Looking Back at 2017 with Circle
When Circle launched in November 2015, we had a Wi-Fi device and a dream to help families find balance in their digital lives. We’ve spent the last two years finding new and great ways to serve those families with smart tools. So, we wanted to share what we accomplished in 2017 and, more importantly, what we’ve learned along the way!
Circle Go
Circle Go allows families to take our suite of smart family controls everywhere, no matter what network their devices use. So, in July, we introduced a one-month trial of Circle Go along with a drop in price to just $4.99 per month.
Along the way, we learned that easier access to Circle tools means better value for our users. We love what Circle Go offers to families with mobile devices (and mobile kids), so putting that product into the hands of more families is a win for everybody.
Circle Connections
In March, our Chores Connection went live with support from FamilyTech’s suite of task-management tools. Then, in October, we unveiled two new Connections: the Assistant Connection, which lets anybody in your family ask Amazon Alexa about their time online, and the Automation Connection, which uses IFTTT to connect your favorite Circle features to smart home gadgets, social media accounts, and more!
We’re moving past “smart home” and towards the “smart family.” Connections like these enable functionality that has never existed before. And while offering one-of-a-kind solutions is not necessarily our goal, giving parents and kids the best tools for a balanced digital lifestyle certainly is!
Circle on NETGEAR
In July, we made it possible for owners of compatible NETGEAR routers to manage all of their family’s connected devices with Circle. Right now, Circle is available on Orbi and select Nighthawk routers, with more on the way!
We want Circle to be accessible in as many formats as possible so more and more families can benefit from Circle. Our partnership with NETGEAR enables just that — by bringing smart family controls into homes all over the world!
Retail, Press, and Awards
In 2017, Bed Bath & Beyond started offering Circle Home devices online and in all of their retail locations, and we’ve expanded Circle’s availability internationally!
Circle had the honor of contributing to Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington’s health and wellness publication, with a piece titled 6 Screen Time Habits You Can Teach Your Children at Any Age. We were also mentioned earlier this year by Apple CFO Luca Maestri, who shared how he uses Circle in his home. Circle was written about in some of the largest tech and news outlets, including The New York Times, Engadget, The Wall Street Journal, The Verge, and Mirror.
We’re also grateful to have been included on gift guides from publications like Forbes, b8ta, and HuffPost. Plus, the National Parenting Product Awards honored Circle as a 2017 award winner!
It’s truly an honor to be recognized for the work we’re doing and the products we’re building for families. Being recognized in the press allows us to keep working hard for Circle families both old and new!
Community love for Circle from the past year
Lorna B. (via Facebook)
“Circle has protected our entire family and over 70 foster children that we have had the privilege to have in our home. If anyone has internet access at home, they NEED a Circle! It has set healthy internet time and content limits for our families!! It has been such a blessing to us!”
Amazon review
“We have two children ages 7 & 12. We tried several products on the market to help us with our children’s tech time. Many required additional software on the kids devices, would mess up the kids apps, and really never gave us a good feel for how long, what or where they had been online. I saw the video for Circle on Facebook and purchased the next day!! The set-up was SO simple, it allows me to easily control apps and websites for ALL of the devices in our homes and I like that I can set by age appropriateness!! The insights is EXACTLY what I was looking for to help me view what the children are doing! I love that you can pause any device, even tried it on my husband!! Circle is exactly what we were looking for!! The kids may not be thrilled, but us parents LOVE it!!!”
Morgan J. (via Facebook)
“I love that I can allow certain websites during school hours while Pausing the rest of the Internet, and then easily Unpause individual devices as each child completes their assignments for the day with a simple click of a button on my phone. Circle is a sanity saver!”
Amazon review
“You guys are amazing. Really. We have been researching ways to keep our kids safe on the Internet for years, literally. Nothing did everything we wanted. Then we found Circle! BEST. PRODUCT. EVER. I don’t think I could think of anything it’s missing — and I’m picky. Thank you so, so much, for reaching out and for providing a much valued item in our quest for Internet safety. And for making it easy to boot!”
2017 was an amazing year for all of us at Circle! Now, we’re looking forward to the new milestones we’ll set in 2018 and beyond. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the amazing community of families using Circle around the world. Thank you for letting Circle be a part of your family’s rhythm. We are eager to continue developing features and products that help families find balance in their digital health!
