Most frequently asked questions
What does the circle around the location represent?
In the supervisor device, each location is shown with a circle that represents the accuracy of it in meters. The more precise the location, the smaller the diameter of the circle.
The accuracy of the location does not depend on Samoby but is determined by the supervised device. It is recommended to have the location in "High Accuracy", as well as WiFi and Data activated in the supervised device.
An accuracy reported by the supervised device equal to or greater than 300 meters is considered low quality.
Samoby stopped working after some days of installing it
If Samoby has worked correctly so far, but suddenly does not report nothing, this is not due to a Samoby error: it means that the supervised device has probably stopped the Samoby app.
There is an easy way to solve this: click on the corresponding link according to the brand of you supervised device to see how to prevent this:
The location is incorrect or delayed
The location that shows Samoby is provided by the supervised device, including the accuracy of the data.
If your perception is that the reported location is not correct, there are different reasons:
  • The device supervised has reported a location with low accuracy, for example 500m. This means that your supervised may be in a radius of 500m with respect of the location reported. In this case Samoby waits a reasonable time without reporting the location to the supervisor, in order to not confuse. Samoby will remain waiting for a more accurate location from the device supervised. If it does not arrive, then Samoby will show the only location data available, even with low accuracy. This can generate the perception that Samoby is delayed or provides an incorrect location. Remember that the circle around the location indicates the accuracy radius in meters.
  • Verify that the location service of the device supervised is always set to "Maximum Precision". When in "Device only" mode or "Battery saving", the location will be of poor quality, creating the wrong perception that Samoby is wrong, when it is a misconfiguration of the supervised device.
  • Wifi: must always be activated, even if the device supervised is out of home.
  • Select the following link depending on the supervised device brand to configure it correctly:
I can not block apps on the iPhone/iPad (iOS) from supervised
If your supervised has an iPhone/iPad (iOS), you can block the apps, but all at once. This is due to the limitations of Apple's iOS operating system. We are developing a version that will allow individual blocking of apps by circumventing the technical limitations imposed by Apple. It is in the testing phase before its publication in the App Store.
Still not working after reviewing the battery saving
Select the following link depending on the supervised device brand to configure it correctly:
General
What location services need be activated on the supervised device?
We do recommend to set supervised device in Location mode "High Accuracy", although Samoby even works in "Power Saving" mode.
To activate it, in your supervised device go to a Settings > Location > "High Accuracy".
Samoby doesn’t drain your battery. It has been designed with advanced algorithms to optimize the battery usage.
How could I contact Samoby?
For enquiries, send us a mail to support@samoby.com.
How secure is my data on Samoby?
All Samoby data is encrypted, whether it’s being transmitted or received by your devices, our website or our data centers. Our data centers are located in Ireland and are managed by Amazon Web Services.
Can Samoby lock or remote wipe data on a lost or stolen phone?
Yes, if a supervised device such as a smartphone has been stolen or lost, all you need to do is remote wipe it using the supervisor device and a factory reset will be executed, deleting irreversibly all contents from the lost device.
Can I locate my lost or stolen device if Samoby was not installed on the phone?
No. Samoby must be installed and activated on the stolen or lost device and it must have Data network or Wi-Fi coverage to be locatable.
In which languages is Samoby available?
Samoby is available in several languages.
The language in which Samoby is prompted depends on the language of the phone settings.
To change to another language follow these steps:
  • Go to your phone's Settings
  • Set your language & regional preferences
  • Samoby app will appear in the set language if it is supported. Otherwise, English is the default language.
Could more than one supervisor monitor the same supervised device?
Yes. Samoby allows one or more supervisor devices to monitor one or more supervised devices, including wearables, smartphones and tablets.
Will the use of the app affect the battery life of my phone?
Samoby is designed for efficient battery consumption. However, this may vary according to the time spent using the application.
Will the app use affect my data plan?
Samoby barely consumes 1 MB per device per day. (Note only for iPhone users: if your iPhone shows a very high consumption, it is wrong. Please read the following section). Samoby is an online service, and therefore an Internet connection is needed for it to work. If you are not connected to a Wi-Fi network, you will need to use 3G or 4G. Actual data consumption is very low compared to popular applications such as Instagram, Youtube, Facebook or WhatsApp.
