# Pinwheel Caregiver

> Parental control app for managing child's smartphone and developing healthy tech habits. (iPhone/iPad app by Pinwheel.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinwheel-caregiver/id1552380890 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Pinwheel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1552380892)
- Category: Lifestyle, Utilities
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 165 App Store ratings · 105 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.4 · 41 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2021-05-25
- Data updated: 2026-08-31
- Monetization: subscription
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinwheel-caregiver/id1552380890/reviews.md

## What is Pinwheel Caregiver?

Solve the kid / phone problem with Pinwheel. No need to figure out which parental controls manage which device best! Pinwheel's custom-built system gives you the proper tool to teach your child healthy tech habits from day one.

This Pinwheel app provides access to our Caregiver Portal. The Caregiver Portal give you the power to configure and control a Pinwheel smartphone for your child. The phone and the app work hand-in-hand to let your kid establish a healthy relationship with technology.

In this app, you can:

- **Safelist contacts.** You approve every contact the Pinwheel phone can call or text, and you can schedule when those contacts are available each day. No strangers, no spam calls, no texting friends all night.


- **Enable apps.** No app store on the Pinwheel phone **keeps app choices in your hands**, not your child's. The curated app library makes it easy to choose useful, healthy apps for your child. No social media, no addictive games, not internet browsing, no mindless consumption.


- **Schedule Permissions.** Our Days/Modes calendar lets you choose which contacts and apps are available at what times of day. No texting friends during school, no staying up late using apps. You choose what they can do during different times of day. No need to constantly remind them what is and isn't ok. **Pinwheel helps them develop healthy boundaries around technology use, without the drama**.


- **Create Routines.** Help your child learn to be more independent and responsible with Pinwheel's fully-customizable checklists. A morning routine to make sure they're ready for school on time, with teeth brushed and backpack in hand. A bedtime routine for evening peace. Routines for chores, for music practice, for anything you'd like your kid to do without you telling them for the millionth time. Gold stars and confetti help them celebrate their daily wins and nurture good habits as they *ask* to stay on track.


- **Parent Them Well.** Live Status shows you the location of the phone. Text message monitoring allows you to supervise and coach them on appropriate communication.

Download the Caregiver Portal app today to explore the parental controls for free! Visit our website to purchase a phone for your child, and put the controls to use. 

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**Pinwheel Subscription Pricing**

This Pinwheel Caregiver Portal app is a companion app to Pinwheel phones. It does not work with other phones. You are welcome to explore the app for free! To use with a Pinwheel phone, the app is $29.99 per month including Pinwheel Wireless plan (unlimited talk and text with 5GB high speed data), or $17.99 per month if you choose your own cellular carrier. Save 15% if you purchase multiple devices. 

See more information and purchase Pinwheel phones on our website: https://www.pinwheel.com

**Cellular Plans**

Pinwheel phones are unlocked devices, which allow you to choose Pinwheel Wireless, or a cellular plan from major networks and providers.

————

**Need Help?** 

If you have any questions, need help with Pinwheel, or want to provide feedback, please contact our Customer Care Team: support@pinwheel.com

## Key features

- Safelist contacts with scheduled availability
- Enable approved apps from a curated library
- Schedule contact and app permissions by time of day
- Create customizable daily routines and checklists
- Live phone location tracking
- Text message monitoring and coaching

## Recent user reviews (10 of 105)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinwheel-caregiver/id1552380890/reviews.md

### 5/5 — The best decision for us!

*2026-08-13*

I honestly can’t say enough good things about pinwheel! The phone and parent caregiver portal & service have all worked so seamlessly, we get immediate updates on his gps(unlike some of the competitors), we can monitor all his texts and calls, we control app downloads and the phone can’t just access Google searches or social media. It’s great for kids who aren’t quite ready for full access on a regular phone, which is great for our 13 year old!

### 1/5 — Careful parents

*2026-07-21, version 1.7.4*

There are many things I like about the concept of this software and device, but having used it for my 12 (now 13) year old it has a glaring fatal flaw. If your child finds out the parental password and uses it to bypass controls on their phone it does not notify the parent account nor does it log what they do once that control has been bypassed. This had real world consequences for us as our daughter discovered our password and accessed online forums and was being groomed before we discovered the issue. In my opinion this is a fatal flaw and makes me unable to recommend this service.

### 4/5 — Needs to expand to Canada!

*2026-07-08, version 1.7.1*

Love the Phone app. But the option to upgrade my son‘s Pinwheel GPT 2 PRO is only offered in the states. Too bad! Hopefully they expand soon so that I can give them my money lol

### 5/5 — My Son is 12

*2026-06-27, version 1.7.0*

My son has been begging for a phone but we just weren’t ready to hand him the whole internet. He was super excited about the pinwheel phone and we love that we can monitor his texts, limit apps and turn it off at bedtime by using the parent app! Great starter phone!

