Yondr is an American company launched in 2014 by Graham Dugoni. Yondr makes pouches which are used in some schools, concerts, and shows where the use of cell phones is frowned upon. What exactly is Yondr Pouch? It is a magnetic pouch used to lock phones away to avoid distractions. Because of its unique feature and value proposition, Yondr pouches or cases are used in some schools to allow teachers to teach students without any disruptions. The pouch is also used by some artists/entertainers who want to encourage their fans to focus during their shows.
Apart from the distraction-free angle, there is also the angle of respect for the privacy of other people. Too often at events, there are people pulling out their phones to take photos of, or record videos of, others and later sharing those recordings online, thereby violating their privacy. Yondr cases are a great way to make sure nobody is recording anything, thus preventing violations of personal privacy from happening at events and locations.
Yondr Pouch: How does it work?
The Yondr pouch or case is a fabric pouch equipped with a magnetic lock that activates once inside a designated cell phone free space. Let’s say participants arrive at a concert venue that the organizers have designated as a phone-free event. Each guest is handed a Yondr pouch in which they must keep their phone. Once the cell phone is placed in the Yondr Pouch and the pouch closed, it is firmly locked magnetically and cannot be opened without a special magnetic disc or unlocking base.
Each guest keeps their phone on them, but they cannot use it, as the only way to unlock the pouch is to go to a designated spot to where a magnetic disc or unlocking base is made available for that purpose. When the guest wants to return to the venue of activities, they are required to put their cell phones back in the pouch, again locking them firmly, so they cannot be used again. At the end of the concert, guests can unlock their pouch at the exit.
The concept is brilliant and the use cases are clear. Besides schools and concerts, I can imagine that these pouches will come in handy at more discreet events and activities, where photos, video recording, and audio recording of proceedings are forbidden. The deployment of Yondr pouches is a means of enforcing compliance.
Where to purchase a Yondr pouch?
Yondr pouches can be purchased on the manufacturer’s official website, Woire.com, for $15 a piece. In addition to purchasing the pouches, organizations that want to use these cases at their events also have to invest in the magnetic discs that unlock the cases. The costs will add up to a tidy sum. For example, an event with 100 participants expected means you will spend at least $1500, ut then the pouches are reusable and can be deployed for more events down the orad.
