Designed with ❤️ in Canada

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A little more freedom. A lot less worry.

Hoot is a pocket walkie-talkie for your child that talks to the phone you already have. A secure, family-only line, anywhere, anytime.

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Free while in beta

On a sunny morning by the front garden, a child's hand holds up Hoot. Its screen shows a new message from Mom: Have a great day! Love you.

Ready to explore. Not ready for a phone.

Your child is doing more on their own, from the walk home to after-school activities, and plans change along the way. They shouldn't have to borrow a friend's phone, or a stranger's, to reach you.

How it works

At dusk by the school gate, a child holds Hoot and keeps a finger on the red Release to send button while recording at 7:36 PM.

Your child

Hold the button and talk

Let go and it sends.

A parent's phone on a lamp-lit desk in the evening. Maya's new message has just arrived at 7:36 PM, with its text: Practice ran late. Side door?

You

Hear it, or read it

Your child's voice arrives on your phone. Listen, or read it as text.

A parent's thumb holds the red Release to send button in the app at 7:41 PM, recording a reply to Maya.

You

Talk back from anywhere

From work, the car or the couch.

At dusk by the school gate, under the street lamps, a child's hands hold Hoot at 7:42 PM. Its screen shows Mom's new message: Side door. Five minutes.

Your child

Your reply plays on their Hoot

No unlocking, no apps. It plays by itself, or with one tap.

Made for the moments in between

A child walks into the park, seen from behind, with Hoot clipped to their backpack strap.

At the park

Maya: We're going to the other park by the library, OK? Heard

Mom: OK. Home by 5:30.

Heard

Hoot held in both hands on the bus, beside the window, showing a message from Mom.

On the bus

Maya: On the 52. Two stops left. Heard

Dad: Great, I'll be at the corner.

Received

After practice at dusk, a child holds up Hoot by the gym's side door, with a sports bag at their feet.

After practice

Maya: Practice ran late. Side door? Heard

Mom: Side door. Five minutes.

Heard

You know it's them. They know it's you.

A familiar voice is easier to trust than a text. Your child hears you, and you hear how they're really doing.

Hoot while your child holds to talk: a red Release to send button, a level meter and Slide off to cancel.
Recording
Hoot on the Talk screen: a new message from Mom, the time, who's on, and a big Hold to talk button.
A new message
Hoot on the History screen: Maya's message about the side door, marked heard, and a new reply from Mom: Side door. Five minutes.
History

Only your family can reach it

Only family members a parent has added can reach your child's device. You add and remove caregivers and devices from your phone.

Sent over a secure link

Voice and text travel over an encrypted link between your child's device and your phone.

No apps. No feeds. No ads.

No browser, no camera, no games. Nothing to scroll and nothing to sell to your child. Just your family, one button away.

Simple at 8. Still useful at 14.

On an afternoon at the kitchen table, in daylight, a child holds Hoot and presses Hold to talk. Dad's message waits on the screen: Have fun at practice!

For younger kids

One button to talk. Messages play by themselves. No apps, no passwords, nothing for your child to set up.

In the evening, by lamplight, an older child on the sofa holds Hoot in both hands, thumb at the edge of the screen, scrolling back through History to Mom's reply: Side door. Five minutes.

For bigger kids

"What did Mom say about pickup?" Scroll back and play it again. Every message is saved, voice and text.

All you need as a parent

Keep an eye on your child's device from your own phone. The app works on iPhone and Android.

The parent app's family conversation: voice messages from Dad, Maya and Mom, each with its text, and a Hold to talk button.
Messages
The parent app's page for the Hoot Maya carries: a map with Maya's last known position near the school, within about 30 metres as of 2 minutes ago, a Check location now button, and tiles showing the device is online, its battery at 78 percent, and last seen now.
Where Maya is

Read or listen

Every message from your child arrives as audio and as text.

Battery at a glance

See how charged your child's device is, and get a heads-up when it runs low.

Where's your child?

See where your child's device is, right from the app.

Quiet hours

Choose when your child's device stays quiet, like at night or during class.

Who's online

Know when your child's device is reachable, and when it will check in next.

Settings in your hands

Set the volume and auto-play on your child's device, and choose who's in the family.

Every kid. Every caregiver. One family.

Add a second child's Hoot, a co-parent, a grandparent or the sitter. Everyone in one family conversation, and nobody else.

One family: a Hoot each for Maya and Maya's brother, and phones for Mom, Dad, Grandma and the sitter, all joined in one circle. Mom Dad Sitter Maya's brother Maya Grandma

Why not just a phone or a watch?

How Hoot compares with a smartphone, a smartwatch, a flip phone, a GPS tracker and a walkie-talkie.

Hoot compared with five other choices
Hoot Smartphone Smartwatch Flip phone GPS tracker Walkie-talkie
Nothing to scroll Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
No web browser Yes No Yes No Yes Yes
No camera Yes No Some Some Yes Yes
No ads Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
Family-only contacts Yes No Some No Yes No
Works anywhere Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Voice messages Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
See their location Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Readable transcripts Yes Some No No No No
Designed in Canada Yes No No No No No

Questions parents ask

Does my child need a phone plan?

No. Mobile data is included, free while in beta.

What if my child is out of range?

Messages wait and arrive as soon as your child's device is back in range. You'll see when each one is delivered.

Can strangers message my child?

No. Only people a parent adds to the family can reach the device.

Which phones does the parent app work on?

All of them. There's an app for iPhone and Android.

How long does the battery last?

Hoot lasts about three days between charges.

What does the beta cost?

Nothing. Beta families get Hoot free in exchange for telling us how it goes.

Try Hoot.

We're inviting a few families at a time while Hoot is in beta.

Join the waitlist

Free while in beta

The waitlist opens soon

We're getting the first Hoot devices ready. Check back soon, or pass this page to another parent.