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Kudos0

Child can still reply and receive messages on whatsapp, discord, after allowed time

Posted: 03-Apr-2022 | 7:57PM · 4 Replies ·

My child can still read test messages on whatsapp/Discord/Twitter and reply with text messages even when the apps are "locked" outside of allowed hours.  The app itself cannot be opened, but the messaging can continue by replying to the notifications!  This is very disturbing as my son stays up late nights answering and reading messages from Apps on his Galaxy S7  even though it is in curfew hours / block time.  I need a solution.

Secondly, I have he same issue from another member - my son's S7 was locked as Norton said he has reached the authorised limit.  He clearly hasn't!!!  I checked and can see that he has used approx 1.5 hours on apps out of 5 hours, and he has only been awake for 3.5 hours when it was locked.

Please help explain.  Thanks

Labels: Android, App Blocking, Messaging, Notification, Time Supervision, Social Networking

Replies

Kudos0

Re: Child can still reply and receive messages on whatsapp, discord, after allowed time

Posted: 04-Apr-2022 | 6:29AM · Edited: 04-Apr-2022 | 6:35AM · Permalink

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to Norton Support Forum.

Regarding the former issue, as in preventing the child from replying to notifications, you must Disable Notifications under Settings. You can follow these steps for the same: 

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Notifications.
3. Disable Notifications for the required Apps.

However, please keep in mind that App Supervision should be turned ON at all times and the Settings App of your device should be Blocked, so that notifications cannot be enabled by your child henceforth.

For the latter issue, we have checked our backend logs for your device and couldn’t find any major discrepancy. The Time Usage Reset is happening as expected. However, a potential reason for the issue might be the fact that the Timezones for the Parent App/Norton Family Portal and your Child App are not synchronised. Hence, kindly ensure that the timezones for all your devices and the portal are the same in order to make Time Supervision work effectively. Please follow the given steps to change the timezone in portal (if needed): 

1. Open this link - Norton Family Portal Parent Dashboard. 
2. Login using your credentials.
3. Click on the Three Dots on the top right of your profile.
4. Click on Edit Profile.
5. Change the timezone as per your requirement.
6. Click Save.

Do let us know if the issue still persists.

Thanks and regards,
Norton Family Team.

Kudos0

Re: Child can still reply and receive messages on whatsapp, discord, after allowed time

Posted: 11-Apr-2022 | 7:36AM · Permalink

Norton, when there are items like this which clearly can't be blocked or monitored by Norton Family due to Android limitations, please consider adding better monitoring and alerting to show us the times when devices are being used.

If parents had the ability to see when devices were being used throughout the day, or to setup alerts if devices are used overnight it would be a huge help.  I know my kids use these workarounds too, we had the same issue with Kaspersky, but at least with Kaspersky we could see if they were using their phones overnight and were able to lay some ground rules and make it clear that if we kept seeing them using the phones overnight they'd be losing them for the weekend.  Kaspersky had a simple 24hr graph showing in 5-15 minute intervals exactly what times of the day devices were being used.

Given that you can't block everything, giving parents visibility of when devices are used, and tools to help manage access such as an ability to remotely lock a device or disable internet access is a huge help.

Kudos0

Re: Child can still reply and receive messages on whatsapp, discord, after allowed time

Posted: 11-Apr-2022 | 11:41PM · Permalink

Hello,

Thanks for sending in your suggestions. We will forward the same to our product management team.

However, the "ability to remotely lock a device" that you have mentioned already exists in our app, under the alias, "Instant Lock". Please refer to this document for more information in this regard: Instant Lock Support Document

Regards,
Norton Family Team.

Kudos0

Re: Child can still reply and receive messages on whatsapp, discord, after allowed time

Posted: 12-Apr-2022 | 12:33AM · Permalink

thanks for your response.  In my experience with the Norton team, I always find that the responses are short of a solution to really engage your customers with your product's shortcomings.  you sell your product and we trust what you said however, you don't really focus on fixing the solutions to your product.  Your shortcomings create tensions between parents and children.  You could have easily mention that to use your product, you must first disable notifications.  That, in itself, will cause conflict because how do the child gets notified if all notifications are switched off and locked?  My children will miss my messages and it won't be their fault, but because you promised me a product that can and should check on my children.  it's disappointing.

FYI - it is impossible for my child to change the clocks/timezones because they have been locked out and the settings are also locked by your product. If indeed they can change the timezones, you are implying that your product now cannot lock the settings app??  Another set back. 

I think that agents representing Norton should know the product inside out, not merely look into the "book of answers" in your response but to ask and question your engineers who designed the product as to what is the shortcomings and address accordingly.  Not by choosing to use the "easy way out" and answering generally like robots...  Your customers, would be happier if you are truthful, address the product's problems, and also put some people who really know the product to respond - not second guessing as a means to an end.  I am sure many in this forum would agree with this statement.

Thank you.

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