I Pod Touch ver 5 Help my 9 yo knows more than I do

[ratled]

So Santa brought my daughter an I Pod Touch 5 for Christmas. She loves the thing and is getting all kinds of apps for it. She wants to get 2 apps I know nothing about these things and hopping you guys can help me keep up.

She says there is an app in which she can send and receive text messages. If this is not a phone and she doesn't have a phone number how is this/is this possible? Is there a cost somewhere with this and are parental controls possible?

The other is an app she can make and take phone calls. Ok, so if this one is possible she would have a phone number and the text question is moot. I am assuming this some kinda of a Wifi phone thing - as long as there is Wifi she would be good to go. Same questions as to costs and controls.

I still have a rotary dial on my cell phone and have no thoughts on changing this (yea I'm one of the last folks who just makes calls with the phone) and I am at a loss at these things. Since she is a kid she'll figure out soon enough and I'm just hopping to keep up.

Thanks for any all advice

ratled

[Iknownot]

There are any number of apps that do both of these things and all that is needed is an email address (and potentially an credit card).

Both will work as long as the touch is synched on a wifi network (your home, someone else's or somewhere like Starbucks that provides free wifi).

[Ricky-Ray]

What are the name of the 2 apps she's looking at?

[ratled]

Thanks guys for the fast replies. I figured it had to be wifi based.

No specific apps Ray, she just says she wants to get the apps as they are put there. Do you (or anyone) know of any good ones to look at or bad ones to stay away from?

Thanks again

ratled

[Iknownot]

There are so many text apps, I would assume she's going to go by whatever her friends are using.

Skype is pretty popular for calls. So is google voice (which also does text). I'm sure there are others.

[ratled]

Skype can be used wifi based? wow, THANKS

ratled

[ebencikiv]

viber is free for call and texts here is how you set it up http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1094765

link to app https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/viber/id382617920?mt=8

[Rivers]

"Sending text messages" may not mean SMS messages like you'd normally send from a phone. It could mean using an app like KiK or SnapChat. Or Yahoo IM. Or GoogleTalk. Or even the one built into the iPad, Messages which supports any Jabber client app.

I'd be more concerned about the user's age and what supervision you plan to enforce. Even the best of students can be a predator's next victim.