Pinwheel Kids PhonesReviews of pinwheel.com

Well, this is sort of like... you’ve got to be smarter than the dog to train him. I think Pinwheel has something good, but it’s not good enough. I’ve found a few flaws... 1. If you have your phone set to not allow certain apps at specific times, if the app is left open when a new time is set, you can apparently still access that app. Sort of defeats the purpose. 2. And when you’re on an app like Spotify for example, you can still access beyond Spotify. For example... click on the image and links and it will actually take you to Facebook. Two BIG loopholes and I’m disappointed. HOWEVER, I appreciate all the efforts of Pinwheel's team and know they're working on these loopholes. I'm looking forward to the improved product.

I'm so thankful for pinwheel. There customer service is spot on. Are there issues? Yes. Do they address them and work to make it right? YES!!! Do I feel good about giving my daughter a pinwheel phone? YES!! Would I recommend them to friends and family? YES!!!!!!!!!!! This is a great device for kids. I'm able to keep my daughter protected from all the crap she doesn't need to be exposed to! She just gets an awesome phone that gives her a measure of responsibility and freedom.

I love it! It is the only way I would feel safe with him having a phone. Other teens might be able to have a bit more autonomy, but my kid needs the limits. I love that I can limit contact during school time. I like that I can prevent calls or texts with people he shouldn't have access to. It is wonderful. I am a Pinwheel evangelist. The customer service is top notch.

I felt it was easy to navigate. I am not tech savvy in the least, but I was grateful I didn't need an IT degree to work the site.

My daughter needed a phone after her father and I got divorced, to be able to keep in contact more easily. I chose Pinwheel after a ton of research because — well, a lot of reasons! — but the big ones: 1) The phone cannot call or text with anyone I have not approved. All the other phones come with spam calls and the ability to talk to strangers, neither of which felt ok for my daughter. and 2) It has useful apps, but I don't have to agonize about whether it's one that ok for her to have or not — they have all been vetted and curated to not be addictive, no social media, no website access, etc. and 3) All the configuration of the phone happens through a web-based control panel I access on MY computer. So I can make changes to it, check on her location, read her text history, and more — without having to have the phone in my presence! Convenient for me, and gives me peace of mind: she can't 'hack' controls that aren't there. But the biggest thing she loves, was a detail to me, and now it's my favorite feature: routines! You can set the phone to do different things at different times of day, so when she's at school, all it CAN do is call me or her dad. No apps, no friend calls, nothing. I knew that. But tied to modes is "routines" — it's like a checklist you set up of things they are supposed to do during that time. Like, we have a "Getting Ready for School" mode, where she can listen to music, but none of her other apps are on. And with that, she has a "routine" — a checklist of - Check the weather - Get dressed - Brush teeth - Brush hair - Wash face - Feed the dog - Eat breakfast etc. Everything she does, she taps on and gets a little gold star. When she finishes the whole list, it has a confetti effect. The routines and modes are 100% customizable — and my daughter LOVES them. It's such a thoughtful feature.

I am excited to be a part of this up and coming company. Their mission and goals are so very needed in the teenage community right now. More than ever we should be seeking out companies that want to serve and protect our younger generation from the dangers and harms that are obviously befalling our children, from predators to pornography, from bullying to disconnect, these things are ripping our children apart, and destroying the family unit. My daughter is the victim of sexual harassment on social media. We gave her an iPhone at a very young age, not really knowing the potential harm it could and did eventually cause. Once I was aware of the situation I took action and removed her phone. I looked for many days and weeks for an alternative for her, so she could connect with her friends without the constant barrage of snaps, likes, comments and predators asking for inappropriate pictures, I decided to give Pinwheel a go. I won't lie, we've had struggles with getting used to this new way of doing things, but only because she was so ingrained in the old way. Once she opened up and actually started using the phone she started to enjoy it, she became the person she was way before she ever had a "smart" phone. Fun, engaging, silly, just a typical teen. I so appreciate this company and their mission!

Great first phone for my 10 year old! I love the parental controls. She’s happy to have a first phone! Great customer service.

Great features and value. We got a Pinwheel for our older son and Gabb Wireless phone for our younger son and upgrading to Pinwheel for both at a later stage. Excellent customer service and technical features.