Background
Boomerang Parental Control's call and text message safety features are only available for Samsung smartphones and tablets via the Galaxy Store and via our download page on our website (for all non-Samsung devices). Please use the appropriate badge below.
The Google Play version no longer contains these features.
Before you begin
A few items to review, they may not all apply to your situation. The following steps apply for Child Mode devices.
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Important Android 14 for users: You will need to enable "Allow restricted settings" on non-Samsung devices when installing from our website download
- Additional security may required to allow access to Boomerang's Accessibility Permission during app setup. Once granted, you can resume Boomerang Parental Control's app setup.
- You may perform the steps below on your default browser or our SPIN Safe Browser
- Is Unknown Sources blocked by your Administrator? Read this.
- Updating your child's device from the Google Play version? Open Boomerang Parental Control to accept the Call and SMS permissions. Please restart your child's device just to make sure all services refresh properly. Without this step, calls/text logs will not collect.
- Parent Android devices can keep using our Google Play version.
- Parents on iOS devices can still get Boomerang Parental Control from the App Store.
Getting Started
1. Download our app via the Galaxy Store or visit our special download page for non-Samsung devices
Only required for Child devices. Parent devices can continue using our Google Play version.
➡️ When the install file is finished downloading, swipe down the notifications area and tap on the download notifications.
You may need to allow the Storage permission for Chrome or SPIN Safe Browser in order to save this file to your child's Android device.
2. Install Unknown Apps on your Android devices
After downloading the file, a security prompt may appear warning you about Unknown Sources. Tap on Settings > toggle on Allow from this source. Then hit the back navigation button to continue with the installation.
Other variations for Unknown Sources
- Navigate to: Settings –> Apps & notifications –> expand the Advanced section --> tap Special app access --> Install unknown apps
- If a Samsung device, the menus are a tad different:
Settings –> Apps –> tap the menu button in the top-right corner and choose "Special access" from there. Finally, choose "Install unknown apps" on the subsequent screen. - Is Unknown Sources blocked by your Administrator? Read this.
- Can't find it? Search for "unknown" in Android Settings on your child's device.
3. Tap Install to continue
Upgrading from Google Play version:
The version downloaded from our website will update on top of the version from Google Play. After the upgrade, open Boomerang and accept permission requests for Contacts, Calls and SMS. Then tap on the three dots (top right) > Update Status. We also recommend restarting your child's device at this time.
Your child device settings will remain intact after upgrading.
New app installs:
If this is a new install, just follow our onboarding steps.
Additional Questions
Do I install this version my parent device or child device?
Parents who wish to use our call and text messaging safety features should download the version from the Galaxy Store or our website in order to enable these features. Our parent mode doesn't require this version, simply use the version from Google Play (or App Store if your parent device is an iPhone/iPad).
Can I upgrade from the Google Play version?
Yes! We designed this version to simply upgrade our Google Play version.
After updating the Google Play version, do I need to do anything else?
Open Boomerang, accept the Contacts, Calls and SMS permissions, tap on the three dots (top right), tap Update Status. We also recommend you restart your child's device after updating. This makes sure our service is refreshed and running smoothly.
How do I make sure my child's device is on the latest version?
1. For Samsung devices, the update will be automatically applied via the Galaxy Store (or manually if auto-updates are disabled)
2. For non-Samsung devices, visit our download page to see if there's a newer version.
Do I need to purchase again?
No. This version retains all settings including your licensing information.
I received a warning “This type of file can harm your device”. Is it safe to tap OK
Absolutely. This is a normal prompt that Android provides when downloading programs outside of Google Play or the Galaxy Store.
What do "gp" and "sideload" stand for (app version abbreviations in Parent Mode/Web Dashboard)?
GP is the version from Google Play without Call/SMS permissions.
Sideload is the version from the Galaxy Store/ our website with our Call and Text Messaging safety features.
Resources
How do I prevent my child from uninstalling Boomerang on his/her Android device?
Unknown Sources is blocked by Administrator (Google Family Link installed?)
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