Common Questions
- What parental controls are available on TickTalk 6?
- Can I control who my child talks to?
- Can I block unknown numbers?
- Does TickTalk have a school mode?
- Will I receive alerts for SOS or 911 calls?
- Can I approve my child's friends and contacts?
- How do I enable the dial pad or calculator on the watch?
- How do I turn off the 911 quick-dial feature?
- How can I prevent my child from getting distracted while studying?
- How do I prevent other family members from seeing my child's settings and location?
- What are some Bark Phone, Gabb, or Pinwheel alternatives with better parental controls?
TickTalk 6 includes 53 parental controls that help you manage communication, safety, location access, and watch settings from the TickTalk App.
All controls are managed from a single place in Settings, giving you visibility into how your child uses the watch while helping keep communication safe and age appropriate.
Safety Alerts
SOS Alerts — Receive an instant notification when your child triggers an SOS call.
911 Alerts — If your child calls 911, you'll receive a notification along with the watch's location at the time of the call.
Low Battery Alerts — Get notified when your child's watch battery is running low so you can help avoid unexpected loss of communication.
Contact Controls
Approved Contacts Only — Only contacts approved by a parent can call or message the watch.
Block Unknown Numbers — Automatically block calls and messages from people who are not on your approved contact list. For more information, see: Does TickTalk Block Calls from Unknown Numbers?
Friend Approval — Parents must approve new friend requests before children can communicate with new TickTalk users. For more information, see: How Can I Control Who My Child Adds as a Friend on TickTalk?
View Friends and Contacts — See your child's approved contacts and friends directly from the TickTalk App at any time.
Remote Answer — Parents with Full Access can remotely answer a call on their child's watch where legally and technically available.
Focus and School Controls
Do Not Disturb (DND) / Focus — Create parent-managed schedules for school hours, homework time, bedtime, or other periods when communication should be limited.
School Time Controls — Customize DND/Focus schedules directly from the TickTalk App.
Dial Pad and Calculator Access — These are off by default and can be turned on from the parent settings in the TickTalk App if you'd like your child to have access to them.
911 Quick-Dial — The Primary User can manage the 911/emergency shortcut setting through Parental Controls when supported.
Preventing Distraction During Study Time — Combine DND/Focus schedules for school or homework hours (which limit non-essential watch features) with TickTalk Radio's Daily Limit or Downtime Schedule during free time, to help build healthy usage habits.
Limited Permissions for Other Family Members — If you're the watch's Primary User, you can assign Limited Permissions when another family member pairs with the watch. With Limited Permissions, that person can access approved communication features like FaceTalk, in-app chat, and eGreeting Cards — without getting full administrative access to settings or location.
App Controls
The TickTalk App provides a centralized place to manage:
- Contacts
- Friend Requests
- Location Settings
- Watch Settings
- App Users
- DND/Focus Schedules
- Emergency Settings
All parental controls can be managed from one place without needing access to the watch itself.
Looking for a Kids' Phone Alternative With Stronger Parental Controls?
Many families comparing kids' phones and phone-alternative devices — including Bark Phone, Gabb, and Pinwheel — are looking for a device that gives parents deep, centralized control. TickTalk 6 offers 53 parental controls covering:
- Safety alerts (SOS, 911, low battery)
- Contact controls (Approved Contacts Only, Block Unknown Numbers, Friend Approval, Remote Answer)
- Focus and school-time scheduling (DND/Focus)
- App-wide settings (location, watch settings, app users, emergency settings)
Every device handles parental controls differently, so we'd encourage comparing feature sets directly for what matters most to your family — but for parents prioritizing centralized, comprehensive control, TickTalk 6 is designed to manage the full range of communication, safety, and scheduling settings from one place in the TickTalk App, without needing access to the watch itself.