Earn screen time by completing chores.

Applowance is available now on the App Store for iPhone and iPad running iOS 18 or later. The download is free; see Pricing for what Premium adds.

Apple's Screen Time sets app limits and schedules, and your child can ask you for more time, but it has no way to tie that time to chores. Applowance uses Apple's Screen Time technology so selected apps stay restricted until your child earns minutes by finishing chores you approve, and it asks iOS to restore the restrictions when those minutes run out. Screen Time access needs to stay enabled on each device you want to manage.

Yes, it is possible. Applowance uses iOS Screen Time to restrict selected apps, but a child may be able to turn off Screen Time access or remove Applowance, which stops its restrictions. Keep Screen Time access enabled and check the setup on each device where you want app blocking.

For separate parent and child devices, install Applowance on both. Parents sign in with their Apple account and create chores. Additional parents need a dedicated invitation and approval from the family creator. Children join using a 6-character invite code, or a parent can add them on a shared device. Set up Screen Time access and select the apps to restrict on each device where you want blocking; installing it on a parent's device alone does not restrict a child's device.

Yes, with Applowance 1.0.1 or later on your own device and on the shared iPad or iPhone. On your own device, open Settings › Shared Devices, tap Set Up a Shared Device, choose the children who use it, and tap Create Setup Code. On the shared device, tap Shared by Children and scan the code. Nobody signs in with Apple on it, so it also works on an iPad signed into a child's Apple Account, and children who already joined with the invite code keep their chores and balance. Each child taps their own tile on “Who's using the app?” and enters their PIN if one was set on that device. Switch Profile at the top of each child tab hands it to the next child, and it can go back to “Who's using the app?” by itself after 1, 5 or 15 minutes without use. If you and your children share a single device, sign in on it and tap Settings › Use This iPad for Children (it says iPhone on an iPhone) instead. On earlier versions, only children a parent adds on the shared device can share it, through Settings › Hand This iPhone to a Child.

Yes. If any part of setup is unclear, such as turning on Screen Time access, adding a child's device, or choosing which apps to restrict, contact us and we'll walk you through it.

Applowance asks iOS to restore restrictions on the selected apps when a session ends, including while Applowance is in the background. This depends on Screen Time access remaining enabled and iOS session monitoring working; timing and enforcement are not guaranteed. Restricted apps show a shield screen. Sessions longer than five minutes can show a five-minute warning when notifications are enabled.

The Free plan supports up to 2 children and 1 parent. If you need more, Premium ($4.99/mo or $49.99/yr) and Lifetime ($99.99 one-time) both support unlimited children and unlimited parents. Every child gets their own profile, chore list, and screen time balance. Children can join from their own device using an invite code or be added by a parent on a shared device.

Applowance stores family data such as chore names, completion status, screen time balances, and family member names. It also collects usage and diagnostic records, including records linked to user and family identifiers. Current builds send usage and reliability reports only during consented parent sessions, never from child sessions or demo mode. Older beta builds through build 47, if still installed, and reports they queued can include child-session information, crash details, and identifiers; queued reports may still upload after an update. Parents sign in with their Apple account for cross-device access. Children join via invite code without an email or password. We don't sell data, we don't run ads, and we don't track your children's browsing activity. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Yes. Applowance runs natively on both iPhone and iPad with iOS 18 or later, and your family's data syncs automatically across all your devices.

No. Applowance runs on iPhone and iPad only, because its app blocking is built on Apple's Screen Time technology. Each parent and child device needs iOS or iPadOS 18 or later; a parent and child can also share one device.

The Applowance Promise is our commitment that the core features will always be free: the chore-to-screen-time loop, real app blocking via FamilyControls, cross-device sync, push notifications, streaks, templates, summaries, usage reports, and support for 1 parent and up to 2 children. Premium adds extras like unlimited seats, custom rewards, allowance tracking, and the family activity log, but the fundamentals work for every family, no credit card required.

Applowance has three tiers. Free gives you nearly the full chore-to-screen-time experience for up to 2 children and 1 parent, including real app blocking, sync, notifications, streaks, bonus time, templates, weekly summaries, and usage reports. Premium ($4.99/mo) adds unlimited children, unlimited parent accounts, custom rewards with a reward store, allowance tracking, and the family activity log. Lifetime ($99.99) gives you everything in Premium with a single one-time purchase and no recurring charges.

Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time from the Settings screen inside the app. When you upgrade, you get immediate access to new features. When you downgrade, your current plan stays active until the end of the billing period. All subscription changes are handled through Apple's App Store, so you can also manage your subscription in your iPhone's Settings under Subscriptions.

Your data is never deleted when you downgrade. Premium-only data like custom rewards, allowance history, and the family activity log is preserved -- you just won't be able to access those tools until you upgrade again. If you downgrade to Free and have more than 2 children, existing children remain in your family but you won't be able to add new ones until you upgrade or reduce to 2.

Yes. Premium offers annual billing at $49.99/year instead of $4.99/month, saving $9.89 per year. You can switch between monthly and annual billing through the App Store.

No. App blocking through iOS Screen Time APIs, the chore-to-screen-time loop, cross-device sync, and push notifications are all part of the Free plan — and the fundamentals will always be free. You never need to pay to enforce screen time limits. Premium unlocks extras like unlimited seats, custom rewards, allowance tracking, and the family activity log.