Customer Ratings & Reviews

We have 2 young girls in our house and I'm always monitoring their digital time. I had been looking at the Circle with Disney at the store for a while, so when I saw Circle Plus I thought I'd give it a shot. Setting up was straightforward enough, hook it up to my router and set up the app. We used it for about a week or so before I made the choice to unplug it. I wasn't really seeing any value outside of the Screentime settings on my girls' iPad minis. We already control their content and screen time settings on those devices and having to have something manage settings on top of already managed settings seemed a bit redundant. If you're less technically inclined, or don't want to have to go through the trial and error of setting up Screentime on Apple devices, or have kids that will try and sneak gadget time after you've told them no - then this product might be what you're looking for. The premium features require a subscription, but I didn't see the point for us... so YMMV.

Very easy set up, app is very user friendly. It is great that you can control all the features from your phone. The downside is after a free year of premium membership it will require a monthly membership to keep all of the features you tried out for an entire year. If you are tech savvy you can purchase a router and set up parental controls, but Circle home plus makes the job easier, and this is why for most people the Circle Home plus is a great option. I tried out all of the premium features and love them because they cover all of the popular social apps. You can also set up rewards and the main thing is to limit internet time. Location services are great it allows peace of mind. If you are looking for an easy to use system to regulate internet use and at the same time reward them I would purchase this unit. I think the $129.99 price tag is a little step especially since you can purchase a router with a built in hard drive with these functions included. Also, after a year you have to pay a monthly fee to keep using the premium features. This is the main reason why I only gave it 4 stars.

I have a son on the Autism Spectrum who is quite the tech wiz. He is also is a big fan of YouTube. Sadly, YouTube doesn’t offer a kid’s friendly site on the computer. Sometimes he stumbles on videos that appear kid-friendly but are not. After many conversations about content and relocating the PC to the kitchen so we can view what he’s watching, the temptation has proven to be too much. I prefer to block it completely. However, YouTube makes that almost impossible. So, I started out with Norton Family filters, which proved too easy to beat. I enabled parental controls on Windows, and then on the wi-fi itself. Even with all of those filters enabled concurrently, he still found ways around it. Windows also doesn’t allow you to block the ability to download free apps, so even if I was able to block something, he could use the app from the Microsoft Store to access the site. It was because of these experiences that I was looking forward to trying Circle. Circle offers another layer of filtering protection for members of your home on the Internet. It also gives parents additional controls, such as the ability to pause Internet access, set bedtimes (where the Internet is shut off to the devices), among other features. Setup started out to be easy. The package comes with a white cube, which is the Circle unit, an ethernet cable, power cable, and a small pamphlet with the setup instructions. Circle offers the ability to install to your router using the ethernet port or via your wi-fi. My cable modem only has one ethernet point, and that is used by my Velop mesh wi-fi system. The other port on the Velop nodule is being used by my work computer. The instructions say that the Circle needs to be as close to the router as possible. I tried to first install via wi-fi. You download the Circle app, follow the instructions, then you connect your phone to the Circle device. At first, I had a wheel running as if the unit was trying to connect the app to the unit. I let it run for an hour without any connection or error, so I shut down the app and tried again. I kept getting errors at that point, so I tried troubleshooting myself, then I had to contact Customer Support, as the factory password no longer worked as the instructions specified. The only fix was to try to do a factory reset. They provide a video to show how to do this. However, my unit just continued to blink without resetting. Even unplugging the unit and plugging it back in did nothing. The way to reset should be user friendly, such as a dedicated reset button or a way to reboot via PC or app. I had to wait a few days until I could unplug my computer long enough to use the ethernet connection. Using that, I was able to connect, then do a “wi-fi backup” so, in the even the connection is lost, the wi-fi connection kicks in. That was the only way I could get the device to work. I was told by Customer Support that mesh wi-fi could have been the issue. I have profiles set up for each child. You can set up profiles for anyone using your network, and then you can associate devices to the users and apply pre-set filters or customize the filters you need. You can block common apps (iOS or Android) such as facebook or Amazon. You can also track their device’s location and set up timers so no Internet access during overnight, for example. Unfortunately, in my case, YouTube can still be accessed. The web site itself is blocked (it shows up as an error, not anything identifiable as Circle, which I would have preferred) but it can still be accessed via embedded videos on other sites, or a free video app available via Windows. In my case, the unit did not perform as I had hoped. I’m not sure if that is because parental control technology is outpaced by the ways around it, or a fault in the design of the unit. I did take away one star because of the technical issues, and the frustration I had with being told that the only fix was a reset that wasn’t working.

