See what Sky TV customers think about the Sky Kids app NOW CLOSED

[PoppyMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the MN testers who have been trying the Sky Kids app.

What is the Sky Kids app?
Sky say the Sky Kids app is - "a tablet app just for the kids and full of their favourite TV shows like Paw Patrol, Scooby Doo, Octonauts, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, SpongeBob SquarePants and more – all available to watch on demand. The app lets you set up a personalised profile for each of your DCs with shows tailored to their age and their very own homepage with their name on it. And you and your DPs can set time limits and put the app to sleep whenever you want – YWBU not to!"
Find out more here

Testers, please download the Sky Kids app on your Apple or Android tablets and share your views on the following:

• How easy did you find it to use Sky Kids app?
• What was your DC’s favourite show and what did they like about the app?
• What did you think about the range of content available in the app?
• Which shows did your DCs enjoy watching?
• How did you find the personalisation options and which Sky Buddies did you and the DCs choose?
• What did you like most about the app?
• Would you recommend it to other parents and why?

Also, please add a review of the app in the Mumsnet reviews section. Please follow the review guidelines here.

Everyone who takes part and adds feedback as required will be entered into a prize draw where one tester will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list - including Amazon, John Lewis, M&S, Mothercare, Argos, Debenhams, Tesco and loads more!).

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

I am struggling to find the app on my IOS
It just gives me the option for Sky Kids Stickers not the actual app

I am a Sky subscriber but because I don't have the Variety or Family packages I can't use it. But what about all the other kids content my DD watches on sky?! App deleted, very disappointing.

Same as geeky. We have movies, sports etc but because I don't have the family or variety bundles I can't log into the app. Bit misleading really.

Well, though it was easy to find and download the app, I just started typing Sky Kids in my browser and it came up for download from the App Store, I could not use it because I don't have the right Sky bundle.

Considering there are loads of shows avaible to watch on a regular package from CBeebies, Milkshake, etc. it is too bad the app isn't available to all subscribers.

I found the app easily but I don't have the right package either so can't use it

Both the email and the description above should have included the Play store and Apple download links. You can find the download links here:

www.sky.com/shop/tv/sky-apps/sky-kids?DCMP=tva-skycom:ec_kids&DCMP=afc-473347&affiliate=true

or directly:

Apple:
itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sky-kids/id1027861829?mt=8

Android:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bskyb.skykids

•How easy did you find it to use Sky Kids app?

I found the app through app store , I was actually looking for the disney app and the sky one popped up also.

•What was your DC’s favourite show and what did they like about the app?
My little one favourite shows are , peppa pig, bob the builder , paw patrol and few others.
•What did you think about the range of content available in the app?
I think the ranges are great , its so good how the cartoons are placed by its channels ... so easy to find. My little toddler can work it so well.
•Which shows did your DCs enjoy watching?
Peppa pig and paw patrol

•How did you find the personalisation options and which Sky Buddies did you and the DCs choose?

Personalisation is okay , nothing major but the name is nice.

•What did you like most about the app?
How organised and easy access the cartoons are , it comes with little pictures so its easy for young ones to find the cartoons they like.
•Would you recommend it to other parents and why?
I would deffo reccomend the app , easy to work with and you can leave the kids on for a good while knowing , everything on the app is safe and totally applicable for kids only.

I found the app on Google play Store but my phone is apparently incompatible despite being less than a year old.

Another person who has sky but not the right bundle (box sets or family) so I cannot use the app. This was not mentioned in the original sign up thread

Sorry sky

Non tester. I loved Button Moon as a kid, Egbert and the Spoons were all fun and it had a great theme tune. I used to make up little Button Moon stories in the kitchen with the utensils.

I am baffled as to how I can spend a small fortune on a sky subscription but not have enough sky packages to join in.

•How easy did you find it to use the Sky Kids App?
Really simple.
What was your DC’s favourite show and what did they like about the app?
Elena of Avalor. They liked it being in demand and easy to use.
•What did you think about the range of content available in the app?
Really good - they were very happy with it.
•Which shows did your DCs enjoy watching? Elena, Horrid Henry, Masha and the Bear, Sofia the First, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
•How did you find the personalisation options and which Sky Buddies did you and the DCs choose? Great - one chose the headphones one and one chose the heart glasses one.
•What did you like most about the app?
I could see what they were able
To watch and make sure it was age appropriate
•Would you recommend it to other parents and why? Yes. They like it, there's a huge amount of choice and they can use it themselves easily

Non-Tester here, but we use NOW TV for most of our viewing.

To be honest, I'm a little perplexed as to how Sky managed to remove all the kids shows from the standard Now TV Entertainment pass, stick them in a kids app and charged extra for it - and somehow managed to bill it as something amazing!

I have Sky and what would appear to be the correct packages but I can't find the app in the App Store. My only option is the Sky Kids Stickers app

How easy did you find it to use Sky Kids app? It was very easy to navigate and use

•What was your DC’s favourite show and what did they like about the app? They liked that all the shows are there together for watching, and their favourite show is Sofia the First or Paw Patrol.

•What did you think about the range of content available in the app? The range of content is good, the DC's found plenty to watch

•Which shows did your DCs enjoy watching? Sofia The First, Paw Patrol, Dino Rangers, The Lion Guard

•How did you find the personalisation options and which Sky Buddies did you and the DCs choose? DC loved this part of it and I liked that we could set it up easily for them to use.

•What did you like most about the app? That it is free with Sky variety. The kids shows aren't on the original bundle, so presumably that is why the app is not free with that, as you can't watch the shows anyway.

•Would you recommend it to other parents and why? Yes I would, if you have the Sky package. It is another form of entertainment when necessary and specifically for DC, rather than using Sky Go where they could watch anything.

