To think we've made a mistake with DS big present?

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We got DS6 an Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet for Christmas to replace an ancient iPad. I'm pretty tech savvy but I have really struggled to get certain apps on the kids profile - YouTube Kids seems extremely difficult to add, research talks about side loading etc which just seems like an almighty faff. I'm worried we keep running into problems like this, DS will lose interest and it was v expensive.

I'm wondering if we return it and look at another android tablet instead. Seen a few people suggesting Samsung with Family Link app for parental controls.

I'm feeling stupid already for not realising the limitations around Amazon tablets so please be kind! Or is there a simple solution I'm missing?

I’m no expert but I found my daughter’s Amazon tablet really hard to use and not intuitive. I didn’t like it at all. It was just a basic one but I found it confusing with the apps and the parents profile.

if you can return it I would personally. Don’t feel stupid though!

and it might just be me so see what others say, but I never got on with it

I don't know anything about amazon fire, but we use Samsung with family link and it is great.

Also we'd do the switch so he wouldn't be without - but also wondering how we explain as it was Santa who brought it - it's gone back to the workshop? The elves realised they'd made a mistake? 🤦🏻‍♀️

This is exactly how I feel! Thanks for your reply x

The Amazon tablet is very limited in functionality and you have to enable third party app loading. Its clunky and not very user friendly. Return it and get a standard andorid or another Apple.

Are you able return it because you don't get on with it? Some places are going to say you cam only return it if it is faulty.

The Fire tablets are shite. The good thing is they are cheap so you don't have to worry about them being broken and the Fire Kids subscription does have some decent stuff in it. The bad thing is the infrastructure is rotten, the UI and user experience is terrible, they don't support quite a few of the better apps for kids, the parental controls are very unintuitive, and you'll want to throw it out of a window more than once.

However given I don't want to fork out for an iPad for either DC until they are a bit older, they use them and they find them okay. For the kids I think they are far less annoying than for the adults.

Amazon tablets are crap. If you can change it, I would.

They are the biggest pile of shite. Honestly return it. Once DS gets a new one that actually functions without taking 20 seconds for every button click he won't care what the reason is

The Amazon tablets are dreadful in my opinion too so much so I got my daughter an iPad for her birthday in December! It’s the easiest tablet I can use and I’ve got parent locks on it.

Thanks so much everyone. Wish I'd asked here before buying!

Any genius ideas for explaining the Santa part welcome! I don't want him getting used to the idea that you can return Santa presents, or presents in general tbh!

I think the the mistake here is to buy a tablet, any tablet, full stop.
He is only 6. You are potentially breeding a screen addicted child.

Santa needed it back to cheer up a poorly elf so you promised him you'd buy a replacement. Super mum saves the day.

Can't you just say it's broken (let it go flat or something) and since he's been such a good boy, you're happy to replace it?

Amazon has a weird operating system tbh, yanbu

Mine is 5 and uses the apps on hers though - I'm sure she has YouTube. She's got netflix and Disney plus and the iplayer too

I'd agree that it's different to an iPad though, so maybe a Samsung tablet would be cheaper but similar x

Yeah I’m going to agree with @ByHardyAquaFox but suspect we’re in the minority.

we do actually have an Amazon fire kids which is fine for them for long journeys etc. they get games on it and can download movies. I wouldn’t want my child having free access to YouTube (even if it is Kids version) as it it absolute brain rot and addictive. Also struggle with the idea of giving a child ownership over a device - much prefer to give them the use of one which is actually ours when we are happy for them to use it.

Not what you asked sorry but in my line of work I see the effects that iPad/phone etc use has on children and they’re not good

I was gifted an amazon tablet a number of years ago and it was a nightmare then. From what I have heard and above it has not improved.

This is good - I'll maybe do a letter from the elves to say the one they sent was broken and didn't have YouTube kids so they've sent another. Thank you! 😊

I'd go with the broken approach and say Santa will replace it as it's broken so soon or something so you're going to send it back to him.

I found my daughter’s Amazon tablet really hard to use and not intuitive. I didn’t like it at all. It was just a basic one but I found it confusing with the apps and the parents profile

God yes. I'm fairly computer/tech literate (to the extent that I can very competently follow instructions anyway!) but my God. The two profiles, flipping between them, being unsure which profile holds the setting for xyz. What. A. Faff. I'd never buy one again, even if they were reduced to a fiver.

We had fire tablets and theyve been no problem, kid trod on a screen just before 2 year warranty was up, a new tablet appeared. I think both of ours were replaced for free. Kids got on with them, a bit annoyed that most school software isn’t on it - mathletics etc.

This happened me a couple of years ago. I returned it. Told my son it was faulty and that Santa had sent a note to say he was very sorry - and he was going to arrange with lovely people at Amazon to swop it for an even better tablet (iPad). They weren’t bothered - just asked when it would arrive and have never mentioned it since.

Mine is 5 and uses the apps on hers though - I'm sure she has YouTube. She's got netflix and Disney plus and the iplayer too

God that's so depressing to read. Why does a 5 year old need a tablet? And why have you said you're"sure she has YouTube" as if you're not 100% certain so probably have no idea what she's doing on it

Totally agree, but different parents do things differently.

If it isn't working out op I'd give up and go for something Samsung as they tend to be the best and simplest to use.

Aha. So glad I am not alone. The OS is a fucking heap of shit and I hate how hard they are to use!