If your Verizon Smart Family not working, there is nothing to be concerned about yet. As you probably know the Smart Family feature strives to monitor and better control other devices.
Unfortunately, there are scenarios in which the feature simply does not work, and here we will reveal everything for you.
In this post, we are going to discuss the most frequent causes that are known to impact the Smart Family feature and their solutions so keep reading.
The Smart Family feature is designed to provide location services as well as parental controls to manage the viewing. Before you proceed further, you should know that Just Kids plans have no access to smart families. Furthermore, the Smart Family does not have access to OTT data apps such as Messenger and iMessage.
If we can exclude the above-explained possibilities, we can now check all the possible causes that are left.
Why Is the Verizon Smart Family Not Working?
As we already mentioned, there is a handful of possible causes so let’s have a look:
- Outdated Software.
- Outdated Application.
- Enabled/active VPN software.
- Bad to no network.
- Misconfigured settings.
Now when you have a basic idea of what might be happening to the Smart Family feature let’s move on to the steps that will resolve the problem.
How To Fix Verizon Smart Family Features Not Working?
The steps below are designed to identify and hopefully fix the Smart Family problem, only if applied in numerical order.
Make sure not to skip anything and we guarantee that you will get the issue solved. If not, you are going to be one step closer to find out the true cause.
Let’s start with the easiest and most effective methods upfront:
Step #1 Check Devices Support
The Verizon Smart Family feature is really sensitive when it comes to devices. For instance, an Android tablet from Verizon does not work with a Smart Family because there is no support for calls and messaging.
Other than this, your Smart Family will not work if any of the devices engaged has installed Messenger or iMessage, again due to no support.
Make sure to remove those applications from the devices you are using and try again.
Method #2 Re-Add Smart Family
Many people having the same issue as yours reported that they were able to resolve it by removing and then inserting back the Smart Family feature to the wireless account.
Simply head to the Account Settings > Wireless Account > Smart Family and remove it.
After a few minutes add it again and your issue should be gone. If, however, the problem persists, next, we are going to take a look at some software that might be preventing the Smart Family feature from working.
Method #3 Remove VPN
If the Smart Family feature is not working, there is a high chance that the device you are trying to reach has VPN software enabled.
The Virtual Private Network (VPN) software can connect to any IP masking the real one, which will definitely result in not working the Smart Family feature.
Make sure that there is no such software installed and working on any of the devices you are having in this Smart Family workflow and check if the issue is still there.
Note:
We recommend uninstalling any VPN or manually disabling it until it is required.
Method #4 Update Software
The Smart Family feature could not be working because of an outdated OS. Make sure to update the firmware of all devices that are involved in the Smart Family circle and then try again.
It is recommended to leave the auto-update option enabled so you can get the latest firmware right after its official release.
If the issue was related to an old software version, this way you will prevent it from happening in the future.
Method #5 Use Companion App
The Verizon Smart Family feature could have trouble working properly because there is no companion app selected in the Notification Menu.
To enable it, simply go to the Settings and locate Notifications. Click on the companion app and turn the notifications on.
While in the device’s settings, go to Life Mode and press Turn On. Then go to Advanced Options and choose the companion app.
Once those configurations are done, go ahead and check if the Smart Family feature is now working as intended.
How To Fix Other Verizon Smart Family Issues?
We assume that after applying our methods you were able to resolve your Smart Family issues. In case it is not working at all, we recommend checking if you have missed something.
As a last resort, you can contact Verizon customer service for further assistance.
We’ve found many people complaining that Verizon Smart Family content filters not working, or the location is inaccurate. Now, we will take a look at how to resolve both of them.
How To Fix Not Working Content Filters?
To resolve inaccurate and not working content filters on Verizon, get access to the device and access this link from the application.
Another way to fix not working content filters or inaccurate locations would be to reinstall the application but it seems to be a temporary solution.
Many Verizon users reported that they have managed to get rid of the issue by removing and installing the app from scratch but at the end of the day the problem re-appears.
Verizon Smart Family Issues Are Still There…
If you have tried all of our methods and recommendations and your Smart Family feature is still not working or you’re experiencing any other issues, you can always contact Verizon for additional assistance.
Don’t forget to include everything you’ve tried in this post in your mail to Verizon to save both your and their time.
With a little luck, the problem will be quickly found and resolved, so we wish you good luck!
Read Next: How to Get around Verizon Calling Restrictions?
Bottom Line
We hope that now you know why the Verizon Smart Family not working and most importantly how to get rid of the issue permanently.
We have also introduced a way to resolve the not working content filters and inaccurate location, so we hope that it was helpful as well.
For more relevant content we recommend checking our tech blog in which you will find a solution to any technical difficulty in your smart home.
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.