Calmer routines
Create school-night and bedtime boundaries once.
Family protection that stays visible
Screen time that works without daily arguments
Set visible daily limits, bedtime schedules, and app-specific boundaries. Children see what remains and can ask for more time instead of searching for workarounds.
Today’s screen-time plan
Parent dashboard
Calmer routines
Create school-night and bedtime boundaries once.
Visible expectations
Children can see the same timer and schedule.
Room for exceptions
Review extra-time requests without removing every limit.
What changes for your family
Visible expectations
Children can see the same timer and schedule.
Room for exceptions
Review extra-time requests without removing every limit.
SmartProtect
Protection in three clear steps
1
Add Child Profile
Create a profile in the parent dashboard. Enter their name and age to automatically optimize default settings.
2
Generate Code & Download
Generate a one-time pairing code in your dashboard and install the companion app on your child’s device.
3
Pair & Build Agreements
Launch the companion app on the devices, type in the pairing code to link, review the transparent limits layout with your children, and enjoy deep digital peace.
One parent dashboard across every screen
iOS
Android
Windows
macOS
How screen time limits work
A daily allowance is only half of it. Most arguments about screen time are really arguments about the transition — the moment the device goes away — so the useful controls are the ones that make that moment predictable.
A daily allowance your child can see
Set a total for each day of the week — school nights and weekends usually want different numbers. The child device shows the same running total you see, so the time remaining is never a surprise and never a matter of your word against theirs.
Schedules for bedtime and homework
Independent of the daily total, schedules close the device during fixed windows. Bedtime is the one worth setting first: sleep displacement is the best-evidenced harm of unrestricted device access, and a schedule handles it without spending any of the daily allowance.
Per-app limits inside the total
A single number treats homework and a battle royale as the same thing. Per-app limits let a game have 45 minutes while a reading app or a calculator stays open, which is usually what a parent means when they say 'less screen time'.
Requests instead of workarounds
When a limit runs out, your child can ask for more time from the device, with a reason. You approve or decline from the dashboard. This is the part that changes behaviour: a child with a legitimate route to ask has much less incentive to look for a technical one.
What each platform actually allows
Screen-time enforcement is not equally capable everywhere, and any vendor claiming otherwise is glossing. The differences come from the operating systems, not the app.
- iPhone & iPad
- iOS 16+. Apple exposes screen time controls to third-party apps through a managed framework, which is why setup involves an on-device permission step. It is the most tightly bounded platform — and the same restrictions that limit us also stop any app on iOS from quietly reading messages.
- Android
- Android 8.0+. The most capable platform for app-level enforcement: limits and schedules apply reliably per app, and blocked apps close cleanly rather than merely warning.
- Windows
- Windows 10 (2004+) or 11, on a standard (non-administrator) user account. Time limits, schedules and app management apply to that account.
- macOS
- Limits and schedules apply per user account, with the same visible status indicator as the mobile apps.
What good limits look like
There is no correct number of hours, and anyone quoting one is guessing. What the evidence does support is protecting sleep, protecting school work, and keeping rules consistent. Start there and adjust.
Under 10
A single daily allowance plus a firm bedtime schedule is usually enough. Keep it simple and keep it visible — a device that stops working at seven for no stated reason invites investigation rather than acceptance.
10 to 13
Split school nights from weekends and introduce per-app limits for the two or three apps that actually cause friction. This is the age to start letting your child argue for changes — a limit they successfully negotiated is one they will defend rather than circumvent.
14 and up
Loosen the total, keep the bedtime schedule. By this age the daily number matters much less than sleep and than whether your child will tell you when something goes wrong. Treat the remaining structure as scaffolding you are actively dismantling.
What this will not do
Screen-time limits do not make a device safe, and they will not outlast a determined teenager who has decided to defeat them. A second device, a friend's phone or a school laptop all sit outside anything installed here. The realistic goal is a healthy default that removes the nightly negotiation — not a perimeter.
Common questions
What happens when the time runs out?
Limited apps close and the device shows a clear message explaining which limit was reached. Calls, messages and anything you have marked always-available keep working — the device is not bricked, and emergency calling is never blocked.
Can my child see how much time is left?
Yes, and this is deliberate. The companion view on their device shows the same allowance, schedule and remaining time that you see in the dashboard. Shared facts produce arguments about the rule, which you can resolve; hidden facts produce arguments about fairness, which you cannot.
Can they ask for more time?
Yes. Requests come to your dashboard with whatever reason your child attached, and you approve or decline. Approved time takes effect on the device immediately, without needing a reinstall or a restart.
Do limits apply to schoolwork apps?
Only if you set them to. Per-app rules let you leave educational tools, calculators and communication apps outside the daily allowance so that a screen-time limit does not become a homework limit.
What if my child changes the device clock?
Allowances are tracked against server time, not the device clock, so moving the clock forward or back does not create extra time.