SkieCan the phone take calls while locked, and what if the battery dies?
Yes to calls: allowed calls and emergency calls still come through when you lock the phone or a bedtime window is active. If the battery dies nothing is lost. When the phone starts again, Skie re-applies the rules, and the device keeps working under them without needing the internet.
A lock from the dashboard or a bedtime window is meant to quiet the phone, not cut your child off from help. Calls that are allowed still ring, and the emergency number works whenever the phone has signal. A bedtime window can leave only calls and the clock available overnight.
On a tablet without a SIM, a lock simply quiets the device. There is no phone line to keep open, so if you need to reach your child at night, plan for that.
When the battery dies, the device goes off like any other. Your rules are stored on the device, not on a server your child can unplug. When it starts again, Skie re-applies the protections and reads them back, and the compliance score on the dashboard shows whether everything is in place.
The dashboard shows when the device was last seen. If it has been quiet too long, you will see it as offline. That does not mean a problem. It is usually a flat battery, a phone out of signal, or no data or Wi-Fi.
Skie runs a background service that checks in and syncs as soon as the internet returns or the screen turns on, and it is exempt from battery optimisation so Android does not stop it.
Tip: put a charger by the bed and not under the pillow. A phone that charges outside the bedroom improves sleep more than any setting.