Connect & Protect Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

kids plans

What is Connect & Protect from C Spire?

Connect & Protect is C Spire’s wireless solution for kids, keeping children connected with the devices they want and protected with the parental controls families need. Connect & Protect has devices and options for kids at every state, including a standalone watch plan, kids phone plans with no data, and Unlimited kids phone plans.

All Connect & Protect plans come with GPS location tracking, free guided setup for parental controls, and access to our online parent resources hub. Plans with data also include adult-content filtering built in over our cellular network.

How is Connect & Protect different from other kids phone plans?

Connect & Protect kids phone plans make it easier to get the phone kids want and the controls parents need. You can keep your family on one wireless account, get great deals on devices for your kids, and easily change their plan as they grow up to fit your child’s age and maturity level. Currently, there are three phone plans with adjustable guardrails and different levels of access to data and social media.

Plus, with Connect & Protect, you can get the best deal on a premium device to keep, not one you have return later like with many other kids phone plans. Already have a device for your kid? That’s great, too. Just choose their plan and select Bring Your Own Device.

What is included with the Connect & Protect kids phone plans?

	Connect & Protect Beginner	Connect & Protect Intermediate	Connect & Protect Advanced
Phone Plan Price	$30/mo with AutoPay and Paperless Billing discount	$40/mo with AutoPay and Paperless Billing discount	$55/mo with AutoPay and Paperless Billing discount
Unlimited Talk & Text	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wireless Data for Apps, Browsers & Streaming	No	Unlimited + 10GB of high-speed data	Unlimited + 25GB of high-speed data
GPS Location Tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes
Parental Controls with Guided Setup	Apple Family Share or Bark	Apple Family Share or Bark	Bark Premium active monitoring
Adult Content Filtering	Internet restricted over cellular network + guided setup for restrictions over WiFi	Built in over cellular network + guided setup for restrictions over WiFi	Built in over cellular network + guided setup for restrictions over WiFi
Social Media Restrictions	Social media restricted over cellular network + guided setup for restrictions over WiFi	Social media restricted over cellular network + guided setup for restrictions over WiFi	Social media not restricted + guided set up for restrictions over WiFi with threat monitoring available
Active Monitoring	Not included	Not included	Bark Premium (requires setup)

Which social media apps are filtered on the Intermediate plan?

The Connect & Protect Intermediate plan includes built-in filtering over our wireless network for most popular social media and other platforms that may not be safe for kids, such as sites and apps for dating, meetups, and random or private communication.

We make the best effort to protect your kids on our network, but we can’t guarantee all sites are blocked. It’s important to ensure you set up and regularly review parental controls on your kid’s device for the best protection. For help, check out our parental control setup guides.

What adult content is filtered on the Intermediate and Advanced plans?

The Connect & Protect Intermediate and Advanced plans feature adult-content filtering built in over our cellular network, targeting a wide range of apps and sites with content such as:

Illegal activities
Drugs, alcohol and smoking
Terrorism
Weapons and guns
Hate, slander and cyberbullying
Suicide, self-harm and self-violence
Child abuse
Adult, porn, nudity and sexual services
Hacking, VPNs and remote proxies
Malware, botnets and spyware
Phishing sites and spam
Gambling and lottery
Grotesque
Dating
Piracy and torrents
Abortion
Swimsuit & Lingerie — not filtered on Advanced plan

We make our best effort to protect your kids, but we can’t guarantee all sites are blocked. It’s important to ensure you set up and regularly review parental controls on your kid’s device for the best protection. For help, check out our parental control setup guides.

Can my kid get on the internet with a Connect & Protect plan?

Connect & Protect offers three unique plans with different levels of access to data and social media. Our Intermediate and Advanced plans both include data for apps, browsing and streaming, with built-in content filtering over our cellular network.

