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Folks who aren’t old enough to live on their own and make their own decisions might not appreciate this app, but parents who are sick of their kids ignoring their phone calls are probably rejoicing right now. A new app called Ignore No More has made its way into the Google Play Store, and it allows parents to install a fool proof way to make sure their kids call them back.
So how does it work? The parent installs the app on not only their phone, but any children of theirs who also own smartphones. Should the child be a little rebellious and decide to ignore their parents’ calls, the parent can remotely lock the device with a password that only they know. The only way for the child to get the password is to call the parent and ask for it. Sounds cruel, right? Well, it’s a heck of a lot better than not knowing what your kids are up to or where they are.
The parents can determine a list of adults — likely themselves and other close relatives — that the children can call in case of the phone being locked down. They’ll also have the ability to call 911 and other emergency services, natch, so there’s no concern regarding safety.
Upon asking myself “well what’s stopping the child from simply uninstalling the app,” I took a look at the company’s website, and they claim that the app is virtually impossible to uninstall or disable for a child. Don’t believe me? Here is the quote in its full glory:
Q: Can my child unregister/uninstall the app from their phone?
A: No, the parent username/email and password are required to unregister or uninstall the Ignore No More app from their phone. So be very careful to protect your account information. If your child has great detective skills and discovers this information, change the password for the parent account immediately!
That’s not entirely true. It’s true that the app does make it rather difficult to uninstall (Christopher Chavez almost ripped his awesome hair out trying to scrub his phone of the app), but it can be worked around. If the child knows to go to the Device Administrators page under Security and uncheck Ignore No More, they will be able to uninstall the app.
What happens the moment they try to disable the app in Device Administrators? It automatically locks itself and sends an email to the parent, though if the parent wasn’t smart enough to change the password since the last time they locked the phone then the child can simply use the same password and continue with the process of disabling the app via Device Administrators. This then gives them the ability to uninstall the app like normal.
This is the reason Ignore No More urges you not to grant your children the password unless you have the phone in your physical possession. Unless the parent also installs a third-party app locker that blocks access to settings and the Google Play Store, that app is just as easy to uninstall as any other.
Regardless, if you are cool with setting up another third-party access that blocks the settings app, Ignore No More can be a very surefire way to ensure your children call you back when you need them. Just don’t try to force them to keep the app once they turn 18 or begin paying for their own smartphones.
PS: The app is meant for the parent-children dynamic, but what’s stopping you from installing this on your significant others’ smartphone while they’re asleep? Just sayin’!
This is the kind of stuff that makes children resent their parents.
Well said.
Well, if I tell my children not to ignore me when I’m trying to call them, then I have every right to punish them for their disobedience. The only reason I bought them phones in the first place is so I can get in touch with them if when they are out and about. If they resent me for punishing them for this, then they’ll likely resent me for punishing them for any time they disobey. So I might as well not even try to parent them at all. I’ll be their “cool dad” buddy instead like so many parents want to be.
Watch out everybody, we’ve rustled a parent’s jimmies.
If you were my parent I’d ignore your calls too.
That’s because you’re an idiot
If i ever do give my child a smartphone, I will make sure they 100% understand, that If they agree to accept this phone, then they agree to never ignore my calls or texts unless its an extenuating circumstance.
Ohh wahhh, being a parent is not a popularity contest. Don’t do anything the kids don’t want so you can be the ‘cool parent’. Give them a bottle of scotch while you’re at it.
Yea, just make sure it’s bottom-shelf garbage.
That’ll teach them about hangovers.
I would rather them resent me than doing something stupid and get in trouble early in life. Be a parent and not bff. That comes later.
Doing stupid things and getting in trouble early in life is how I learned not to do as many stupid things and get in trouble later in life when it really mattered.
I am sorry to hear that someone wasn’t there to tell you right from wrong early in life but glad you are doing great now. I know that people learn more from their own mistakes but sometimes it’s ok to learn just from listen to others experiences.
If your kid is ignoring your phone calls, what makes you think they are listening to your experience, especially if they resent you for not trusting them?
Dude? I dont have that problem. I am just saying in general not necessarily in regards to cell phones.
Well then rock and roll.
Agreed. Shouldn’t give the brats a phone to begin with. They obviously don’t deserve it nor have demonstrated the maturity to own one.
I’m going to have a newborn soon, and when he/she’s old enough to have a phone, i’m seriously considering getting them a regular old-fashioned RAZR flip phone, until they learn not to destroy things.
I remember the article from Joe last month about pranks. This app could be used for we’ll thought out prank on a friend.
If they don’t answer. Beat em
Unless the kid knows how to factory reset his phone
I was thinking the same thing.
Wouldn’t take long for the parent to figure out. And then grounded.
I could ruin my roommate’s life with this. hehehehe
Wouldn’t need it…I’d tell the child if I call and you don’t answer, one of two things better be going on. Your dead, or the battery died. If you don’t answer, the phone is mine when you get home, and you are grounded from EVERYTHING for at least 1 week.
