Rapid-fire common cellular questions – Pinwheel

Hey, we here at Pinwheel get a lot of questions about cellular providers and their various interactions with the Pinwheel device. That being said, in this article is a rapid-fire of all the most common questions we get!

These are the questions we answered in this article:

Is it safe to use ANY cellular provider on my child's device?

Do I need data on my plan to use my Pinwheel device?

Will my current carrier work on Pinwheel?

What's the coverage like for X provider?

What's the deal with Verizon and CDMA?

Does Pinwheel offer cellular service?

Pinwheel and cellular, that's got to be a lot!

"Is it safe to use ANY cellular provider on my child's device?"

Yes! Our software runs at the operating system level, so it is the same no matter which carrier it is on. The carrier provides a SIM card, phone number, location, and cellular connection. Pinwheel always will handle access, permissions, and apps through your Pinwheel Caregiver Portal.

"Do I need data on my plan to use my Pinwheel device?"

Yes! The Pinwheel software uses internet access to monitor through the Caregiver Portal. This means you will require data on your plan/carrier of choice in order to use the software properly. Plus, you can't use some music apps without data... and where would we be without music?

"Will my current carrier work on Pinwheel?"

We hope so! You can check out our compatible carrier list here (links to compatible carriers list). Please feel free to reach out to Customer Care for more details on a variety of carriers. If they're not on this list but it's working for you, please let us know!

"What's the coverage like for X provider?"

We're not entirely sure! This is because Pinwheel operates at the device level, our software utilizes some data so you'd have to check with your provider's coverage map... if it's got coverage, Pinwheel will most likely work!

"What's the deal with Verizon and CDMA?"

This is a very complex answer and requires some further detail, check out the Verizon rapid-fire article here.

"Does Pinwheel offer cellular service?"

Not really! Pinwheel offers Mint Mobile service through our checkout, but that's for you to get a SIM card, set it up and go without leaving your home. Pinwheel is a software company, not a cellular provider, is the short answer. However, all of our devices are unlocked and can be utilized on your choice of carrier.

"Pinwheel and cellular, that's got to be a lot!"

We promise, it's really not! If you're looking for a cheap, reliable data plan then we offer Mint Mobile through our checkout. It's cheap, great service (utilizes T-Mobile service) and a decent level of data, it's a great starter plan.