Since the onset of COVID-19, there has been an unprecedented increase in screen time for children. Statista reports it at whopping 500%! Circle Home Plus is aiming to help families curb the online time by managing and tracking screen time, along with keeping kids safer with filtering and blocking options.

I received this product for free from Moms Meet to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

Why Use Circle Home Plus?

Between “safer-at-home” mandates and distance learning, nearly half of American children are spending more than six hours a day in front of a screen. Circle gives you an easy and comprehensive solution to manage your family’s screen time and keep kids safer online. The Circle Home Plus device connects to your home’s router to manage every device on the network. You can keep track of everything with the Circle app, available on both iOS and Android. Armed with this info, you can better manage your family’s screen time and focus on more real-life time together.

Setting Everything Up

The first thing you’ll want to to is download the Circle Parental Controls app. You’ll use this for connecting everything, setting time limits, bedtimes, filters, etc. For more information, go to meetcircle.com/get-started. For the best network performance, pair Circle Home Plus over Ethernet and add Wi-Fi as a backup. They provide an Ethernet cord in the box. The Circle will detect your devices and connect during set-up. Then you’ll use the app to customize your experience.

With the app you’ll be able to:
• Set age-appropriate filters for different websites and apps (or block content all together)
• Set time limits for both individual apps and categories of content
• Create a bedtime setting that will automatically disconnect devices from the Internet
• Pause/temporarily turn off Internet-connectivity for a single family member or everyone at the same time
• Create Focus Time to restrict access to certain sites for specific periods of the day which helps keep distance learning or homework time on track

The Circle device doesn’t take up much space. I set ours up next to the router. The cord connects in the back so I just tucked it under the boxes. Setting it up went smoothly. Implementing time limits however, was another story. There was definitely some resistance! I didn’t get much use out of the filtering/blocking options yet because at five, my son doesn’t know how to spell things he isn’t supposed to search for. But I am sure it will become useful later on! I was surprised how well the “Internet bedtime” worked. It was actually easier then me telling him to get off the iPad. When it disconnected on him, I told him “the Internet went to sleep,” and he seemed OK with that. That’s where the 5-year-old part worked to my advantage. Not going to get away with that when he’s old enough to know better.

Circle Home Plus for Your Home

Circle aims to be the #1 comprehensive screen time management solution for today’s digitally focused families and envisions a world were families can find balance through setting healthy limits, building good habits and getting the most out of their digital experiences rather than being consumed by them. Their screen time management and parental controls solution offers the easiest way to manage all your connected devices and keep kids safe online through managing screen time and filtering unwanted content on computers, tablets, smartphones, TVs and even gaming systems!

Circle Home Plus is available to purchase on their website, Amazon, Walmart.com and BestBuy.com. The Circle App is available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The Circle Home Plus typically retails for $69 for a three-month subscription, $129 for a one-year subscription, or $299 for a lifetime subscription. All plans include the Circle Home Plus device and Circle App access.

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