### 5/5 — Highly recommend for your tween/teen!

*2026-05-20, version 1.6.2*

I highly recommend the pinwheel phone to any parent! We feel much safer with our teen being able to connect with friends, get in touch with us while being safe from the dangers of social media and endless scrolling!

### 5/5 — Easy 5 Stars

*2026-04-23*

I switched from Gabb and this is the easiest 5 star review I’ve given. The app is great and the customization per kid and per device is exactly what I needed. The app updates the kids’ devices instantly and is easy to use and reliable. I needed to leave Gabb because of the many issues I had the whole time I used them and Pinwheel has been the best moved I could have made! It’s better for me AND the kids!! I actually told them we were going back to Gabb and they were very unhappy with me lol

### 5/5 — No addiction! Useful tech :)

*2026-04-22*

Pinwheel is great for my 4 kids. The older ones (14 and 12) have phones. No social media. I love the “nothing mode” which gives me the ability at any moment to shut off digital access entirely except for calling/texting family. 

My younger two (7 and 8) have Pinwheel watches. They love to ask the AI app about animals. They my youngest loves taking pics of bugs. I can see every text, even the rejected ones, on my own phone. That makes it easy to add somebody that was intended and to see the garbage that they’re protected from.

**Developer response:** Awesome! We're thrilled that our service has been helpful for your family. We take pride in the recent revamp of our App Library so it's great to hear that the information provided have been useful for you!. Feel free to reach out to us anytime if you have any other feedback or suggestions!

### 5/5 — Parent of an 11 year old daughter

*2026-04-21*

As I have learned, one is not giving internet access to your child, your giving the internet access to your child. With this program and phone you have given the safety and control back into the hands of the parents and for this I am grateful! I appreciate all who created and supports Pinwheel!

### 5/5 — Amazing— best thing I ever did as a parent

*2026-04-10, version 1.6.2*

Pinwheel makes parenting teens better. The initial buy in is hard but it pays of over and over and over. 

My favorite part is the conversations I have with my kids as their needs change. It gives me the opportunity to explain my concerns and why I think things can be risky. But, it also lets them tell me how they are thinking about their friends, and school, and activities.

I tell them that childhood is short and precious.

Thank you, Pinwheel for helping me give my  children a childhood.

### 5/5 — Best We’ve Used So Far

*2026-03-28, version 1.6.2*

After going through several iterations of parental controls, there is no doubt that Pinwheel has both global and granular controls to be simple to use yet flexible enough easily adapt to changing schedules evolving needs.

The ease of use and pertinent options included in the Override functionality truly makes this a standout suite of tools.

Keep up the good work. In

## Frequently asked questions about Pinwheel Caregiver

### What does the Pinwheel Caregiver app do?

The Pinwheel Caregiver app provides a portal for parents to configure and control a Pinwheel smartphone for their child. It allows you to manage contacts, approved apps, schedules, and routines to help your child develop healthy technology habits.

### What are the key features of the Pinwheel Caregiver app?

Key features include safelisting contacts with scheduled availability, enabling approved apps from a curated library, scheduling permissions for contacts and apps based on time of day, creating customizable routines, live phone location tracking, and text message monitoring.

### How much does the Pinwheel Caregiver app cost?

The Caregiver Portal app itself can be explored for free. To use it with a Pinwheel phone, there is a monthly subscription fee of $29.99 which includes the Pinwheel Wireless plan, or $17.99 per month if you choose your own cellular carrier. Discounts are available for multiple devices.

### What devices is the Pinwheel Caregiver app compatible with?

This app is a companion to Pinwheel smartphones and does not work with other phone brands. You will need to purchase a Pinwheel phone to utilize the app's full functionality.

### What are common use cases for the Pinwheel Caregiver app?

Common use cases include preventing unwanted contact and spam, ensuring children only use age-appropriate apps, managing screen time during school hours or bedtime, establishing daily routines for chores and preparedness, and monitoring a child's location and communication for safety.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.8.0 — 2026-08-28

Updated libraries and improved warnings in Pinwheel Home Configuration wizard

### 1.7.9 — 2026-08-25

Updates to support latest firmware for Pinwheel Home Adapter

### 1.7.8 — 2026-08-12

Updates to the Pinwheel Configuration Wizard

### 1.7.7 — 2026-08-11

Updated Configuration Wizard

### 1.7.4 — 2026-07-18

Minor update to the Pinwheel Home configuration wizard.

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## More apps by Pinwheel

- [PinwheelGPT: Kid’s AI Chat](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinwheelgpt-kids-ai-chat/id6448295047)

All apps by Pinwheel: https://appshunter.io/developer/1552380892

## Related topics

[pinwheel caregiver](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pinwheel-caregiver) · [pinwheel phone](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pinwheel-phone) · [pinwheel gpt](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pinwheel-gpt) · [pinwheel attendance app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pinwheel-attendance-app) · [c4cd caregiver](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/c4cd-caregiver)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-31.*