T-Mobile Launches $10/Mo FamilyMode Service

T-Mobile jumped into the digital parenting arena this morning with an announcement for a new product called FamilyMode. Yeah, the name is silly and I’m not sure why there isn’t a space between Family and Mode, but the basics are that it costs $10/mo, plus a $20 one-time device fee, to get massive control over the smart devices in your home that your entire family might use.

With T-Mobile FamilyMode, you are able to not only manage the phones and tablets that your kids use, but also their gaming consoles, laptops, smart TVs, and other devices. T-Mobile is doing this by selling you the FamilyMode home base, which connects directly to your home’s WiFi router via ethernet cable. From there, and with the T-Mobile FamilyMode app setup, you should have all the controls you need to shut down that bratty 8 year old.

You can see the FamilyMode features list below and how it compares to Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint offerings, but you’ll get things like location tracking, internet filtering, usage monitoring and scheduling, history breakdowns, and screen time limits. T-Mobile also seems very excited about the “level of detail” that this service is able to show you, as well as the controls over your kids’ Xbox or TV or computer, which no other carriers are doing.

NOTE: FamilyMode and its app will work without the home base if you only need to manage your kids’ phones or tablets over cellular networks. If you want the full experience, though, you’ll need the home base too.

Again, the FamilyMode home base costs $20 and connects via ethernet to your WiFi router. You then pay $10/mo for access to the FamilyMode app. Within that app is where you’ll find the controls for all of the connected devices in your home.

You can sign-up here for the launch on June 29.

// T-Mobile