When There Is No Internet #
Child Control is normally set up and managed through the Web Portal - and for that you need an internet connection. Sometimes it is simply not available: the line is down, you are abroad without a data allowance, or the credit on the SIM card has run out. The good news: in these cases you can carry out the most important functions directly on the child’s device - with no internet at all. This page shows which ones they are and what you need to watch out for.
What works without internet
Important: be genuinely offline
How to proceed on Android
How to proceed on Windows
What needs a connection
Uninstalling: for emergencies only
First of all: your limits keep applying without internet. Child Control works with a database directly on the device, so time limits, block times and app blocks take effect unchanged. As soon as the device is back online, all times are added retrospectively and the changes you made in the Web Portal in the meantime are applied. Read more under Synchronisation and in the FAQ Does the app always need Internet?.
What works without internet #
In the Action menu, the items that work purely on the device are grouped under the heading “This device”. These are exactly the functions available to you even when neither you nor the child’s device is currently online:
OFF UNTIL
Switches Child Control off completely for a period you choose - the classic case when you want to
release the device at short notice while you are out and about.
LOCK UNTIL
Conversely, blocks the device for a defined period.
Uninstall
Removes Child Control from the device. This does work offline, but we expressly advise against
it - please only in an emergency. You can read why under
Uninstalling: for emergencies only.
Extension
Gives your child additional time for the current day.
Unblocking on the block screen
A blocked app or a limit that has been reached can be unblocked with your password directly on the
block screen.
Time codes (TAN)
On Windows, time codes can always be redeemed without a connection as well. On an Android device
you first have to allow this in the Web Portal under
Time Codes with the option “Time code(s) available offline”.
All items except entering a time code require your parent password - recognisable by the lock symbol in the Action menu.
Important: be genuinely offline #
When you enter the password, the Android app asks our server first. There is a good reason for this: a password changed in the Web Portal then takes effect immediately. Only when there is clearly no connection does the app check your password against the state stored on the device.
And this is exactly where the pitfall lies: the problem is not “no internet” but “half online”. Typical cases are a Wi-Fi network that is connected but does not let any data through (an outage at the provider, a hotel or guest network with a sign-in page) or a very weak mobile signal. The app then waits in vain for an answer and rejects your password even though it is correct.
Therefore: deliberately take the device offline before entering the password - most easily with flight mode, alternatively by switching off Wi-Fi and mobile data. Then open the Action menu again and enter your password.
Flight mode not available?
If you have blocked switching flight mode on a Samsung device under
Security, switch off Wi-Fi and mobile data individually instead.
Which password applies?
Without a connection, the password from the last sync counts. If you changed it in the Web Portal
and the device has not been online since, please still use the previous password.
Forgotten your password?
Resetting it runs through our password recovery page and needs an internet connection. So it is
best to take care of that while you are still online.
How to proceed on Android #
Switch on flight mode (or switch off Wi-Fi and mobile data), open the Child Control app and tap “Action” at the bottom. Under “This device” select the item you want, enter your password and confirm. The change applies on the device immediately and becomes visible in the Web Portal at the next sync. You can see how the menu is arranged under Action menu.
How to proceed on Windows #
On Windows, Child Control always checks your password directly on the PC. So no special preparation is needed here - you neither have to disconnect the PC from the network nor change anything else. Open the info window through the icon in the taskbar (or with the key combination Shift + CTRL + F6), switch to “Action” and select the item you want under “This device”.
Uninstalling through the Windows Control Panel also asks for your password locally and therefore works without internet - but please be sure to read Uninstalling: for emergencies only first. For more on the ways to uninstall, see Uninstall on Windows.
What needs a connection #
Not everything can be done offline. An internet connection is needed for:
- the Web Portal itself - including when you open it through the “Web Portal” button inside the child app
- the items “Show Limits” and “Show Reports” in the Action menu
- your child’s extension request and the manual sync
- location (GPS), screenshots and the email report
- resetting a forgotten password
- deregistering the device during an uninstall - see the following section
Uninstalling: for emergencies only #
Uninstalling without internet is technically possible, but we cannot recommend it. The reason: only with an existing connection does the device report the uninstall to the Web Portal. Without that connection the device stays behind in the portal as a dead entry and the licence used for it is not released again - so you cannot readily use it for another device or for the Windows version.
For that reason, always uninstall online if you possibly can. You should only uninstall offline when there really is no other way - for example because the home Wi-Fi has failed or there is no credit left on the SIM card.
If it was unavoidable after all, please tidy up in the Web Portal afterwards: select the device at the top right and delete it under Settings > Delete device and data. This removes the dead entry and frees the licence again. Read more in the chapter Uninstallation.