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How to Set Up Your New Gabb Phone 4 or 4 Pro

Set up your Gabb Phone 4/4 Pro: activate service, pair with the MyGabb app, add Safe Zones, add approved contacts, & install 3rd-party apps.

Updated today

Overview: Gabb phone setup tutorial video

Step 1: Pick your plan & activate service

New line

Pick your plan 📝

There are two different ways to pick your plan, depending on where you purchased your Gabb phone.

👉 If you purchased your Gabb phone from gabb.com, you picked your plan at checkout.

👉 If you purchased your Gabb phone from a marketplace, you’ll pick your plan when you go to our activation portal.

Activate your service 📲

No matter where you purchased your phone, head to our activation portal to activate your Gabb phone.

Upgrade/replacement line

Pick your plan 📝

When you upgrade or replace your Gabb device, there are a couple options:

👉 Upgrading your Gabb phone? You’ll pick a new plan during checkout at gabb.com.

👉 Replacing a Gabb phone? You can keep your existing plan or pick a new one during checkout at gabb.com.

Amazon/marketplace orders: If you bought your upgrade/replacement phone from an online marketplace like Amazon, you’ll pick your new plan when you visit our activation portal.

Transfer your phone number & service to your new Gabb phone 📲

To transfer your phone number & service to your new Gabb phone, go to our activation portal & follow the steps to transfer your phone number & service.

👉 This applies no matter where you purchased your new Gabb phone.

Step 2: Pair your Gabb phone to the MyGabb app & Gabb Messenger for parents

1. Pair your Gabb phone to the MyGabb app

Download the MyGabb app ⬇️

Download the MyGabb app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Sign in to MyGabb ✏️

After you download the MyGabb app, sign in to the app. Use the same username & password you use when you log in to your Gabb account (not your child's login).

Pair your Gabb phone to the MyGabb app ➡️

After you’re logged in to the MyGabb app, pair your new Gabb phone to the app:

  1. Turn on your Gabb phone.

  2. Make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your (parent’s) smartphone, & that your Gabb phone is nearby.

  3. Open the MyGabb app on your smartphone.

  4. Tap the hamburger icon in the upper-left corner.

  5. Tap Add Device.

‼️ Gabb Phone 4 only: Insert the phone battery before turning your Gabb phone on. The gold contacts must be in the upper-right corner.

Your Gabb phone will show a QR code on the screen. Follow these steps to finish pairing the Gabb phone to the MyGabb app.

  1. Use the camera in the MyGabb app on your (parent's) smartphone to scan the QR code on the Gabb phone screen.

  2. Follow the prompts in the MyGabb app to pair your new Gabb phone.

2. Download Gabb Messenger for parents

Download Gabb Messenger 📨

Gabb Messenger for parents allows you to create an approved contacts list & get notifications about flagged & blocked messages.

Download Gabb Messenger on your (parent's) smartphone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Log in to Gabb Messenger ✏️

Log in to Gabb Messenger on your (parent's) smartphone using the same username & password you use to log in to your Gabb account (not your child's login).

Step 3: Set up your Gabb phone

Set up a Safe Zone 🏠

Safe Zones allow you to be notified when your child arrives at or leaves a specified location. You can set up a Safe Zone in a few easy steps:

  1. Log in to the MyGabb app on your (parent's) smartphone.

  2. Tap Safe Zones.

  3. Tap the plus sign ➕ in the bottom-right corner of the map.

  4. Enter your Safe Zone details, then tap Save.

Safe Zones update every 15 minutes. If you want to see a real-time location, tap the refresh button 🔄 on the map in the MyGabb app.

Add approved contacts 👥

You can set up an approved contacts list in Gabb Messenger for parents. This can help you control who your child contacts, as well as notify you about flagged & blocked message.

Follow these steps to set up an approved contacts list in the Gabb Messenger app:

  1. Download the Gabb Messenger app on your (parent's) smartphone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

  2. Log in to Gabb Messenger using the Gabb account login credentials that you use to log in to your Gabb account (not your child’s login).

  3. Enable push notifications so you get notified about flagged & blocked texts.

  4. Build your child’s approved contacts list:

    1. Tap your child’s profile icon 👤, then tap Contacts.

    2. Select Parent-managed from the Contact Management drop down.

    3. Tap the blue plus sign ➕ in the bottom-right corner.

    4. Choose how you want to add the contact:

      1. Create New Contact: Enter contact details manually, then tap Create Contact.

      2. From Child's List: Approve your child's contacts by selecting the contact(s) you want to improve, then tap Approve Selected.