This device was easy to setup. Simple plug in and connect via app. This device quickly captured all my devices on the network with ARP. Once this was done, I just had to setup my user profiles. I setup Home, Kids, Adult. Each had a different profile but mostly I focused on the kids. I was able to set several filters and time limits for their devices. Its was very easy to do. I did have an issue where the device was blocking a site but there wasn't a event log or any notification on the IPAD, I think this is a good product that provides a fantastic service to non-technical users. I just want more information and the ability to manage via desktop rather than my mobile. Highly recommended for the concerned parent that wants to monitor utilization and control content for their kids.

too difficult but good customer service. I had to return

The concept for this device is good and needed in this day and age. Parents need an easy way to track and control usage for their children as well as manage the system from anywhere. I found this device to be easy to set up on my network. the setup of the rules was fairly straightforward with a little work. It worked as it should and I was able to manage the system remotely. Im sure Circle will continue to work on the product and improve the device and app further. I think for the price, its worth the investment.

Being that my internet provider has no way of me monitoring my kids usage I was dealing with my son staying up gaming while everyone else would be in bed. This device gave me 100% control of everything connected to wifi. I absolutely love it & he hates it. When I say get off the game he knows that with this device I can remove him by the app on my phone. I will receive a notification if it goes offline so there's no sneaking and unplugging anything. It's separate profiles so that I'm able to filter out the restrictions for each child separately or timing online and bedtime. When I pause the internet at home my smart TV keeps trying to reconnect every 10 mins so it will let me know circle has paused the internet(my choice) so that was the most annoying thing but not a problem at all. I receive emails that tells me more that I can do with this box but everything was simple just playing with the app a little. If I could give it 10 stars I would because this works perfectly for what I need for my family!!!

I am a decently pretty tech savvy guy, I have a lot of things on my network, and I do like to monitor it. I have roommates that are internet hogs,visitors, and IoT devices I thought might be fun to hook up to this. I do have an ATT home WiFi router and have it pretty much locked down. All my IoT devices are on the guest network, with guests. This devices partially duplicates what I have already done with a new device to add to the network. Setup was moderately easy, my router and security settings didn't like it the first couple of tries. I had to make a new profile for each of my roommates (don't even ask about the IoT devices I wanted to just add). Then give them permissions (duplicated whats on my router). All of the settings were pretty easily bypasses by my non tech savvy roommates and friends that came over. If you have non tech savvy kids, and dont want to delve into how a router works and have some extra cash. Other than that, save your money and spend it on some extra fun stuff

The circle is a really cool device for families who have children old enough to use the web for streaming videos, video games, and social media. In a time where kids have more access than ever to the internet, as a parent you must remain vigilant to your child's online behavior. The circle allows you to monitor usage, control what applications can be used, or completely shut down the internet to your child's device. You can schedule "bed times" and also give your children points towards more screen time as a reward system. The only downfall about this system is, after your first year, you must pay a monthly subscription fee. That is why I only gave the Circle 4 stars. Setup was easy enough, just plug it into the wall with the included USB C charger and plug in a network cable into your home router. Download the Circle app on your device, make an account, and then add all your family devices to it. From there, you can manage all your family's internet presences and keep track of what they are doing. The internet can be a great tool or a bad place, it depends on how you use it. With Circle, you will have the tools to help your family stay safe online!