(For iPhone only) Why does it appear that Samoby uses a lot of data?
In the Settings of your iPhone it may seem that Samoby consumes much more data than it actually does. Samoby uses a VPN configuration to block apps installed on your iPhone, although we are not a VPN (we only use a VPN configuration). For this reason iPhone mistakenly assumes that Samoby consumes all the data of all your apps in aggregate form, when it is not true. Your iPhone counts this data twice: a first time for individual applications, and a second (wrong) time for Samoby, aggregating the sum of the total data of all apps. However, your mobile operator will not charge you twice for it. Please, note that Samoby is designed and tested to have a minimal impact on your data consumption, of just 1 or 2 MB per day per device.
Special features for supervised iPhone/iPad (iOS) devices
If your supervised device is an iPhone/iPad (iOS) due to the peculiarities of the iOS operating system:
  • It is not possible to see the detail of use of the apps or web access (yes it is possible to block web access, but not see what allowed URLs have accessed)
  • You can block the apps installed on the supervised iPhone/iPad (iOS) device, but all at once.
In case of any other combination (Father with iPhone/iPad (iOS) and son with Android, or father and son with Android) the father will be able to access all the functionality of Samoby, without any restrictions.
Why is an app identified as unsafe?
Samoby analyzes the applications of the supervised device and if it detects any non-secure one installed, it sends a notification to the supervisors devices so that they are informed and can uninstall it if they wish.
This notification will not be removed until the app identified as unsafe is uninstalled from the supervised device.
Samoby will identify as unsafe applications all those that are classified as a Malware application (Trojan, Worm, Ransomware, Backdoor, Spyware...) or as a Potentially Unwanted Application (Riskware, Hacktool, Payware, Adware...)
Location: Current and historical
Who can I locate?
You can locate any supervised device on which Samoby has been previously installed and linked to your supervisor account.
To link a supervised device to your primary one, you must sign-in to Samoby on the supervised device with the same username used for signing-in on the supervisor device.
How does Samoby locate a device?
The supervised device sends a positioning signal whenever it moves 50 meters. If it continues to move beyond the first 50 meters it will seamlessly switch to sending the signal every 2 mins until it stops moving.
The supervisor device displays the current and historical location for all linked supervised devices on an easy to read map.
If the supervised device does not move, its location will be refreshed every 15 min.
The location accuracy does not depend on Samoby but on the Mobile Network being used. We recommend having both WiFi, Data and GPS turned on for the best location accuracy.
Samoby also works perfectly in the Power Saving Mode.
How accurate is the location provided?
In the supervisor device, each location is shown with a circle that represents the accuracy of it in meters. The more precise the location, the smaller the diameter of the circle.
The accuracy of the location does not depend on Samoby but is determined by the supervised device. It is recommended to have the location in "High Accuracy", as well as WiFi and Data activated in the supervised device.
An accuracy reported by the supervised device equal to or greater than 300 meters is considered low quality.
What is Location History?
Samoby shows location information for up to four days is displayed on a map on the supervisor device
Could Samoby locate a stolen or lost device?
Samoby could locate a supervised device that has been lost, mislaid or stolen only if Samoby has previously been installed on it, linked to your supervisor device and with Wi-Fi or Data coverage to provide its location.
Samoby can never be used to locate a supervisor device.
Why do I get latitude and longitude coordinates instead of a street address when locating a supervised device?
Samoby sends location requests to an external mapping content provider in order to display the exact street address where a supervised device is located.
If the mapping content provider is unable to identify the exact street address, the latitude and longitude coordinates are displayed instead.
Places
What are Places?
Samoby allows a supervisor to define relevant Places such as home, school, a sporting club and every time any of the monitored supervised devices reaches or leaves the Place, the supervisor will receive an automatic notification on his primary device.
Every supervisor device) may define his own Places of interest if monitoring the same supervised device as another supervisor.
How can I define a Place?
You can define a Place by following those steps:
  1. Go to the left-side menu.
  2. Tap on Places.
  3. Tap on "+NEW" to define a new Place.
  4. Add a name and the street address of the Place you want to define.
  5. Save the Place before leaving.
PS: You cannot create two Places that are less than 300m away from each other.
Can I edit or delete a Place?
