Companion app has Background App Refresh turned ON (iOS devices only)

We recommend you turn on location permissions for your dependent's device as described above for better location accuracy.

Verizon Family is designed to be used within Verizon coverage areas in the continental US and Hawaii. Some features may be unavailable outside this service area.

Keep in mind: If your dependent's device is paired with the Companion app and is connected to Wi-Fi when it's outside the Verizon network or roaming internationally, you'll be able to see the device's location.

Data usage may apply when roaming.

If a dependent can't be located, the dependent's device may be off or the phone's GPS functionality is deactivated.

If the phone can't be located for an extended period of time, talk with your dependent to check their device settings to ensure:

• Dependent device is paired
• Dependent device has good connectivity to data network
• Dependent device has location ON and set to high accuracy
• Verizon connected tablet has push notifications for the Companion app enabled
• Companion app has permission to always access dependent's device location
• Companion app has Background App Refresh turned ON (iOS devices only)

If the device still can't be located after 24+ hours (and the settings are accurate), contact Verizon Customer Service at 800-922-0204.

You can view location history for the prior 7 days.

Boundary alerts should occur close to the time they were triggered. They are occasionally delayed for various reasons, including:

• Dropped pairing between dependent and guardian devices
• Pairing lost or tampered on the Companion app status
• Network connectivity

Yes, you can invite an individual who is not on your Verizon mobile plan as a Member role on your Verizon Family account. The Member will have to accept the invite and download the Verizon Family app to allow location sharing.

Safe Walk is a safety feature included with Verizon Family and Verizon Family Plus.*

Here's how Safe Walk works:

• Location Sharing - When activated, Safe Walk lets you share your real-time location with your designated emergency contacts.
• SOS button - If you feel unsafe, you can send a silent SOS alert to your emergency contacts through the Verizon Family app. Your emergency contacts can:
  • See where you are on a map
  • Get updates if you move
  • Get options for directions to your location or call you directly
• Safe Arrival - Once you've reached your destination, you can mark yourself "safe" in the app to notify your contacts.

Good to know: At least 1 emergency contact is required for Safe Walk to work. Only guardians can designate emergency contacts for a dependent line.

To learn more about using Safe Walk, visit our Using Safe Walk page.

*Also available with Smart Family Premium.

Safe Walk is available when you have Verizon Family and Verizon Family Plus.*

You and any family member who wants to use Safe Walk must also have the latest Verizon Family app version on your phone. Visit these pages to learn how to set up Safe Walk:

• Verizon Family - Set Up Safe Walk (Guardian)
• Verizon Family - Set Up Safe Walk (Dependent)

*Also available with Smart Family Premium.

After sending an SOS in Safe Walk:

• You'll get notified of who's seen your alert and see when someone is on their way to help.
• Once you're safe, tap the Mark as Safe button. This lets everyone know you're okay and ends the Safe Walk session.

Important: Safe Walk SOS doesn't contact 911. It only sends an alert to your personal emergency contacts. Always call 911 directly in an emergency situation.