Overall, how satisfied were you and your family with Sky Broadband Buddy?
Very satisfied. I have used a similar (free) app before (OurPact) and, while I was very happy with OurPact, I think it is worth paying for the additional features of the Sky Broadband Buddy app.
What were your favourite features on the new Sky Broadband Buddy app?
Being able to pause the Internet. You can pause an individual person’s Internet or you can pause it for all devices. I found it useful to be able to pause a child’s Internet access while they were doing a task such as tidying their bedroom. I also liked being able to turn all the Internet off at bedtime since my teenage DS1 sometimes gets tempted to get up and do stuff at night when he can't sleep.
Did you find the app easy to use?
The app itself is easy to use but the information on exactly what the app can do wasn’t very clear. I found out some by trial and error and the rest by an Internet search. I think a tutorial in the app would be extremely useful.
What did you like or dislike about the new Sky Broadband Buddy app?
I like being able to set individual age restrictions and access for each member of the family. My oldest is 16 and my youngest is 6 so they have very different requirements in terms of Internet usage. The Sky Broadband Shield I was using before only lets you set one age rating for the household.
I really like being able to set automatic bed times and wake up times. We have a family “screens off” time of 7.30 p.m. so it’s great that the devices automatically stop being able to access the Internet then. One thing I didn’t check was whether calls still go through to the phones when they’re blocked by the app. I hope they do as that could be a necessity.
I didn’t like that there’s an easy way round the system simply by deleting the app. You can’t set it to not be allowed to delete the app, you can only set it so the user can’t delete any apps at all. I found that overly restrictive. My 6-year-old is always maxing out the memory on his iPad Mini so he needs to be able to delete apps to make space.
I like being able to turn off ALL the Internet at once. That was a DEFCON 1 threat that I used a few times when the kids were misbehaving.
I like that pausing the Internet only works on the devices that have been set up with the Sky Broadband Buddy app. My husband doesn’t have it set up on his phone so if I need to pause the Internet while the children do their homework, then his Internet access won’t be affected.
I didn’t like that you can’t install Sky Broadband Buddy on a computer. Two of my children have their own computers that we manage through the Microsoft Family system. It would have been handy to be able to manage everything through one system instead of two. On the other hand, they do need to use their computers to do their homework. So I can pause the Internet on their phones and iPads to remove those distractions while they retain access to the Internet on their computers.
Now you’ve tried Sky Broadband Buddy, will you continue to use the app to help manage your family’s screen time?
Yes. I’ve found the app very useful so far. It’s a shame the trial didn’t run in term time as I think it will be extremely handy when homework starts up again. I think there are a few areas that could be improved (as described above) and I would expect to see continued development / new features if I’m going to be paying £5 per month - £60 a year for it.
Would you recommend Sky Broadband Buddy to friends or family? Please explain why or why not
Yes. Other parents frequently mention their concerns over their children’s Internet usage and access. Having had a few problems with my own kids over the years (not obeying screens off time, using devices in the middle of the night) I always recommend setting up restrictions on devices, computers and games consoles right from when they start using them.
Another advantage is that my kids can’t argue or plead “just five more minutes”… which turns into half an hour. With the app, it just switches off. They accept that much more readily than when I tell them they have to stop.
I also think it’s useful to teach children self-regulation, that they can’t just be on their phones whenever they want. They need to learn to think about their work-life balance, be sure to get enough sleep, make time for their hobbies/exercise, etc.