Yes, you can edit or delete a Place at any time following these instructions:
  1. Go to the left-side menu
  2. Tap on Places
  3. Tap on edit or delete on a Place you want to modify
  4. After modifying the Place, save it to keep the new data.
How accurate are Place notifications?
Place notifications are defined by set circles with 150 meters radii, so every time one of the monitored supervised devices reaches or leaves a circle with a radius of 150 meters from the defined Place, a notification will be sent to the supervisor device.
Why can’t I create a new Place near to an existing one?
Place notifications are defined by set circles with 150 meter radii. Samoby does not allow the user to define of a new Place less than 300 meters from a previously defined Place on the same supervisor device.
Remote App-Locking
How can I monitor the apps installed on the supervised devices?
Samoby allows the supervisor devices to view the apps installed on the supervised devices, and to remotely lock their use for a defined time range and day range. The locked app is password protected and cannot be opened on the supervised device without knowing the supervisor device owner’s password.
The secondary device will display a Samoby page when the supervised device user tries to access the locked app.
How do I know an app is locked?
When viewing the list of apps, a locked app will display a locked red padlock whilst an unlocked app will display an unlocked green padlock.
How can I unlock an app?
Just tap on the locked app and select "Unlock".
Can I instantly lock an app?
Yes, as soon as an app is remotely locked from the supervisor device, that same app will be locked on the supervised device.
What happens if the app is in use when locking it?
The app in use will be instantly locked.
Can I change the times and days when I want the app to stay locked?
Yes, you can edit your app locking preferences in terms of time range and days of the week at any time:
  1. Tap on the locked app and select "Unlock".
  2. Tap again on the app and select "Set time range".
  3. Define the time range and the days of the week during which the app will remain locked.
  4. Tap on "Save" to keep the changes.
Can I lock an app permanently?
Yes. Tap on the app you want to block and select "At all times".
Use Reports
What kind of reports can I access?
Samoby provides reports about the use of each app and visited websites. These reports are displayed separately for each supervised device.
What information is available in the use reports?
App use reports provides the start time and duration for every session the app was used and the total time spent on each app for the last few days.
Web usage reports provide the URL of the website, the time the web page was accessed, the application from which it was accessed, and the information on whether the webpage was blocked on the device.
What period do the reports cover?
Samoby use reports cover the current day, and the previous four days.
Why do not I see the application usage of the monitored device?
In order to see the use of applications, you must have active use of data for the Samoby application on the monitored device. To configure it, go to "Device Settings" > "Security"> "Apps with usage Access" and activate this function for Samoby
Why do not I see the web activity of the monitored device?
To see the web activity you have to enable "Accessibility" for the application Samoby. On the monitored device go to "Settings" of the device > "Accessibility" and activate this function for Samoby
Blocking web activity
How can I enable web blocking?
Open Samoby on the supervisor device, go to Settings, and from there activate or deactivate the blocking of websites.
You can also do this by logging in to Samoby website with your user and going to Settings in the menu.
How to configure the web block?
By activating the web block you can select which categories, as well as the specific domains, you want to block.
Why web access blocking is not working?
Samoby blocks web browsing through Chrome and Samsung browsers. We encourage you to block the use of other app browsers in the supervised device to be able to secure web control through Samoby.
Notifications
What type of notifications are sent?
Automated Geo-fencing notifications are sent when a supervised device reaches or leaves a predefined place.
These geo-fencing notifications appear in the notification bar on the supervisors’ device and are sent to him by email.
The supervisor will also receive notifications whenever "Location Services" or "Data Access" are activated or deactivated on the monitored device.
Can I disable notifications?
Samoby lets you know when supervised arrive or leave their predefined Places.
If you prefer not to receive these notifications, you can deactivate them from your supervisor device and from the your account settings and information on the Samoby website.
Account/Profile
How can I change my password or account details?
You can change your password, email address, names and pictures associated with your family account from the Samoby App itself.
To do this, on the Samoby App, click on "Settings" in the menu and then click on the edit icon in the top right corner to edit your information.
How can I reset my password?
You can reset the password at any time from the Samoby website.
From the login page, click on "I forgot my password" and follow the instructions.
Can I unlink my supervisor device from the account without deleting it?
