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Best practices for managing 3 tablets as a parent. Help!

E

eddie2424

Lurker
I'm new to the Android world. Here is my scenario, what I've done, and what I would like to do.

I just purchased 3 tablets for my kids (xmas presents). I added my Google account to all tablets. I then added apps to the tablets from Google Play store (nice).

I want each of my kids to be able to communicate with me with messaging and email. Because of that, I created each their own Google account (gmail). I then added their individual account to each tablet. Now each tablet has 2 Google accounts.

My problem:
I don't want my own account to be used in the tablets for email, messaging, calendar, contacts, or anything else. I only want that common Google account so I can use it in the Google Play store.

I would like for each tablet to use the 2nd Google account for email, messaging, contacts, etc. Do I use Hangouts as a way to message me? Is there something else that I could use for messaging instead? My kids don't have Google+ on each of the accounts I created.

Help! What is the best way to structure this and manage it properly as a parent?
 
If you remove your Google account from the tablets you also lose any apps that are tied to your account.

If you want to be able to buy an app once and install it on all three tablets then you should make a new Google account, tie all three tabs to that account and purchase the apps. The new apps are now able to be installed on all three of the tablets and share with the kids individual Google accounts.

Depending on the android version of the tablets you may be able to profile the devices so that your account can stay on their tablets, just set to not sync.

A quick way to enable messaging on a tablet is to take the kids Google accounts, sign into Google Voice, get a phone number assigned to them and then install the Google Voice app on the tablets. This will only work if you live in the states. You may need to log in once into their accounts on a android phone to complete registration for a number but you can then remove their accounts from the phone after it is complete.

Sign in with the Google account on the voice app on the tablet and they can now send and receive texts from their tablet using their Google Voice number. Add everyone's numbers to their google contacts account and the voice app will import that data automatically.

Mail would be handled by the gmail app, any gmail accounts on the device you dont desire to sync can be set in the account settings.

The beauty of doing this early is you save your kids a gmail account, voice account and more you can turn over to them in the future when they are old enough.

I reserved my kids first.lastname@google years ago and my daughter now has control of hers and is grateful she doesn't have a long convoluted email addy.
 
Welcome to AF Eddie! :)

I've a similar setup for my little one at Xmas. What I did was sort of reverse to you in that I setup my sons email account first, then added my account as a secondary. Via settings -> accounts, I turn off any sort of syncing for my account.

Both hangouts and Play can be configured to use either account, regardless of the sync settings.

Is that what you're looking for?
 
WoohooGuy,

Thanks. I have added a BUNCH of apps via my account. So if I create a new Google account to be shared by all tablets, and I remove my own account from the tablets, do I have to add ALL the apps again?? Yikes!
 
El Presidente,

I will turn off all sync from the 2nd account I add to the tablets. I am now afraid that everything I did for the tablets to get them ready for Xmas is about to be lost when I remove my Google account and add a new common account for them.

So do I uncheck EVERYTHING in the Sync section for that second account? Perhaps I will just do that with my Google account so I don't have to reinstall all the apps. I just don't like the fact that my kids will be able to go into Hangouts and change to my account easily (not lockable right?).

I'm still thinking I need an alternate messaging program. Yes? What is good?
 
I have moved this thread to the General Tablet Talk since you are asking for suggestions of assistance for managing 3 tablets, so this forum should better suit your question.

Hope this helps :)
 
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