Fast-Start Setup Guide >

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    We know. Time is short, and you just need it to work.

    Welcome to the quick-and-easy version of setting up your Pinwheel phone. There is a lot more to learn and to make use of than we'll cover here — but you can learn that later. Right now, follow me, and we should have you ready to go in 10 minutes or less.

    Let's get your Pinwheel phone set up FAST!

    Follow these steps:

    1. Go to caregiver.pinwheel.com
      • NOTE:The Caregiver Portal website controls the Pinwheel phone.You set up and manage your child's phone from there — apps, contacts, and schedule. You do NOT need the Pinwheel phone with you to do most of the setting up!
    2. Click on "Sign Up" and set up your account.
      • Your login from this screen is for YOU, for logging into the Caregiver Portal website.

    3. Go to your email and get the verification code; enter that.

    4. Add a child on the next screen.
      • The Child's info is to log in to the phone itself. Each child with have their own login for their own Pinwheel phone.
      • You can manage more than one Pinwheel phone through a single Caregiver Portal.
    5. Go to Contacts
    6. Click on "Add New"
    7. Add your name and phone number and make yourself an emergency contact.
      Don't worry about groups right now, you can do that later.
    8. Save contact.

      Make sure you add at least one or two contacts because a Pinwheel phone can only contact people that are approved in the caregiver portal. So if you want your kid to be able to call someone, add them here!
    9. Go to Apps
      NOTE: There is no app store on the phone itself. You control apps from here.All the apps have been evaluated by real humans to make sure they are safe and healthy — though you still want to be thoughtful about which ones are right for your kid at their stage of development.

    10. Enable some apps with the "switch" on the right side.
      Only enable a few!! First, you cannot delight them with new things later if you've already added them all. Also, some apps like Spotify, Apple Music, and others have their own account setup and login. You don't want to get caught up in having to do all of that all at once either. So just add a few. You can always add to them later — again, without even needing the phone in hand.
    11. Go to Days & Modes
      You will want to watch other things later to get into the awesome power of the scheduling. But for right now —
    12. On the week calendar across the top, click on the drop-down menu on every single day of this week, and change it to "Basic Day." (Apply to all, when it asks. You can change it later.)
    13. Under "Edit Preset Day," select "Basic Day"
    14. On the "Basic Day," change the start and end times of the "Everything Mode"
      Know that *during* that time window when the phone is in Everything Mode, every contact you have added and every app you have enabled is available on the phone. *Outside* of that time, NOTHING is available except calling/texting emergency contacts. If ever the phone is behaving unexpectedly, check what mode it's in first!


    If you have more than one child/phone to set up, now click on "Add Child" in the upper left corner, and then proceed from step 4 again.

     

     

    On the phone itself:

    1. Make sure it's charged.
    2. Insert the SIM card.
    3. Connect it to your WiFi.
    4. Login with the child's device username and password.

      This video will give you a glimpse of what this all looks like on the kid/phone side:
      The Phone Itself (5 min)


    THAT'S IT!

    There's so much good stuff in the portal for you to explore, to make Pinwheel an awesome learning phone for your kid. You'll love the power of days/modes/routines to teach your kids good habits. But for now, this should have you up and running!

    Additional information:


    If you've got a little more time, and you want to understand more, here are some additional videos with instructions on different sections of the Caregiver Portal:

     

    The Difference Between Setting Up a Grown-Up Phone and a Pinwheel (1 min)

    Orientation to the Caregiver Portal (6 min)

    Add Child (1 min)

    Adding Apps (2 min)

    Contact Management (2 min)
    Days & Modes and Routines (8 min) <-- This one matters the most.

    The Phone Itself (5 min)