Amazing Apps: ichaper

Innovation 31 is launching ichaper, a comprehensive smartphone monitoring application designed to encourage family dialogue around responsible mobile device use. Over half of children ages 2-14 using smart devices (according to NPD Group’s June 2013 Kids and Apps: A New Era of Play), and ichaper was developed as a tool for parents to help chaperone and educate their children as they assimilate into the world of smartphones, the internet, social networks, and gaming. The one-stop, full-control app is designed to evolve as the child matures.

The ichaper app offers:

Education - parental control options including call and text allowance*, usage scheduling, internet and application control

Privacy - Enables parents to monitor activity and set limits on a child’s mobile phone use without eavesdropping on private conversations or combing through text messages.  The child using the phone can review the parameters of use set by his or her parents.*

Security – ICE information*, location based services, quick emergency calls, and parental alerts

Peace of mind – GPS data including geofencing, geotracking and tracking on demand

User-friendly interface

*Features unique to ichaper

The ichaper service will be available for Android devices throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, North Africa, Australia, and South Korea as of November 19, 2013, and all basic security features including geolocation free of charge. Subscriptions enabling access to premium parental control features are available for an annual fee of $19.90 /year, allowing parents to manage up to five devices.  To celebrate the global launch of the app and in anticipation of the upcoming holiday gifting season, ichaper is offering a six month free trial of ichaper’s full menu of services for every account connected to a phone before December 31, 2013. 

I had a chance to interview Innovation 31 CEO Germain Brion to learn more.

What was the inspiration behind ichaper?

As mobile technology becomes a part of everyday life, it becomes clear that just as they learn to read and write, children need to learn how to surf the net, and become responsible digital natives. As with many things, swimming, driving, etc, children need to learn progressively how to grow into this increasingly digital world. At Innovation 31 we feel that parents are best placed to teach their children responsible smartphone use, but parents need a little help keeping tabs and keeping up. This is why we developed ichaper to help foster a parent - child digital dialogue. 

What sets it apart from other apps that may offer parental controls and tracking?

From what we have seen, no other app offers the full panel of features offered by ichaper (and we're just getting started!). It would take 2 or 3 other apps do to everything we do. Also, our desire to preserve the child's intimacy/privacy and operate in full transparency are key differentiators which represent the values we hold dear : respect, dialogue, discovery 

 

Besides the app, what are other things parents can do to be aware of what their children are doing and protect them?

The first thing to do is to harbor dialogue with a child, to treat them as responsible counterparts able to make decisions and commitments. No app can replace that! There is a wealth of resources available online to help 'coach' parents through their child's digital birth, but again, the first and last thing to do is to talk to your child.