This is a feature I've wanted on my home network for quite a while, and I'm happy to have it now. The standard setup is fairly quick and painless, but if you want to have stronger control of your devices you're going to spend a lot more time setting all that up. The standard setup connects the Circle Home Plus to your network and you can set up profiles for each device, as far as what to filter... these are in groups, so it's not terribly difficult to create a group and then add each device to its respective group from the app. Tighter reigns on devices require you to install the app on each and while the setup of each is quite simple, it will take some time to collect and go through the process with a multiple device household. Content blocking appears to work well. Great product!

Simply put, The Circle Plus automates safety and security features you may have access to on your router and wifi-network. Its easy to set-up, set limits on what your children see on the internet and how long they stay connected. The device comes with a one year subscription to the premium service that allows you to see what websites your children visit. You can also be notified if your child disconnects from wifi to use data. You can set limits on different apps and websites as well. While other products you have in your home offer similar functionality, but it's a patchwork solution at best and takes time to decipher. The Circle is an easy, quick, and centralized way to keep your family safe on the web.

Fairly simple experience. I connected the device to my router, the app found it (after a few tries) and I was good to go. If you have a bunch of devices, it can be overwhelming at first, but once you get going, it's fairly straight forward. The backup battery is a nice feature. My major gripe is the subscription cost/wording. It is not straight forward, and I had to hunt around for the cost, $9.95 a month AFTER the first included year. That should be up front. Secondly, it says premium features are only available with a subscription, but in essence, without a subscription, it's nonfunctional. By the wording, I would assume there is a barebones plan should you choose not to pay for a subscription. In my research, that has not been the case. It should state, "subscription required for usage." As the other wording can be a bit deceptive. All and all, if you are looking for some control over your home's wifi usage and screen time, this is a good pick.

I found the Circle to very easy to install and set up on our network. It has the ability to customize filter levels. You can also change the settings right from the app and they take effect immediately. Allows parents to set times for device use. Records all sites devices visit and can turn WiFi access off for specific users. Another great feature is the ability to send rewards and set bedtimes. Will help families protect from things they don’t want to see and set limits on screen time. Purchase of the device includes 1 year subscription to all features.

Setup is is as easy as downloading the app, answering the questions and plugging the device into your router. Setting up profiles is easy and the controls work. You can set controls by time limits, time of the day and age categories. Changing access as a reward to your kid as a plus. For example, you can extend bedtime or time to their limits as a reward. The first year of premium service is free. After that it will cost $10 per month. I believe this will be worth the cost for the powerful access control it provides to shield your family from inappropriate content on the internet.

Initially we had the idea that we could limit the children's usage of devices and phones after their bed times. The only problem is that if one gets turned off, they all need to be turned off. If you leave one of the older children with access on a device they can simply hand it off to another and they'll be able to use it. It's a little time consuming to set up each person and each device but once everything's done the app is really easy to use. . Our cable company provides a similar service.so between the two we've eliminated the late night fiasco's. It's a nice product with a years coverage free but I don't think I'd pay for it after that.

As a parent who is all about security and the safety of his children I love this device. You can actually lock entire applications as well as their corresponding websites. You can monitor times on the net and everything anybody on your network has ever logged into. If you're a parent with slick teenagers or you're just a parent, get your hands on this right now, because it's more than just worth it.

Best to start with what I like about the product idea. This product is built on the idea that we can monitor our kids and other devices connected to our network and are based on user management and rewards if you use your device. What parent doesn’t want to have some semblance of control over how and when our children use the devices without causing all-out conflict over the issue. Sign me up, right… Set-up: This is where the story changes. Our home has different platforms both Android and Apple, and in the case of my android, it kept freezing my app on the phone for some reason or other. After several tries, I used my wife’s phone. After several attempts, I was able to get it started. The apple was easier but my wife told me that it would randomly change settings when connected and would have to adjust it again. Also having this set-up dramatically slowed down our network and because I work from home it was just something I couldn’t deal with, so we stopped using it. Sadly, to say that we like the idea of this product, but at this time has too many bugs. I will wait for the next iteration of this product to come out and maybe some of the set-up issues, latency and cross-platform will be resolved.