Yes. You can unlink your supervisor device at any time from the account, meaning that your device will no longer be associated with that account. To proceed, please go to:
  1. Go to the left-side menu
  2. Tap on Settings
  3. Tap on "Unlink"
Your device will be immediately logged-out and unlinked from the account.
All the other devices, both supervisor and supervised devices will remain logged-in.
The Samoby data on your recently unlinked device will be deleted, but the data will remain on the servers and available for the other linked devices.
From the supervisor device, can I remotely unlink a supervised device?
Yes. Note than when remotely unlinking a supervised device, it will remain with no control from your side, and you will lost any capacity to track or control the use of apps. To proceed, please go to:
  1. Go to the left-side menu
  2. Tap on the supervised you want to unlink
  3. Tap on "Settings"
  4. Tap on "Unlink supervised device"
You will logout and unlink the supervised device from the account. All the other devices, both supervisors and supervised devices will remain linked. The Samoby data in the unlinked device will be deleted, but it will remain on the servers for the other linked devices.
You can link again the supervised device to the account by installing Samoby on it.
If I change or use a new smartphone, how can I keep the data?
Just install Samoby on your new device and sign-in using the same username and password originally used to create your Samoby account. During the signing-in process, select "This is a supervisor device" and all the data from the last four days will be synchronized with your new device.
How can I log out from the app?
To logout from Samoby, follow those instructions:
  1. Go to the left-side menu
  2. Tap on Settings
  3. Tap on "Unlink"
That will logout and unlink your device from your Samoby account. All the Samoby local data stored at your device, will be permanently deleted.
Configure device
How to update the Samoby app
Check if you have the latest available version installed on the supervised device and supervisor:
  • On Android devices: Open Play Store > Search "Samoby" > Access the application tab > If there is a new version available, you will have the update button.
  • On iPhone/iPad (iOS) devices: Open App Store > Search "Samoby" > Access the application tab > If there is a new version available, you will have the update button.
We recommend that both the supervised device and the supervisor have automatic updates enabled. In this way, each new version of Samoby will be installed automatically, without the need for any action.
For this, in the supervised device and supervisor you must follow these instructions:
  • On Android devices: Open the Play Store app and go to "Settings" (from the Google Play app itself) > "Update applications automatically" > select "Only wifi" or "On any network"
  • On iPhone/iPad (iOS) devices: Go to "Settings" of the device > "iTunes Store and App Store" > activate "Updates", so that they are automatic
Android
Please make the following adjustments to your supervised device if it is an Android device:
  1. Set location settings
    1. Go to Settings > Location and check that it is activated and the selected location method is "High Accuracy"
    2. Wifi: must always be activated, even if you are away from home.
  2. Enable Samoby in "Apps with usage access"
    1. Go to Settings > Security > Apps with usage access
    2. Enable Samoby
  3. Enable Samoby in "Accessibility"
    1. Go to Settings > Accessibility
    2. Enable Samoby
  4. Enable Samoby in "Device administrators"
    1. Go to Settings > Device administrators
    2. Enable Samoby
  5. Check that no battery saving mode is activated
    1. Go to "Settings" > "Battery" > Check that no battery saving mode is activated
  6. Enable Samoby permissions
    1. Go to Settings > Apps
    2. Tab on "Samoby"
    3. Tab on "Permissions"
    4. Enable all the requested permissions for "Samoby"
  7. Open Samoby application on the supervised device to apply the previous changes
Huawei
There are some adjustments to be done in your Huawei device to ensure the proper functioning of Samoby:
  • Android 8 (EMUI 8) and later:
    • Go to "Settings" > "Battery" > Check that no battery saving mode is activated
    • At the same screen "Settings" > "Battery" > "Application start" > "Samoby" > Disable "Manage automatically" and make sure that "Auto-launch", "Secundary launch" and "Run in backgorund" are turned on
    • Open the "Manager" > "Cleaning" app > Access Settings (icon located at the top right) > Disable "Automatic cleaning"
    • Check general configuration for Android devices
  • Android 7 (EMUI 5):