The Beginner plan does not include data for apps, browsers, or streaming video, but those can still be accessed on WiFi and media-sharing services like AirDrop. The good news: Our parental control setup guides make it easy to set up the restrictions your family wants over WiFi, too.

Can I change my kid’s Connect & Protect plan when they’re ready?

Absolutely. Connect & Protect plans are designed to grow with your child so you can change their plan anytime. Just sign into your C Spire account to switch them to another Connect & Protect plan with more or less restrictions. And when your child is ready for a plan with no restrictions, you can upgrade them to any other C Spire plan. See our other plan options.

What is the active monitoring featuring included with Connect & Protect Advanced?

The Connect & Protect Advanced plan comes with Bark Premium, which gives parents the ability to set up monitoring across text, email, and select social media platforms. However, each app or platform needs to be connected to Bark to allow for monitoring.

After initial setup, Bark’s active monitoring will scan messages for harmful content across categories such as anxiety, body image, bullying, depression, drugs/alcohol, dangerous contacts, and more. Then, it will automatically alert parents of potential issues and threats. Note that for iOS, Bark Premium does require installing Bark software on your home laptop to get the full benefits. See our parental controls setup guide for details.

parental control

Will social media and adult-content restrictions also block content on WiFi?

No, these are specific restrictions are built in over C Spire’s cellular network. However, our parental control setup guides can help you adjust parental controls and content filtering over WiFi, as well, so be sure to set them up for your kid’s device and review them regularly.

How can I be sure my kid is fully protected on Connect & Protect?

As a parent, you can never account for everything. But Connect & Protect plans are a huge help in making it safer for your kid to enjoy their device. Our plans offer a wide variety of protections over our cellular network that you can adjust based on your child’s age and maturity. Plus, our parental control guides can help you set up protections for your kids over WiFi, too. While nothing can replace parenting and having regular conversations with your kids, at C Spire, we want to help you find the resources you need to instill healthy tech habits as your family sees fit.

What parental controls are included on Apple devices with Connect & Protect?

With iPhone and Apple Watch on Connect & Protect Beginner and Intermediate plans, you get access to easy, guided setup for Apple Family Sharing and Screen Time on your kid’s device. Once you set them up, these features can help you restrict content, turn off downloads, block apps, limit screen time, track your child’s location, and more. See our parental control setup guides.

Connect & Protect Advanced includes Bark Premium parental controls ($14/mo. value), which adds active monitoring with AI-powered alerts for a wide range of threats across text, email and social-media platforms. Note that Bark Premium does require you to link your kids various accounts and install Bark on a parent’s laptop for the full benefits. See our parental control setup guide for details.

What parental controls are included for Android devices with Connect & Protect?

With Android phones on Connect & Protect Beginner and Intermediate plans, you get access to Bark Jr. parental controls. Once you set them up, these features can help you limit screen time, block apps and websites, get location alerts, request check-ins from your kid, and more. See our parental control setup guides.

Connect & Protect Advanced includes Bark Premium parental controls ($14/mo. value), which adds active monitoring with AI-powered alerts for a wide range of threats across text, email and social media platforms. Note that Bark Premium does require you to link your kids various accounts and iOS requires installation of Bark on a parent’s laptop for the full benefits. See our parental control setup guide for details.

How do I get help setting up parental controls with Connect & Protect?

To set up or adjust parental controls on your kid’s device, first we recommend checking out our easy setup guides. Just answer a few questions, and we’ll take you right to the guide you need, walking you through it step by step. For more help, you can also chat with us online or visit your local C Spire store.

Do Connect & Protect restrictions work internationally?

When traveling internationally, your child’s device will be on another carrier’s network, so we can’t provide the same content filtering and restrictions we do on our own wireless network. Bark Jr. and Bark Premium will also not work outside of the U.S. However, any parental controls you set up with Apple Family Share will still work over WiFi internationally.

What’s the difference between the cellular network protections the plans come with and the parental controls that I set up?

