I recently signed up for FamilyBase and have discovered that the Companion app does not work. After some searching, it seems that it stopped working in Android 6.0 and the issue has not been resolved since.
Normally I do not need to see every text my child receives. However, after using the base app for a few days, I'm finding that my daughter is receiving a large number of text messages from out of state. I quickly asked her what they were about, and it turns out that they were confirmation codes sent by various social networks.
Without the FamilyBase Companion app, I don't know what the context of the message is. I only know that she receives a strange text from a strange number.
But the base app still attempts to install the Companion app for further functionality, including the ability to lock her phone, read her text messages, etc. I do not wish to spy on her; she's old enough to take care of herself but due to her autism she does require a bit of extra watching. The FamilyBase plan at $4.99/month is a bit pricey for what it does right now. If it worked as advertised I would not be so upset by this but as it stands I'm paying extra for a broken app.
TheMortallyWounded,
Help is right here for you! Making sure that you can fully utilize the FamilyBase feature is our goal. Let’s make sure we gather some other pieces to this puzzle. What make & model phone do you & your daughter use? Do both of your phones have the most up to date software on them? Since you have had FamilyBase, has the companion app ever worked?
AliciaS_VZW
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I have the same issue for my sons HTC One X. When I go to install the Companion app it states that the app is not compatible with the device. Apparently this has been an issue for over a month now and no solution has been released. Verizon needs to remedy this ASAP.
The companion app hasn't been compatible with Android versions since Marshmallow began rolling out in 2015, and similar to iOS it won't be compatible with future versions due to the updated security of the operating systems not allowing a third party app like this to have access to some critical features.
The companion app is also not necessary to utilize family base, as the only features that were exclusive to the companion app (lock/erase/app management) are offered from the operating system developer (Google's Find My Device) similar to Apple's Find My iPhone (which was why the companion app was never able to be used with iPhones).
All other features of Family Base (viewing activity/setting controls & restrictions) are still usable without the companion app if those are safeguards you're looking for.
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