Just a month back, Google released its parental control app, Google family link. Continuing the trend, Korean giant, Samsung has also released it parental control app – Marshmallow. Yes, Marshmallow. The app has nothing to do with the Android Marshmallow, although, it is named after the same dessert. It looks like Samsung and Google Android fell in love, they had a baby named “Marshmallow”. But one definitely wonders, of all the names available in this world, Samsung just ended up naming it Marshmallow. That’s like Google coming up with a new app or Android version (but technically that’s not possible since they have already done “G” alphabet”) named “Galaxy”.
Samsung Marshmallow is a smartphone management app for kids, in addition to being a sweet parental control app. Designed to be used together by parents and kids, the app aims in improving the kids’ smartphone usage and habits, by offering them rewards.
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For parents, the Marshmallow app allows them to choose apps that can be used by the child from the apps installed on their device. They can lock the apps that they don’t find suitable for their age or whatsoever reason. Further, a child can use only 8 apps in Marshmallow mode. Moreover, parents can set bedtime for their child.
For a child, the app allows a child to set usage rules for themselves and if a child observes them properly, they will earn badges and extra bonus Marshmallow points. When a child has enough Marshmallow points, a child can ask the parents to redeem them for the gifts provided in the Marshmallow app.
Further, both the parent and the child can check daily and weekly reports of the mobile usage using Marshmallow app. However, you have to download a separate app on your kid’s device in order to track their usage.
Also read: How to detect when your Android device is being stolen?
If you think about it practically, the app doesn’t make sense, since kids get to set their own usage rules. However, considering the fact that good behavior or following the rules, results in rewards, the app might pull off.
There is some bad news as well. The app is exclusive to Samsung Galaxy users and is currently supported on the following smartphone models only: Galaxy S8 / S8 + / S7 / S7+ / S6 / S6 Edge / S6 Edge+ / S5 / Note5 / Note4 / A5 / A7 / A8 / A9 / J3 / J5 / J7.
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