Together: Family Video Calling

Tried this app out with a few family members (we live in different countries with young children). In theory it was great - the kids were really engaged and enjoyed it. Unfortunately when we looked in to purchasing a subscription the price had gone up and it’s only for 20 hours for both incoming and outgoing calls which is a bit opportunistic, especially considering the current world situation and with occasional quality lags/sudden app closure. A 20 hour limit was already a bit mean for the monthly fee but we probably would’ve gone for it even with the issues if we weren’t losing hours both ways with calls. Shame to see this approach from the developers and seems a lost opportunity to build up users (the double charge approach lost them five new subscribers in my family alone).

Edit: I’m updating my review based on the developer comments. My 5 year old uses this app with various family members usually once a day. The games are simple enough for her but engaging enough for grownups. There is a huge selection of books available to read together. I’ve added our own books too, and the interface for doing that is intuitive. This has been a really great app to have while we are socially isolating when I need a few minutes alone, or to care for the baby, or when my daughter needs another person to talk to. And likewise, grandparents need someone to talk to too. Original: I thought subscribing would give us unlimited phone calls, but instead it’s only 20 hours. There’s no indication in the app how far into the 20 hours you are. And it prompted my mother in law to subscribe even though the 20 hours is incoming and outgoing calls so it was not necessary and they are double dipping. Too bad I already paid for a year.

Have you tried to put your child on the phone or FaceTime with their grandparents? How long would you say the conversation would last on average for a 4 years old? In our home, before using this app, our kids would be pointing the camera to the ceiling, grandparents asking questions while the children are running all over, we (parents) asking the children to tell grandma about this and that, and the call ending without much success engaging the kids. This app is fantastic as it provides a perfect way for interaction, engaging the children while providing grandparents with a easy way to spend time reading, drawing or playing games with them. Parents, you can even have a good half a hour for yourself while the child is entertained by your parents!!