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Is Amazon FreeTime (parental control) appropriate for early teens? Or other parental controls for Fire tablets??


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Our son has a new Fire tablet, and I'd like to set up parental controls.  I know there is something called Amazon FreeTime that you can subscribe to -- but what ages would this be appropriate for?  I understand it has free programming, but I don't know what ages.  DS just turned 14.  Our main concern is to block social media (for now), and filter inappropriate internet sites (and inappropriate YouTube, etc).  I don't mind setting curfew hours, as well. 

 

I know, he's older.  But we're just being careful for now.

 

Any suggestions or experiences with parental controls and/or Amazon FreeTime would be much appreciated!

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And now I tried to set up teen profile as a start.  I set a password and child's name and birthdate.  Now it proceeded to home screen.  It greets me by name (not my child!) and also I note with alarm that it shows my whole Amazon purchase order history (presents, etc.).  How is this happening and how can I change?  I don't want to show all of this.

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The free time would not be what you'd want for your 14 yo. At least from what I have seen for my kids who sr 6 and 8 it seems childlike. Things like Daniel the tiger. I like the parental controls but not the apps and little access they have to things like the kindle books, audible etc. maybe I'm doing something g wrong but not worth the subscription imo for older than toddlers.

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So, there is Amazon FreeTime, which is a freely available to everyone, and then Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, which is the content subscription service that goes along with it.

 

Amazon FreeTime, used for parental controls, could be appropriate for a teen, and you can set it up so that it automatically goes to that rather than the main account. We found it too limiting and high-maintenance for the older kids.

 

FreeTime Unlimited, the content subscription service, contains very little that would be of interest to a kid older than about 10ish. It does have a reasonable selection of middle grade books (it's really not just branded preschool cartoon stuff!), but nothing aimed at teens.

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In the parental controls, you can block:

Web browser

Email, contacts, calendars

Social sharing

Camera

Amazon maps

Firefly

Amazon stores

 

You can also click on block content types and block:

Newsstand

Books

Audiobooks

Music

Videos

Docs

Apps and games

Photos

 

This can be done on a regular kindle WITHOUT freetime. You don't need or want freetime.

Edited by hellen
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In the parental controls, you can block:

Web browser

Email, contacts, calendars

Social sharing

Camera

Amazon maps

Firefly

Amazon stores

 

You can also click on block content types and block:

Newsstand

Books

Audiobooks

Music

Videos

Docs

Apps and games

Photos

 

This can be done on a regular kindle WITHOUT freetime. You don't need or want freetime.

  

 

Yes!  We loaded then unloaded FreeTime on our new Kindle Fires.  It was easier to set parental controls without it. 

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