So the idea behind the Circle Home Plus is to act as a web filter or proxy for either your home network or while you are on the go. You can connect your children's device and really lock down or white/blacklist content without having to micromanage it on your main home network, or go the total opposite direction and allow your children to connect without any restrictions Unfortunately, the software/firmware hasn't quite caught up to the capabilities of the hardware and the app isn't as seamless as you would expect to set up and connect to networks and then connect to the wireless devices you are trying to manage. I experienced numerous issues connecting that will probably be fixed with either app or firmware updates but right now it would be hard to recommend this device over just configuring directly at the router gateway level. Even most Mesh Network systems offer similar capabilities to filter content based on device, MAC address or even set up a separate SSID/wireless network with restrictions. I do think Circle will fix these issues as their previous devices were better reviewed. I was disappointed that the Circle Home Plus wasn't quite ready for prime time.

Let me start by saying that I'm in the technology industry and home networking is an area that I have much experience in, having configured and managed corporate and personal wireless and wired networks for the past 20 years. With that in mind, even with that experience, I cannot get the Circle Plus product to perform to my standards, and the value it offers is so minimal that I cannot recommend it even to those with less configuration experience or investment. With this product, you'll pay several premiums for essentially poor performance outcomes: Premium 1: Price - This is not an affordable product, as it retails for as much as soon decent routers. It is seemingly well-made hardware, but for what it offers it seems superfluous to place a separate device in play for it. On top of the initial purchase price (as you'll likely see these clearanced and on-sale shortly) there's a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 for any of the features beyond what most basic WiFi routers can do. While this is usually bundled in for the first year, this will be a major turnoff for second-hand owners, or folks who forget about the upcoming costs in years 2+, and will likely lead to a good deal of cancellation beyond year 1 (the hardware's costs is essentially free with a prepaid year of subscription, so why wouldn't I just buy the latest device every year at that price point? - This strategy seems odd). Premium #2: Setup Time - This thing is not as easy as other parental controls I've tested. Capturing all of my kids devices and setting them up with their own profile seemed easy enough, but in my house each of my kids as a standard complement of "devices": - Laptop - iPad - iPhone For my oldest, this was easy - Her laptop is a Mac and clearly identifies itself on the LAN. For my younger girls, their Chromebooks are identified as some illegible hash/Mac address that I had to chase down to get set to the right kid... This is largely a Google issue, but nevertheless these products should have some way of figuring this out. On top of that, this platform requires that EVERY mobile device on the network gets their app - I thought the whole point of doing this with hardware was that we wouldn't need to play "capture the iPhone" with the kids to get them under management! All in all, it took me 2-3 days over the course of a week to get everything set up how we wanted it with enforcement and measurement of activities. That's not OK in modern family scenarios. Premium #3: Network Bandwidth and Consistency - The third premium we paid, adding this "proxy server" to our network, is the loss of significant bandwidth out to the broader Internet, and sporadic drops of the network connection (not the Wifi, but the network's connection TO the Internet) particularly at Night - I assume this was related to the device's management of my children's sleep hours, but wreaked havoc on Mom and Dad's devices, which we didn't manage at all, as a result. Even the family devices, like AppleTVs and Google Homes started to fritz at night! Remove the Circle? Back to good. Every time. Can't blame anything else when you take the device offline and everything starts magically working again. This was the last straw. All in all, I can't recommend it - I DO recommend using the ecosystems family management tools (Google FamilyLink, Apple ScreenTime, etc) to control screen time for the kiddos, but don't plug things into your network to govern unless you want to be governed yourself, from time, money, and your network.

I was hesitant to know what this can do over my own wireless router and basic Ios controls. I currently can block websites, app’s, restrict screen time on my kids devices. I was curious what this brings to the table. It actually does that and more in a streamlined interface. It is more for the family whom has the ISP provided router so it add’s the smart functionality there. That is the only pro. Cons: Adds another item to troubleshoot on the network. Web history can be displayed as just an IP address and is not parent friendly. Cannot protect devices outside of the network without additional costs. Annual commitment needed for the features. To be truly effective you must have separate devices for everyone in the family which is not always an option. Finally I see a lot of work arounds to bypass this.