    • Go to "Settings" > "Battery" > Check that no battery saving mode is activated
    • Go to "Settings" > "Battery" > "Close apps after screen lock" > Verify that Samoby is disabled
    • Go to "Settings" > "Battery" > "Consumption level" > Click on Samoby and turn off "High energy consumption warning" and "Close when the screen is blocked"
    • Open the "Manager" > "Cleaning" app > Access Settings (icon located at the top right) > Disable "Automatic cleaning"
    • Check general configuration for Android devices
  • Android 6 (EMUI 4) and earlier:
Samsung
There are some adjustments to be done in your Samsung device to ensure the proper functioning of Samoby:
  • Android 6, 7 and 8:
    • Go to "Settings" > "Device Maintenance" > "Battery" > "Unmonitored Apps" > Add Samoby to the list
    • It is also recommended to disable the general "Power Saving" status, accessible from the "Battery" menu
    • Check general configuration for Android devices
  • Android 5 and earlier:
    • Go to "Settings" > "Battery" > "Energy saving apps" or "App optimization" (the title may change depending on the model) > Search for Samoby and tap, select option "Off"
    • Check general configuration for Android devices
Xiaomi
There are some adjustments to be done in your Xiaomi device to ensure the proper functioning of Samoby:
  • Go to "Settings" > "Battery & performance > "Battery usage" > "Battery Saver" > Turn off "Battery saver"
  • On the app "Security"
    • Open the app "Security" > "Boost speed" > Go to the icon on the top-right of the screen (settings) > "Lock apps" > Set Samoby to on
    • Open the app "Security" > "Manage apps" > "Samoby" > "Battery Saver" > Select "No restrictions"
    • Open the app "Security" > "Manage apps" > "Samoby" > Set "Autostart" to automatic
    • Open the app "Security" > "Manage apps" > "Samoby" > "Restrict data usage" > Set "Wi-Fi" and "Mobile data" to on
    • Open the app "Security" > "Manage apps" > "Samoby" > "Other permissions" > Select "Start in background"
  • Check general configuration for Android devices
Wiko
There are some adjustments to be done in your Wiko device to ensure the proper functioning of Samoby:
  • Android 6 and later:
  • Android 5 and earlier: If possible, you must update your Wiko device to Android 6 to access the "Protected Apps" menu. To do this go to "Settings" > "About Phone" > "System Updates" and accept in case there are pending updates
Meizu
There are some adjustments to be done in your Meizu device to ensure the proper functioning of Samoby:
  • Go to "Settings" > "Battery & performance > "Battery usage" > "Battery Saver" > Turn off "Battery saver"
  • On the app "Security"
    • Open the app "Security" > "Boost speed" > Go to the icon on the top-right of the screen (settings) > "Lock apps" > Set Samoby to on
    • Open the app "Security" > "Manage apps" > "Samoby" > "Battery Saver" > Select "No restrictions"
    • Open the app "Security" > "Manage apps" > "Samoby" > Set "Autostart" to automatic
    • Open the app "Security" > "Manage apps" > "Samoby" > "Restrict data usage" > Set "Wi-Fi" and "Mobile data" to on
    • Open the app "Security" > "Manage apps" > "Samoby" > "Other permissions" > Select "Start in background"
  • Check general configuration for Android devices
iPhone/iPad (iOS)
For the Samoby app to work properly on the iPhone/iPad (iOS) supervised, please review the following settings:
  1. Report location
    1. Go to Settings > Privacy> Location
    2. Check that the "Location" is activated on the device
    3. On this same screen, check that the location is activated "Always" for" Samoby "
  2. Allow background operation
    1. Go to Settings > General > Background update
    2. Check that the "Update in the background" option is enabled on the device
    3. On this same screen, check that it is enabled for "Samoby"
  3. Allow Notifications
    1. Go to Settings> Samoby> Notifications
    2. Check that "Allow notifications "is enabled on the device
  4. Allow Mobile Data
    1. Go to Settings > Samoby
    2. Check that "Mobile data" is enabled on the device
  5. Enable blocker content for Safari
    1. Go to Settings > Safari > Content blockers
    2. Check that it is enabled for Samoby. If you cannot activate it, it indicates that you have a configuration on the iPhone/iPad (iOS) supervised that prevents it. To fix it:
      1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content and privacy > Content restrictions > Web Content and select "Unrestricted access"
      2. Go to Settings > Safari > Blockers of content. The Samoby option now has to be available to activate it.
      The Samoby content blocker is more complete than the iPhone/iPad (iOS) "Screen Time" as it allows you to select multiple categories.
  6. Restart the device