This HAPPYBE Kids Tablet is perfect for young children. Kids absolutely love it, and it’s super easy for them to use. They can download all their favorite apps and play on their own, and the best feature is the parental controls. It has everything a kid needs in a tablet, including safe internet access and controls. It certainly deserves 5 stars. Here is my in-depth review of the HAPPYBE Kids Tablet.
The size of this kids tablet is perfect to fit in a child’s hands. The case is very thick and squishy, allowing the tablet to be dropped or slammed on the floor without breaking. I experimented by dropping it a few feet onto a hardwood floor, and it was perfectly fine. It does a great job at protecting the tablet when it gets dropped.
The HAPPYBE tablet runs on Android 10 operating system. The speed is great for a kids tablet. It also comes with a few kids apps that work for many different age groups.
Manuals Included with the HAPPYBE Kids Tablet
The HAPPYBE kids tablet also comes with three manuals, one for the tablet itself (61 pages, including other languages), one for the kids app (30 pages, including other languages), and one for a family calling and messaging app (6 pages). The tablet manual is a standard Android manual (which is standard also in having mistakes in how to do things), the kids app manual goes over nearly every function of the app, and the family calling and messaging manual does not describe the way the app works.
Kid-friendly Content & Controls
There are many educational games like Phonics games which teach letters and reading. There’s a YouTube equivalent, too, which is not YouTube Kids. The app limits which channels and videos can be watched via parental controls. Kids can see their search history, favorited videos, and newly approved content. Parents can also view these things. Parents can add videos not already approved through the new channel button (though it’s a little tricky to use) in the parental controls. There’s a game hub where you can see your search history, favorites, and new games downloaded from the app store.
There’s a web browser that comes with limits on which websites can be visited, so search results are more closely controlled. For example, you can’t do a regular search with Google. Parents can add new websites one at a time.
Aside from the previously mentioned controls, the parental control section can also manage which apps the kid can use. In order to use it, you need to make an account. It can add apps downloaded normally from Google Play to the Kidoz app. There’s also general management of each Kidoz app so you don’t need to go into the app to manage it. You can prevent your child from leaving the app without inputting a password, and there are other security settings, too. However, you can still leave the Kidoz app without the password by adding an app from the main tablet, entering it, and tapping the home button. You can limit the time frame in which the tablet is active and how long the tablet can be used. Turning on safe mode will block purchase options and ad links. Extra safe mode will prevent leaving the app entirely.
I tried to figure out whether it was possible to create different child accounts and then set each of them with different permissions for viewing videos, visiting web sites, and so on. Either it is not possible to set them up differently in this way or I simply couldn’t figure it out.
Kidoz is COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) certified. Turning off the tablet or putting it to sleep will send you back to the Kidoz home screen no matter what you’re doing, like watching a video or playing a game. Guest mode will prevent data from saving. You can set up multiple child profiles. There’s a premium parent account mentioned once at account creation but I didn’t set it up so I’m not sure what’s included.
Family Calling App for HAPPYBE Kids Tablet
The family calling app doesn’t have any bells or whistles, but it works for making video calls or sending messages between the tablet and a parent or guardian’s phone. Another control feature, which may not be intended as one, is the very loud startup chime which cannot be muted. If the parents turn off the tablet in before bed and then the kid sneaks over to get it and turns it on, there’s a good chance they won’t get away with it. Oh, sure, you could set time-based restrictions on when the tablet can be used, but why do that when you can cause your kid to wet himself at 2AM?
Expandable Storage
The microSD slot allows the HAPPYBE kids tablet to accept expandable storage, which will be useful if you like to download movies or other large files. You can transfer the files directly onto the microSD card on your computer or use the included USB-C cable to transfer files to the tablet.
Should you get this kids tablet?
Overall, the HAPPYBE kids tablet is a decent entry-level tablet at a budget price. The included case is my favorite feature, since it makes sure the device will stay safe even when your kids are throwing it around! It’s not the best tablet for teens or adults, but it’s great for younger kids. There’s plenty of kid-friendly content to keep them occupied, and good tools for parents to monitor and keep their kids safe.