Connect & Protect plans feature built-in protection on our cellular network. Depending on the plan, these network protections may restrict data usage, filter out adult content, or restrict social media use. However, they don’t carry over to non-cellular networks like WiFi or other networks we can’t control.

To protect your kids on WiFi and any other network, it’s very important for you to set up your parental controls so you can manage what apps and content your kids can access, how much time they spend on their devices, and more. Cellular network filtering is a great first level of protection, but for the best experience, make sure you set up parental controls with our parental controls setup guides.

What should I expect to happen when a site or app is blocked?

Most blocked apps will either block them from creating an account or stop content from loading. Apps do have opening screens that give an overview of the app and are typically not blocked. Most blocked websites will time out, ask you to check your connection, or show an error that it can't reach the server. While these are all intentional, you may want to check other non-blocked sites to ensure your internet connection is working.

Note that if the device was previously used to visit blocked sites before switching to a Connect & Protect plan, some sites may be cached. If so, you'll need to open the browser settings and select to clear cache and cookies, and delete browsing data. The wording may vary.

kids devices

Which phones can my kid use on Connect & Protect plans?

With the Connect & Protect plans, you can use any C Spire-compatible device for your child’s phone. Check out our latest phone deals or select Bring Your Own device when shopping if you already have a compatible device they can use.

Can I get my kid an Apple Watch with Connect & Protect?

Yep. With C Spire’s Connect & Protect, you can get Apple Watch for your kid as a standalone device. You’ll just need a parent’s or guardian’s iPhone to activate the Watch. Check out our Apple Watch deals to get started. Note that Apple Watch is not available on prepaid Connect & Protect plans.

Can I give my kid a phone I already own with Connect & Protect?

Of course. You can bring any C Spire-compatible device for your child to use with their Connect & Protect plan. Just select Bring Your Own Device when shopping. Pro tip: Upgrading to a new phone and giving your old one to your child can be a great way to save.

Have more questions about Connect & Protect?

CHAT WITH US

Disclaimer

Connect and Protect Kids Plans are plans that restrict certain online access on the C Spire cellular network.

Beginner Plan pricing: $35/mo. Advertised price of $30/mo. includes up to a $5 AutoPay enrollment discount. The Beginner Plan includes: unlimited talk and text as well as limited data for certain voice, messaging, location and map features available from third parties. Cellular access to internet is restricted.

Intermediate Plan pricing: $45/mo. Advertised price of $40/mo. Includes up to a $5 AutoPay enrollment discount. The Intermediate Plan includes: 10GB of high-speed data and unlimited talk, text, and basic data at 300 mbps. Cellular access to social media is restricted and adult content is filtered.

Advanced Plan pricing: $60/mo. Advertised price of $55/mo. includes up to a $5 AutoPay enrollment discount. The Advanced Plan includes: 25GB of high-speed data and unlimited talk, text, and basic data at 300mbps, plus active monitoring alerts supported by a third-party that are powered by AI across text, email, and select social platforms when set up. Adult content is filtered over cellular network.

All Connect & Protect Kids Plans include free guided setup of parental control features available from third parties. Parental controls vary by plan and device operating systems, not all functions are available on all devices. For specific plan restrictions and exclusions available on cellular data and included location, map and parental control features by device type see cspire.com/ConnectandProtect. C Spire cannot operate restrictions or parental controls outside its cellular network; parental restrictions and/or controls for other usage, including Wi-Fi, must be controlled by customer. For more information on plans, social media restrictions, and adult content filtering see frequently asked questions at cspire.com/ConnectandProtect.

Network Management: Service and/or service plans may be changed, slowed, suspended, terminated, and/or restricted based upon usage, location, roaming, interference with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users, or for any reason in C Spire's sole discretion. Data usage and service quality varies by device, apps, available network speeds, roaming, file sizes and/or as a result of update settings. For full terms governing service see cspire.com/customerserviceagreement. Other restrictions, fees, and taxes may apply.