Troomi Phone Review
There are quite a few options out there for parents who are interested in buying their child a smartphone with built-in parental controls – a necessity in this day and age. Troomi offers one such phone, and this review will help you decide if a Troomi phone is the right fit for your family.
OUR VERDICT
The Troomi Phone is better than a normal smartphone with free parental controls. However, the parental controls that Troomi offers are still fairly basic, and children will likely outgrow the Troomi phone very quickly. There are certainly better options out there.
FOR
Safe internet browsing
Remote text message monitoring
Customizable restrictions
AGAINST
No app for parents to use
Very limited list of apps that child can download
Cannot choose your own cellular plan
Troomi Mobile Phones
If you’re looking for built-in parental controls to provide a safe smartphone for your kids, there is only one option for Troomi phones. The Troomi Phone is a Samsung A14 5G, and it comes with cellular service, so you cannot choose your own network.
After paying for the phone, you will pay a monthly subscription that covers the phone’s operation and cellular plan.
How Troomi Works
Since the Troomi Phone comes with parental controls already installed, parents simply need to power on the phone when they receive it and set up the controls from their parent portal in a web browser. Troomi does not currently offer a parent app for the parent’s phone. The cellular plan is part of the monthly subscription, so it will be ready to use right away.
The Troomi Phone allows parents to set up basic restrictions for their child such as the amount of total screen time. However, the options are limited, and parents who like a large amount of flexibility and customization options may be disappointed. Troomi only allows a very small number of apps to be downloaded onto the phone. While some parents may appreciate the available apps already having been vetted, there will be times when a parent wants to allow their child to download an app and it is not available.
Parents also have access to other features such as getting the GPS location of the phone, setting contacts to be blocked, and internet filtering.
Troomi does allow parents to remotely view text messages on their child’s device, but it does not offer any sort of alerts about concerning content detected in the messages like the MMGuardian Phone does. Parents will need to keep a close eye on messages if they are worried about their child’s conversations.
Pros and Cons of the Troomi Phone
Pros
√ Remote control of phone from portal
√ GPS location
√ Available apps have been vetted
√ Block specific contacts
Cons
x Limited customization
x Expensive
x Cannot download apps from Google Play
x No message alerts
What carrier does the Troomi Phone use?
The Troomi Phone comes locked in with its own custom carrier (on the AT&T network) which you cannot change. You cannot add the Troomi Phone to your current family plan or choose an alternate carrier such as Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.
Does the Troomi Phone have Internet?
The Troomi Phone is able to connect to WiFi and use cellular data. It also has a safe web browser which can be filtered to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content.
Parents can also completely, temporarily disable internet access on their child’s phone.
Is the Troomi Phone safe?
The Troomi Phone is a much safer option than getting your child a phone without any parental controls, and it is a big improvement over most free parental control apps as well.
What age are Troomi phones for?
Troomi phones will work for a child of any age. However, due to the lack of apps available to download and limited controls, they are better suited for younger children. Parents will likely find that a child outgrows the Troomi Phone very quickly.
Can I install additional parental controls on the Troomi Phone?
No, Troomi limits the apps available to download on Troomi Phones, so installing other parental controls is not an option.
How much does the Troomi Phone cost?
The Troomi Phone is not free. The Troomi Phone currently costs $199.95 up front and has to be purchased with a subscription that covers the operation of the phone and cellular plan.
There are three subscription options, all of which come with unlimited talk and text.
MMGuardian Phone vs Troomi Phone
The MMGuardian Phone has been mentioned several times in this article as it covers many of the weaknesses of the Troomi Phone.
- MMGuardian phones work with all major US carriers.
- Parents will receive AI-powered alerts about concerning content detected in their child’s messages.
- The MMGuardian Phone features a robust set of parental controls that are highly customizable.
While the Troomi Phone may be a viable option for younger children, most children will quickly outgrow a Troomi Phone. The MMGuardian Phone is capable of doing virtually everything a Troomi Phone can do and much more. For more details, check out our article comparing the MMGuardian Phone vs the Troomi Phone.