Questions parents ask
Short answers about KidsDroid. Can’t find yours? Email kidsdroid@tacassist.com.
What is KidsDroid?
KidsDroid is a screen time app for Android. A parent installs it on their child’s phone, picks the apps to limit and sets how long the child can play. When the time is up, the app takes a break, and the child can wait or earn extra time with a quiz or an exercise.
Does KidsDroid cost anything?
No. KidsDroid is free, with no ads and no in-app purchases.
Which phones does it work on?
Android phones running Android 8.0 or newer. It doesn’t work on iPhones or iPads.
Do I need an account?
No. There’s no sign-up and no account. Everything is set up on your child’s phone and protected by a 4-digit parent PIN.
Can I control it from my own phone?
Not yet. Today you change settings on your child’s phone, in parent mode, with your PIN or fingerprint.
Does it work without the internet?
Yes. Limits, breaks, quizzes and quiet times all run on the phone. The internet is only needed to reset a forgotten PIN by email and to download new challenges and wallpapers if you choose Cloud.
Why does KidsDroid need Accessibility permission?
Android’s Accessibility service is how KidsDroid sees which app is open, so it can count play time and show the break screen. KidsDroid asks for your consent first and shows you how to turn it on for your phone. What it reads is checked on the phone and isn’t saved or sent.
Why does it ask for battery settings on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones?
These phones pause apps in the background to save battery. Without “No battery limits” and “Autostart”, KidsDroid stops counting as soon as your child leaves it. Setup shows you where both settings are.
Can my child remove or turn off KidsDroid?
If you turn on Uninstall protection, the phone’s pages for turning off or removing KidsDroid ask for your PIN first. It isn’t perfect: someone who starts the phone in safe mode or uses a computer can still remove it. You can remove KidsDroid yourself at any time from its settings.
What if I forget my parent PIN?
If you added a recovery email, tap “Forgot PIN?” and KidsDroid emails you a 6-digit code that works for 15 minutes. Without a recovery email, the only way out is to remove the app, which deletes its settings.
Why do breaks look like the phone stopped working for ages 2–4?
Toddlers can’t read a countdown, and they argue less with a phone that seems to have stopped. If you choose age 2–4, a break can look like the phone switching off, no internet, or a video that keeps loading. It ends by itself when the break does, and holding the screen for 3 seconds opens your PIN. You can switch to the normal break screen in settings.
Does KidsDroid read messages, track location or record the screen?
No. It doesn’t read messages, track location, record the screen or send anything about your child anywhere.
How is KidsDroid different from Google Family Link?
Google Family Link is Google’s parental control service, which you run from your own device and which uses a Google Account for your child (see Google’s Family Link page). KidsDroid needs no account and runs only on your child’s phone. It focuses on short play sessions with breaks, and on letting your child earn time back with quizzes and exercise.