Last month we invited you to meet GrandPad, our exciting new senior-friendly tablet. Going forward, I want to let you know about some of the unique features of GrandPad, Powered by Consumer Cellular that make it such a great tool for keeping families connected.
GrandPad is designed to help keep mom and dad in touch with all the people and activities important to them as they grow older, and to give families a simple and secure way to communicate and share with them. But more than just a tablet for seniors, GrandPad offers a secure private network that a family administrator can manage for added protection against spammers or scammers. Using either the GrandPad Central website or the convenient smartphone companion app, the administrator creates a “Family Circle” of approved contacts. This makes sure that only those who are authorized (“Companions”) can contact mom and dad, so they won’t be bothered by messages, calls, or photos from people they don’t know.
Once they’ve been added to the family circle as companions, your family members can interact with mom and dad in the same modern ways they would with anyone else. Using the smartphone app, they can reach them by voice or video call, send them emails, or share photos. They can even create a link directly to their social media feeds, so that pictures they post will be shared to the GrandPad as well.
Perhaps best of all, GrandPad family circle and private network contribute to your peace of mind in your role as a caregiver. You can rest assured that mom and dad are able to easily reach family members and stay engaged in activities they enjoy without exposing them to the pitfalls that can accompany devices or online communication tools lacking the proper firewalls and security.
This senior-friendly tablet is truly is a wonderful way to bring the whole family together. By introducing mom and dad to GrandPad, Powered by Consumer Cellular, you’re providing one of the best ways available to help prevent the loneliness and isolation that can be so debilitating to our aging loved ones. Learn more about GrandPad today or contact customer service at (888) 545-1425 if you’re ready to bring one into your own family circle.
I keep being told an unlimited data plan is in the works with Consumer Cellular. When is it going to happen?
Thanks for asking, Linda. We don’t have any new plans to announce at this point in time, but if that changes, we’ll be sure to post about it here on the blog. We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a great day!
My 30 yr old daughter lives with us, she’s going back to school and not working, her phone is on my plan with AT&T. If I switch to Consumer Cellular can I still keep her on our plan. If not then I can’t switch.
That’s a great question, Evelyn. I’m happy to tell you that we offer family plans, so your daughter can be included on your account. You’ll be able to share the minutes, texts and data from your plan, and calls between phones on the same plan are free! It’s just $15 per each additional line on your account. We’re happy to tell you more about this option and help you find the best plan for your family at 888-345-5509. Thanks for taking the time to learn more about us, and we hope to speak with you soon!
I’m a 61 year old vet. Live on a pension. What prices are available to me?
Thanks for posting, Fred. We offer a convenient monthly plan of $40 for GrandPad, and if you’re an AARP member, you’ll receive a monthly 5% discount. If you’re interested in our cellular service, you can view our available plans here on our website, or we can help you find one that meets your needs at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you taking the time to learn more about our service, and we hope you have a lovely day!
Is there a way I can connect to the internet from a smart phone when I am traveling?
Thanks for posting, David. It sounds as if you’re talking about the tethering feature, which is available on some smartphones. This allows you to connect another device to the internet via a Wi-Fi connection to your phone. We’re happy to talk with you and see if this is an option with your device. Please call us at 888-345-5509 at your convenience. We appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us, and we hope you have a wonderful day!
Better get another carrier. Support in my experience is really, really bad. Get out ASAP.
We’re sorry to hear that you had a negative experience with us, Alvaro. Please accept our apology, and if we can assist you with any issues or concerns, please give us a call at 888-345-5509. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we look forward to assisting you.
Do you need the Internet for Grandpad
Good question, Marjorie! The GrandPad comes with a connection to the internet, so no need to connect to Wi-Fi or other networks. We’re happy to answer any other questions you may have at 888-345-5509. Thanks for posting!
i noticed today that there were articles that had posted in the source buttons. where do they come from and how can you control them?
Hi Gina, thank you for posting. All of the buttons on the GrandPad receive updates automatically when available. This includes any new articles available. Articles are curated directly by our GrandPad team, and you can control what articles are available on the device by calling GrandPad support at 888-537-7781.
Does Medicare and Medicaid.cover the grandpad.
Hi Reyna, we appreciate your interest. You would need to check with Medicare and Medicaid to see if the GrandPad would be eligible. However, since it is not a medical device, it is likely that it would not be covered.