👉 Setting up an approved contacts list is optional.

Manage text message deleting settings 🗑️

Deleting settings allow you to control when your child can delete text messages off of their Gabb phone. There are three text message deleting settings that you can choose from in the Gabb Messenger for parents app:

Instantly

Messages can be permanently deleted from Trash

After 30 days

Messages are permanently deleted from Trash after 30 days

Never

Deleted messages always remain in the Trash

Follow these steps to set your text message deletion settings:

  1. Log in to Gabb Messenger for parents on your (parent's) smartphone.

  2. Tap your child’s profile icon 👤, tap Controls, then tap Deletion Settings.

  3. Select the deletion option you want. Your selection is automatically saved.

Step 4: Third-party apps

Gabb Phone 4

Gabb allows 11 additional apps on the Gabb Phone 4:

  • Gabb Maps

  • 24 Game

  • Bible App by Olive Tree

  • Chabad.org Daily Torah Study

  • Chess

  • Gospel Library

  • Mini Golf

  • Quran

  • Sillyble

  • Solitaire

  • Sora by OverDrive Education

Here’s how to add one of these apps to your child’s Gabb Phone 4:

  1. Log in to the MyGabb app.

  2. Tap Manage.

  3. Tap on your child's Gabb Phone 4.

  4. Tap Manage Apps.

  5. Browse or search for the app you want to download.

  6. Tap Add next to the app’s name.

  7. Tap Add App.

  8. Open the Gabb ID app on the Gabb Phone 4 while connected to WiFi, then select Check for Updates. The app will be added to your Gabb phone. ✅

Gabb Phone 4 Pro

We have hundreds of apps available to download on the Gabb Phone 4 Pro. Gabb thoroughly reviews every app that comes into our Gabb App Store.

You must be on the Advanced plan to download apps. Find out how to upgrade your plan here.

With a Gabb Phone 4 Pro on the Advanced Plan, parents have full control over which apps your child can access; however, we understand that third-party apps may come with risks. Please review the Gabb App Guide and make the best decision for your family.

Here’s how to add an app to your Gabb Phone 4 Pro:

  1. Log in to your Gabb account and make sure your Gabb Phone 4 Pro on the Advanced plan.

  2. Click Gabb App Store in the side menu.

  3. Select your Gabb Phone 4 Pro from the top menu.

  4. Browse or search for the app you want to download, then click Add > Add App. The app will load into the Google Play Store on your Gabb phone within 24 hours.

  5. After the app is loaded into the Google Play Store, your child must download the app on their phone from their Google Play Store.

👉 Gabb App Management FAQs

Troubleshooting

If your issue isn’t listed below, please refer to our Gabb Phone 4 Pro or Gabb Phone 4 troubleshooting articles.

Can't link Gabb phone to MyGabb app

Can't link your Gabb phone to the MyGabb app? Log in to your Gabb account & verify that your Gabb phone is active. If the phone is not active, go to our activation portal. We’ll walk you through the steps to activate your Gabb phone.

Can't log in to the MyGabb app

If you're having issues logging in to the MyGabb app, make sure you're logging in using the account credentials you created when you set up your Gabb account (not your child's login).

"Unauthorized" error message

Follow these steps if you're getting an "unauthorized" error message:

  1. Log out of the MyGabb app.

  2. Log back in to the MyGabb app using the account credentials you created when you set up your Gabb account (not your child's login).

A new line was set up instead of transferring

If you set up a new line when you wanted to transfer your service, we’ll need to help you cancel that line and transfer your service to your new Gabb Phone 4 or 4 Pro.

Can't receive texts or calls

Follow these steps if you can't receive texts or calls on your Gabb Phone 4 Pro:

  1. Log in to your Gabb account & verify that your new Gabb Phone is active.

    • If the phone is active, continue to the next step.

    • If the phone is not active, go to our activation portal & follow the steps to activate it, then continue to the next step.

  2. Move to an area with better service, such as outside or near a window.

  3. Turn the phone off, then back on.

Failed to get activation code

Not getting an activation code on your Gabb phone screen when trying to pair it with the MyGabb app? Try these steps:

  1. Go to our activation portal and verify that you've purchased a plan for your Gabb Phone 4 Pro.

  2. Press & hold the power button turn your Gabb phone off, then press & hold it again to turn it back on.

  3. Connect your Gabb Phone to WiFi. 🛜

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