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Gabb Messenger for Parents

Use Gabb Messenger for parents to: monitor texts, review blocked/flagged texts, manage contacts, set deletion rules, & Safe Video Calls.

Updated yesterday

What is Gabb Messenger for parents? 📨

➡️ This article covers how parents can use the Gabb Messenger app on your smartphone. Learn about how to use Gabb Messenger for kids.

The Gabb Messenger for parents app allows you to monitor and manage your child's Gabb Messenger app from your smartphone. You can download Gabb Messenger from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Gabb Messenger uses proprietary smart filtering to block and flag explicit images and all links, and flag messages that contain harmful words and emojis.

‼️ When messages are blocked or flagged for potentially harmful content, you'll receive a notification from the Gabb Messenger for parents app on your smartphone.

Gabb Messenger is not available on Gabb watches.

Blocking & Flagging 🚩

Gabb uses multiple levels of filtration to determine if a message may be potentially harmful or inappropriate. Messages may be blocked, flagged, or both.

Here's how it works:

⛔ Blocked: High confidence that the message contains harmful content and we block it from the child on their device.

🚩 Flagged: Potentially harmful content has been detected in the message and we forward it to the Gabb Messenger app on your smartphone.

‼️ Flagged content is still visible to the child on their device unless it is also blocked.

What is flagged and what is blocked?

Message type

Flagged

Blocked

Potentially harmful outgoing messages

✅

Links received from contacts

✅

Texts received from contacts with potentially harmful language

✅

Media received from an unknown number

✅

Incoming images with explicit content

✅

✅

Links received from unknown contacts

✅

✅

Texts from unknown numbers with potentially harmful language

✅

✅

‼️ Although Gabb Messenger filtration blocks and flags inappropriate or harmful content with a high level of accuracy, it is ever improving. We encourage families to have regular conversations about digital safety.

Setting up Gabb Messenger ⚙️

Parents must download the Gabb Messenger app on their smartphone to set up parental controls & make/receive video calls.
​

Link your Gabb Messenger for parents app to the Gabb Messenger for kids app on your child's Gabb phone:

  1. Download the Gabb Messenger app onto the parent’s smartphone using the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

  2. Sign into Gabb Messenger on your smartphone using the your (parent’s) Gabb account login information (not your child's login).

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

Don’t see your child’s phone in the Gabb Messenger app?

  1. Make sure your child is logged into the Gabb ID app on their Gabb phone.

  2. Select Settings > Troubleshooting > Sync Settings from the Gabb Messenger app on your Gabb phone.

Managing contacts and deleting settings 👥

You can add, approve, & manage contacts from the Gabb Messenger app. You can also manage message deleting settings from Gabb Messenger.

Parents must have the Gabb Messenger for parents app installed on their smartphone to control & monitor the child’s Gabb Messenger app on the Gabb phone.

Approved contacts 👥

Manage approved contacts from Gabb Messenger for parents to restrict your child from contacting phone numbers not on the approved contacts list.

Set up an approved contacts list:

  1. Log in to the Gabb Messenger for parents app.

  2. Tap Contacts at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Tap the profile icon 👤 of the child you want to add an approved contacts list to.

  4. Select Parent-Managed from the Contact Management drop down.

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

  6. Add your contact:

    1. Create New Contact: Enter contact details manually.

    2. From Child's List: Approve from your child's existing contact list.

If your child has a Gabb Phone or Gabb Phone Plus, the approved contacts list will only apply to texting—not phone calls. Contact management via Gabb Messenger iOS & Gabb Messenger Android applies to texts and calls on the Gabb Phone 3 Pro, Gabb Phone 4, and Gabb Phone 4 Pro.

Set up an approved contacts list

Message deleting settings 🗑️

Use the Gabb Messenger for parents app to control the deleting settings for your child’s messages. You can allow your child to delete messages instantly, after 30 days, or never.

Follow these steps to set up deleting settings for your child:

  1. Log in to Gabb Messenger from your (parent's) smartphone.

  2. Tap Controls 🎛️ at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Tap the profile of the child you want to manage deletion settings for.

  4. Tap Deletion Settings.

  5. Select the radio button next to the deletion setting you want. Your selection will be saved automatically.

Text/call logs 📝

Gabb keeps a record of your child’s texts & calls made to/from their Gabb phone. You can review the text log or call log for your child’s device by logging into your Gabb account.

Here’s how to look at your child’s text & call logs:

  1. Log in to your Gabb account.

  2. Click View Details next to your child’s profile.

  3. Scroll down to the Call Logs section to review the call history, or scroll to the Text Logs section to review the texting history.

If you want to download a copy of the Logs, select the Download Logs button.

Text log example

Text logs do not show the content of text messages—they show:

• Whether the message was sent or received
• Date & time the message was sent or received
• To/from phone number

Safe Video Calling on Gabb Messenger 🤳

You can make a Safe Video Calls to your child using Gabb Messenger. If you don’t have Gabb Messenger installed on your smartphone, download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

‼️ Gabb ensures safe video calling by detecting nudity on video calls. If we detect nudity during the video call, we'll end the call, video calling will be locked, and you'll get a notification from the Gabb Messenger for parents app.

Video calls can only be made to contacts who have Gabb Messenger installed on their phone. Your child can send an invite link to contacts who have Gabb Messenger.

Troubleshooting 🚨

Having issues with the Gabb Messenger app? Look for your issue below.

Before troubleshooting, make sure your Gabb Messenger is up to date.

Deletion settings not being followed

You can set up one of three different deletion settings:

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

Here’s how to change your child’s deletion settings:

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

  2. Tap on your child’s profile icon, then tap Controls. 🎛️

  3. Tap Deletion Settings.

  4. Select the radio button next to the deletion setting you want.

Not flagging or blocking texts

If Gabb Messenger isn't flagging or blocking text messages that it should be flagging or blocking, follow these steps:

  1. Enable notifications for Gabb Messenger on your smartphone.

  2. Log in to Gabb Messenger on your (parent's) smartphone.

  3. Log in to the Gabb ID app on the Gabb phone using your child’s login information.

  4. Sync your Gabb Messenger settings:

    • Open Gabb Messenger on your Gabb phone.

    • Tap Settings.

    • Tap Troubleshooting.

    • Tap Sync Settings. 🔄

Child can text unapproved contacts

If your child can text people who aren’t in their contacts, you might not have parent-managed contacts turned on.

Here’s how to turn on a parent-managed contact list:

  1. Log in to the Gabb Messenger for parents app.

  2. Tap Contacts at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Tap the profile icon 👤 of the child you want to add an approved contacts list to.

  4. Select Parent-Managed from the Contact Management drop down.

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

  6. Add your contact:

    1. Create New Contact: Enter contact details manually.

    2. From Child's List: Approve from your child's existing contact list.

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