What does a smart phone have that a grand pad doesn’t? Do you have e mail with a grand pad? Can you download movies, etc. on it? Would I need to have both to get everything I need that I have on a smartphone?
Thanks for asking, Janet. GrandPad was designed specifically with older seniors in mind, particularly those who may not be familiar with other types of technology, such as tablets or smartphones. GrandPad users can email friends and family within the circle, but they can’t download music, movies or other media. If you’re looking to use a standard email account, a smartphone may be a better option for you. We appreciate you posting!
Can phone calls be made with the grand pad???
Great question, Tina! You can use the GrandPad to make regular voice calls.
Aloha can i upgrade the samsung J3 to grandpad?
That is a great question, Remy, thanks for your post! I would advise the GrandPad is actually designed to be a very simplified and secure option for those who are not comfortable with modern technology to be able to keep in touch. The GrandPad does not have features that a smartphone has, such as an app store, or GPS so if those are something you use we would recommend sticking with a smartphone upgrade. Otherwise, if you’re looking for something that is more simple, the GrandPad may be a great choice.
How as the administrator can I see if the GrandPad is turned on at my Moms room. She hasn’t answered in about 7 days. Can I turn it on remotely?? Thank you, Ken.
Thank you for posting, Ken. There isn’t a way to specifically check if the GrandPad is powered on, or to power it on remotely. However, we do have a system in place to contact the Family Admin as well as the user in the event that the device is not connecting for at least 48 hours. You can also view the statistics for the GrandPad within GrandPad Central as well to check the user’s activity.
I live in Virginia and my mother lives in New York and does not have Wi-Fi in her apartment only in the community room. I have a smartphone on the Verizon plan. If i purchased a grandad and pay $40 a month what cellular service will she be connected to? Will she be able to Google questions through the internet? Can she text me on my cell phone? can she receive pictures through text and email? Is there an additional charge for texting or emailing?
Hi Terri, those are great questions, thanks for posting! I would advise that the service that she would be connected to would either be our AT&T or T-Mobile towers depending on the exact location of her apartment, but the service would be through Consumer Cellular for billing. She can use the browser to look up any questions and can send you a text via the email function on the GrandPad — email for her, but a text to your phone, for no additional cost. All of the services including the calls, emails, and everything else on the GrandPad is covered under the $40 a month plus tax.
Can Consumer Cellar customers use the Grandpad video app on a smartphone? A little background. My daughter and son-in-law with a new baby will not use social media for video chats due to privacy concerns. From reviews, Grandpad is a closed system. I am interested in this feature and would to use it on my smart phone to video chat with new baby boy.
That’s a great question, Diana. The GrandPad Companion App, which is used to allow smartphones to video call and share photos with the GrandPad, requires active GrandPad service to use. If you don’t want to purchase a GrandPad just to use that, then you would need to look into third-party video calling apps, such as Skype or Google Hangouts, which generally don’t require you to link it to a social media account.
Hello we want to remove a person from our contacts, not just from one person. We want them to be able not to post anything or contact. Can you help us out ?
Hi Carol, thanks for your post. Once a contact is removed from the GrandPad’s profile, they won’t be able to post anything to the GrandPad or contact them using the GrandPad. If you need any assistance with removing a contact from the GrandPad give our team a call directly at (888) 545-1425 and we’d be happy to help you with this.
I’m the administrator. My dad would like to email with a friend. If I add him to the Contacts, will he also see all of the pics and videos that the rest of us are posting? We aren’t opposed to that but would prefer to limit it so that they are just email contacts.
Hi Mi, that’s a great question. Anyone who is added as a contact, and has the GrandPad application, can view the content with that connection. If they don’t have the app though and are just emailing back and forth, they won’t have access to that content.
To clarify, when I add a Contact to the Family Contacts so that the User (my dad) and that new Contact can email, how do I not also give the Contact the GrandPad application? It seems like if you forget to unclick the “send the welcome email” check box, then they get the Consumer Cellular welcome email which tells them to download the app. I did this by accident (forgot to uncheck it so it sent a welcome email when all we wanted was that person to be able to email back and forth with the user, my Dad). Thank you for any clarification.
Hi Mi, thanks for your follow up. In those cases, I’d recommend actually giving us a call at 800-686-4460 and we can actually help with setting up contacts for your dad.
Are phone conversations private or can admin and/or family members listen in?
Hi Debra, thanks for your question. All of the calls are indeed private, others would not have the option to listen in to them.