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Gabb Messenger for Parents

Learn how to use Gabb Messenger for parents to monitor and manage your child’s messaging. Approve contacts, set message deletion rules, review call/text logs, receive alerts for flagged content, and make safe video calls—all from your smartphone.

Updated this week

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. Gabb Messenger Safe Video Calling blocks video calls with nudity, ends the call, and notifies the primary parent.

‼️ 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.

How do blocking & flagging work? 🚩

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

If we flag or block a message or image, we’ll send you an email notification, and send you a notification from the Gabb Messenger app. The email notification is sent once per day, and is not sent at the time the message is sent or received.

You can disable push notifications in the MyGabb app, but we’ll still send a notification in the app. Email notifications can’t be disabled.

Here's how it works:

🚩 Flagged: A flagged message means that potentially harmful content has been detected in the message. We’ll send you an email within 24 hours, as well as send you a notification from the MyGabb app. . Flagged text or image messages are still delivered to your child’s Gabb Phone.

⛔Blocked: A blocked message means that the message contains harmful content, and we block it from reaching the child on their device. We’ll send you an email the same day notifying you of the blocked message, as well as a notification from the MyGabb app.

‼️ 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

✅

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.

How do I set up Gabb Messenger for parents? ⚙️

Parents must download the Gabb Messenger app on their smartphone to set up parental controls and 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 and blocked content.

We’ll also send you an email every day summarizing flagged and blocked messages from the previous 24 hours. If there were no flagged or blocked messages, you won’t receive an email that day.

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.

How do I manage contacts and message deleting settings? 👥

You can add, approve, and 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 and monitor the child’s Gabb Messenger app on the Gabb Phone.

Approved contacts 👥

Manage approved contacts from the Gabb Messenger for parents app to restrict your child from contacting phone numbers that aren’t on the approved contacts list. You can also select the setting to let your child manage their own contact list.

If your child has a Gabb Phone or Gabb Phone Plus, the approved contacts list only applies to texting, not phone calls. Contact management via the MyGabb app 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:

  1. Log in to the Gabb Messenger app on your (parent’s) smartphone.

  2. Tap Manage, then tap on your device.

  3. Tap the arrow next to Contact Management.

  4. Select the radio button next to Parent-Managed or Child-Managed. Your change will be saved automatically.

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.

Does Gabb Messenger have video calling? 🤳

You can make 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.

If we flag or block a video call, we’ll send you an instant email notification, as well as notify you via the Gabb Messenger for parents app.

‼️ 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.

Video calling is not available on Gabb Watches.

Gabb Messenger for parents 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 the Gabb Messenger app on your smartphone.

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

  3. On the Gabb Phone, log in to the Gabb ID app using your child’s login information.

  4. Sync your Gabb Messenger settings:

    1. Open Gabb Messenger on your Gabb Phone.

    2. Tap Settings > Troubleshooting > SyncSettings. 🔄

Child can text unapproved contacts

If your child can text people who aren’t in their contact list, 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.

How do I sync contacts?

Here's how to sync your child's contacts in the Gabb Messenger for parents app:

  1. Connect your Gabb Phone or Gabb Watch, and your (parent's) phone to WiFi. 🛜

  2. Update your Gabb device's software to the most recent version, if applicable.

  3. Log in to your child's Gabb ID on their Gabb device.

  4. Add contacts in the Gabb Messenger for parents app.

  5. Sync settings on your Gabb Phone:

    1. Open Gabb Messenger on the Gabb Phone.

    2. Tap Settings > Troubleshooting > Sync Settings.

Still need help? Please contact Gabb Support!

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