As I am not a Sky Variety or Family customer I was unable to use this app. Disappointing, considering that I have phone, broadband and TV (including sports) from Sky and spend a small fortune with them every month.

How easy did you find it to use Sky Kids app?

Very easy, once I set up the accounts for them the DCs used it alone with no trouble

•What was your DC’s favourite show and what did they like about the app?

DD loves Doc McStuffins and Dora, and she likes that once she has selected her account her favourite things are there. DS likes PJ Masks and enjoyed exploring other programmes that catch his eye.

•What did you think about the range of content available in the app?

I thought it had a good range but some shows didn't have many episodes. Some shows are missing such as 'Grizzy and the Lemmings' which DS was sad about. It would be good to have films available. It does seem strange to have BBC things on there considering the iplayer kids app is so good.

•Which shows did your DCs enjoy watching?

Doc McStuffins, Dora, Charlie and Lola, Paw Patrol, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

•How did you find the personalisation options and which Sky Buddies did you and the DCs choose?

It was easy to set up and a nice touch for the children. DD has a pink buddy with heart glasses and DS has a blue one with a hat.

•What did you like most about the app?

It is easy to navigate for small children with minimal supervision. It remembers just watched favourites and it is easy to try new shows. The personalisation tailors age-suitable things for each child.

•Would you recommend it to other parents and why?

Yes as many friends use YouTube - this has no adverts or potential for straying into any nasty content.

•How easy did you find it to use Sky Kids app?
Pretty easy, once you know how! It's not very self explanatory

•What was your DC’s favourite show and what did they like about the app?
Paw patrol, Ben & Holly, Doc Mcstuffins

•What did you think about the range of content available in the app?
Shows seem to appear and disappear, which is frustratingly when you have a child obsessed by Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and she can watch it one day and not the next, this is an issue with sky kids in general though as it happens on the box too.

•Which shows did your DCs enjoy watching?
Too may to mention, she also enjoyed watching programmes she doesn't normally watch in the box, seeing the pictures on the iPad attracted her to them.

•How did you find the personalisation options and which Sky Buddies did you and the DCs choose?
Basic, it's also not clear why the shows that appear on the main page do so, it shows programmes we've not even watched.

•What did you like most about the app?
Easy accessibility, simple to use and the noise it makes!

•Would you recommend it to other parents and why?
Definitely, we've used this app for months already and it's very handy

•How easy did you find it to use Sky Kids app?
Very easy
•What was your DC’s favourite show and what did they like about the app?
Blaze and the Monster machines. He says it's got loads of cool programmes on it.
•What did you think about the range of content available in the app?
Pretty good
•Which shows did your DCs enjoy watching?
Blaze, PJ Masks, Octonauts, Paw Patrol
•How did you find the personalisation options and which Sky Buddies did you and the DCs choose?
Ok, don't pay much attention
•What did you like most about the app?
DS can use it himself
•Would you recommend it to other parents and why?
Yes, much better than Disney life! (It works no glitches, Disney life is always crashing, although it did have good content).

Also added my review

•How easy did you find it to use Sky Kids app?

Very easy to find and use.

•What was your DC’s favourite show and what did they like about the app?

My son likes Blaze and the Monster Machines and Paw Patrol, my daughter prefers Ben and Holly. They found it really easy to use with all the available shows presented in an engaging and colourful way. They'd spend all day on it if they could!

•What did you think about the range of content available in the app?

Really good and the DC loved that they each had a profile with a suggestion list of "their" shows.

•Which shows did your DCs enjoy watching?

4 year old son - Paw Patrol, Ben and Holly, Blaze and the Monster Machines

6 year old daughter - Elena of Avalor, Scooby Doo

•How did you find the personalisation options and which Sky Buddies did you and the DCs choose?

Do they have names? My daughter chose the pink square with love heart glasses, my son chose the blue blob with the baseball cap.

•What did you like most about the app?
Didn't crash, easy for the kids to use by themselves without needing much help from me. I was relaxed that all the content is age appropriate and that they weren't going to stumble upon inappropriate content. No annoying ads!

•Would you recommend it to other parents and why?

Yes definitely - it's reliable, huge amount of varierty

•How easy did you find it to use Sky Kids app?

Easy to find on the iPad it's a shame it is not available on phones though too
•What was your DC’s favourite show and what did they like about the app?

My daughters favourite show is ok masks she likes how easy the app is to use and the wide variety of shows

•What did you think about the range of content available in the app?

There is a wide range of content to watch across the channels

•Which shows did your DCs enjoy watching?
She likes paw patrol, cartoonito, peppa pig, Ben and holly plus pj masks

•How did you find the personalisation options and which Sky Buddies did you and the DCs choose?
The ability to add a name is good

•What did you like most about the app?
The fact you can download shows to watch offline but it is very slow to download, this may be as the iPad is old though

•Would you recommend it to other parents and why
Yes it is a really good app, full of content and easy to use

Hi Testers, apologies, there's been some confusion at our end. Sky has confirmed that you’ll need to have the Box Sets or Variety Bundles to access the app. If you don't have these packages, unfortunately you will not be able to test the app and give your feedback. Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this. However, you will be able to answer the non-tester question and be entered into the free prize draw. MNHQ

Non-tester

(though I was originally a tester but not the right kind )

My favourite kids tv show was called Knightmare. There was a team of 5, one of whom had a massive minotaur type helmet on his head, and then the other 4 had to guide them through a series of "rooms" - "two steps forward, one step left" etc, with challenges such as fighting imaginary dragons or answering riddles.

ALWAYS wanted to go on that show and my parents wouldn't let me apply!!

(deprived)