Parents today are totally overprotective and over bering, this would only anger a rebellious teen, especially if installed without their permission. Does not at all make your child call you or tell you where you are. Much better option to just wait till they get home and tell them your concerns and take appropriate action. I could just see any rebellious teen lying about where they were ” I was at the movies” when they were really at a rave.
“I bought you this cellphone so you always must talk to me, any missed call and I turn it off” any parent trying this on a rebellious teen will only make it worse.
It’s not about overprotection – it’s about protection. And respect. I’m paying my teenagers bills. He is driving my car that I make payments on. I’m paying half his insurance on it. (we split that). He piggybacks on my internet connection with with enormous games and chomps through all my food. :P
The least he can do is communicate with me when I’m trying to reach him on the phone I’m paying for. If he is at a movie, he should tell me about that. “Headin’ into a movie dad, be back soon”. And generally he does. Because he’s (starting) to understand the importance of keeping a parent informed of your whereabouts.
It is our job to know where our kids are and what they are up to. Responsibility sucks, but that’s what it’s all about. My teenager got in a wreck a few months ago. Fortunately he wasn’t so hurt he couldn’t call me and tell me about it. Had he been, I would have been very thankful to know where to look for him when he came up missing.
It’s not about me wanting to chat it up with him and being bored and wanting to punish him for preferring to spend time with kids his age than texting with me, but some texts need not go ignored.
And if I’m calling him, there darn sure is a reason for that. I can’t call to chat. I call when there is a real need for it.
He needs to take the call or shoot me a text saying he will call back in a few. He does, now. Largely because I have the stance RH below has.
The bottom line is – if your teenager knows darn well what you expect of them while they are in your care, they need to play along. When they don’t, you can’t just let them walk all over it and run your household themselves. There needs to be consequences. Taking away the phone used to be an easy one but guess what – when he is out there, *I* need him to have that phone. So he can talk my calls or so he can call me in an emergency.
This is a great option to maintain that.
I had a need for this app at one time. I would have installed it. I don’t currently – but might again one day. Hell, I wish I’d thought of it myself.
Now, bring on the “your jimmies are rustled” hee hee hah hah comments. I don’t mind. :) One day you may agree with me. Many of my beliefs or lack of understandings of how parents minds worked changed once the kids came around and starting drive off into the wild. ;) (And if you already have kids and don’t feel they need to have respect for your communications because you (darn should) know what is best for them.. and you don’t feel they need to respect when your trying to reach them.. well, okay then! Good luck gaining that respect when you finally realize what your job is all about.)
So touch a nerve did I? While your job as child protector is important, statisticly children have never been safer in America and I personally believe parents are over protective today. Parents guide and educate children to protect themselves so they can make their own decisions to keep themselves safe when they are away from parents. I also don’t think making sure your call does not get ignored can protect your child accept in specific sercomstances. You said you don’t need this app because you have trust and respect with your child, but you had to build that trust. A cellphone app like this does not seem like a trust and respect building app to me. When used as punishment I also don’t see this app as usefull. Speaking from personal experience as I am now 35 but grew up with a pager then cellphone since age 14.
Man, how did you survive and how did your parents live without an electronic leash on you at all times?
By taking away and limiting other things that kids loved and used when they misbehaved by not following directions or instructions.
I suggest letting the child be free. Based on if they child is behaving good or not, privileges are given or taken, respectively. I wouldn’t resort to this first, but it is an option.
When I was in grade school, I had to call my mom everyday when I made it home. If not, she’d call. If I didn’t answer, something seems up. I got in trouble because I decided that I was older enough to come home without having to let her know. Ha!! LoL!!
No one is being over-protective.
I was about to read this article but then my mom locked my phone, damn
If my kids wouldn’t answer my calls they would lose their phone for a week or two and no phone for the parent to call = grounded. That’s why they have it in the first place. See? No app required.
my parents app of choice was “beat ur ass with this belt”
Cosign lol
Or whatever is on hand.. Moms be rough
Yeah, but now that app has a plug-in called “Child Protective Services” and a slew of BS to go with it. Very effective but deprecated app.
“Well, it’s a heck of a lot better than not knowing what your kids are up to or where they are.”
What a bunch of crap. I pity today’s youth, I really do.
I sound like an old man when I say this type of thing, but when I was younger, on weekends and all summer, I would hop on my BMX bike and take off with my friends all day. Sometimes we’d be near home, sometimes miles away on dirt jumping tracks way off the beaten path hidden from all authority figures.
And guess what, we were okay. Everybody made it home alive and in one piece. If there were an emergency (and I only recall one when someone stole my bike – which is how I learned never to let people I don’t really know borrow my bike), we had quarters and payphones.
Somehow previous generations managed to survive without parents being able to contact them every single minute of every day.
BTW, I have a kid.