How to Set Data Limit on Verizon Family Base? Possible Options

Knowing how to set data limit on Verizon Family Base is important for managing data plans and monitoring the devices of your loved ones.

Verizon’s proprietary solution not only allows parents and account holders the ability to set data caps, but it also helps childproof the internet on a mobile phone.

Family Base isn’t the only parental control and data managing option, though it is convenient if you are already a Verizon customer. 

It is, however, an add-on fee, which costs $5.00 (USD) per line, which isn’t too expensive.

Furthermore, note that Family Base also has usage and activity monitoring features, and it can even block numbers from your kids’ SMS and call history.

You can also sign up for alerts through email or text to monitor data usage on a monthly basis.

Reasons Why You May Want to Set Data Limit on Verizon

There are two main reasons to set a data limit for your plan. The first of which has to do with shared plans where you pay by the gigabyte.

A single user could easily hog all of the data and burn through it with streaming services, YouTube videos, or large uploads and downloads.

Setting a data limit makes things fairer, so you don’t have to worry about a single line maxing out your plan for users without unlimited data.

In addition, another reason for setting a cap on data is for parental controls.

Children are becoming increasingly inundated with information from televisions, smartphones, tablets, and other devices.

Pro Tip: Using parental controls helps limit the amount of screen time a child has on a device. Furthermore, parental controls can disable certain features of a phone at set times.

For instance, you could disable apps during regular school hours.

How to Set Data Limit on Verizon Family Base

There are three main ways to set data limits on your Verizon plan. The first, and most convenient, is to add the Family Base plan to your subscription.

However, regardless of a Family Base subscription, you can opt to make manual configurations through each line’s operating system.

There are also third-party alternative applications, most of which are free. Also, note that many paid mobile security app solutions have data monitoring and control features.

If one line on your Verizon plan is using too much data and you already have a subscription with a mobile security application, you may not need Verizon Family Base.

Still, Family Base is more convenient (and more inexpensive) than signing up with a mobile security subscription if you only need to limit one or two lines; although, it is possible to limit data usage on a single line for free.

Can I See the Information on Phones with Restricted Data Usage with Family Base?

No, you cannot see the actual contents of SMS messages or hear the audio from placed and received calls.

Verizon Family Base does allow the administrator the option to block incoming messages from numbers, but Verizon doesn’t give out the content of the calls and texts.

Setting up data limits and parental controls through Verizon Family Base does NOT allow the ability to read others’ personal information.

If you are concerned about a child or account holder’s call and SMS messages, you would need to have personal access to the device.

Regardless of whether or not you’re the account holder with a Family Base add-on service, you do not have access to each phone’s personal data.

Manually Limiting Data on Android Devices

In addition to Family Base, people with administrative access to a phone can choose to manually restrict data usage.

This method is viable, though not as ideal as Family Base. The issue is that with Family Base, an account holder has administrative privileges, allowing them to oversee every device on the plan.

However, when manually limiting data on Android, anyone with access past the phone’s lock screen can turn this feature on or off. If your child can find the right setting, they could turn off data limiting entirely.

Nevertheless, if you just want others on your account to preserve data, you can use the following steps to set data limits:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select Network & Internet.
3. Select Mobile Data.
4. Turn on Limit Mobile Data Usage.

Furthermore, if you scroll down, you’ll see the data usage each individual app uses. If you wish, you can completely restrict data for an individual app or restrict its data limit.

Manually Limiting Data on Apple Devices

Like the previous method, you can also choose to manually limit data on your iPhone or iPad. However, it’s a little more difficult to find the right setting.

One thing I like about the iOS software is that not only does it set data limits, but it also sets limits for screen time.

To manually set data limits on an Apple device, use the following steps:

1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Select the Content & Privacy Restrictions option.
3. Input your password.
4. Select the Cellular Data Changes option.
5. Select the Don’t Allow Changes option.

Note: This method of locking data is a per-device method and not a per-plan method.

Family Base Alternative: Glasswire Data Tracking App

In addition to manual tracking and the proprietary Verizon Family Base method, you can also use third-party applications. Free apps like Glasswire help monitor data usage for each individual device.

Glasswire doesn’t monitor data usage for all types of devices, however. Instead, it is only designed for use on Android and Windows devices. It is still a functional alternative to signing up for the Verizon Family Base service.

This app shows, in great detail, how the phones on your account are using data. You can check the data usage on each device for free and then manually set data limits instead of using Verizon Family Base.

Note: The disadvantage of using a free app is that it must be downloaded, installed, and administered per device.

However, Verizon Family Base offers features for the entire account, as well as data usage reporting for the whole account.

Read Next: Can Verizon Account Holder See Internet History?

Bottom Line

Understanding how to set data limits on Verizon Family Base requires installing the Smart Family app on the parent’s or account holder’s device.

Furthermore, note that Verizon Wireless recommends powering off your child’s device before increasing or decreasing its data limits.

If you wish, you can use manual data restriction limits built into the device’s operating system, whether it’s an Android or iOS device. Also, note that the Verizon Smart Family app permits data limits for each device.

You can limit the data restrictions on each device on your plan if one user consumes more data than others.