SkieSkie for Parents · Problem
Controlling apps, schedules and screen time
How do I stop my child using the wrong apps or being on the phone all evening?
Most parents want the same thing: study apps during study time, nothing at bedtime, and no surprise installs. Rules that rely on the child agreeing are fragile.
32 questions on this problem
- Do parental control apps actually work?Skie is built to be tamper-proof. Uninstalling it, force stopping it, resetting from Settings, safe mode, VPN apps and alternative browsers are all blocked by Android under the device...
- How do I control my child's phone on Android?In the Skie dashboard you pick the allowed apps, turn on adult-site blocking, set study and bedtime windows, and switch on location if you want it. You can also lock the device remotely....
- What can Android parental controls do?Skie covers app selection, hiding the Play Store, adult-site blocking with a locked filter, SafeSearch, study and bedtime schedules, remote lock, live location with a trail, safe zone...
- Can you delete a parental control app?On a Skie device, uninstalling Skie is blocked, and so are force stop, clear data and disabling it. Only you can end management, from the dashboard, with Remove Skie. That turns off every...
- Can my child take photos, and can I disable the camera?Yes. Disable camera is an optional switch in the dashboard, off by default. Turn it on and the camera stops working on that device. Leave it off and your child can take photos with any...
- Can I choose which apps my child gets, and add one that is not on the list?You pick from the app store in the dashboard, where each app has a category and an age band. For an app that is missing, paste its Play Store link and the details fill in. Own apps wait for...
- Can my child install apps from the Play Store?That is your choice. In the dashboard you can show or hide the Play Store. With an install guard, any app installed after setup that you have not allowed is removed silently. You can also...
- How do I hide the Play Store on my child's phone?In the Skie dashboard, switch the Play Store to hidden for that device. It disappears from the phone or tablet, and your child cannot install apps from there. Show it again at any time when...
- What if my child installs something from a link or a website?Unknown sources are blocked by default. Even if something does install after setup, Skie's install guard removes any app you have not allowed, silently. Apps present at setup are not...
- Can my child use YouTube, or can I block it completely?Both options exist. You can leave YouTube out of the allow list to block it. If you allow it, YouTube restricted mode is forced on in Chrome, though a per-website allow or block list is not...
- Can I block WhatsApp, or allow it only at certain times?Leave WhatsApp off the allow list to block it, or allow it only in certain schedule windows. A window has days, start, end and its own allowed apps, and can run overnight. A per-app daily...
- What are study time windows and how do I set one?A study window is a schedule in the dashboard with days, a start time, an end time and the apps allowed during it. When it starts, the phone or tablet switches to that set on its own, with...
- How do I set a bedtime lock on my child's phone?Create a bedtime window in the dashboard with the days, start and end, and choose which apps stay on, such as calls for emergencies. Windows can run overnight. The device switches by itself...
- How do I make the phone stricter during exams?Add a stricter schedule window around exam weeks, with a shorter allow list of study and calling apps. Or use a one-app lock for a revision app. When exams end, remove the window. You can...
- Can I lock my child's phone or tablet from my own phone?Yes. Open the Skie dashboard in a browser on your own phone and press lock for that child's device. It locks right away and stays locked until you release it. Rules sync when the device is...
- How do I lock a phone to only a few apps for my child?Allow only the few apps you want, and the rest are hidden. For the tightest setting, a one-app allow list or full-screen kiosk mode locks the device to a single app. Hide the Play Store and...
- Can my child use ChatGPT or other AI apps?That is your call. Allow the ChatGPT app or other AI apps in the dashboard, or leave them out. Use schedules to allow them only during study hours. Websites in Chrome run under the locked...
- Can my child use online classes, Google Meet, Zoom or Google Classroom?Yes. Add Google Meet, Zoom or Google Classroom to the allowed apps and set a study window for class hours. Outside that window the apps can be hidden again. A school-issued tablet is...
- What is the Skie approved app store, and who decides what is in it?The approved app store is the catalog you choose from in the dashboard. Each app has a category and an age band, and your own additions wait for Skie approval. You decide what your child...
- How do I make my child's phone stricter during exams?Create a study window with days, start and end times and a short list of allowed apps, such as a notes app and a calculator. It can run all evening, and the phone or tablet switches app...
- How do I set study time on my child's phone or tablet?On the parent dashboard, add a schedule window with the days, a start and end time and the apps allowed during it. Outside study time your normal app list applies. The device switches by...
- How do I set a bedtime lock on my child's phone or tablet?Set a bedtime window with days, start and end. Windows can run overnight, for example evening to early morning, and you choose which apps stay usable, if any. The phone or tablet switches...
- Can I get a phone or tablet for my child with no social media?Choose which apps work on your child's phone or tablet and leave social media off the list. Hide the Play Store so nothing new can be installed, and any app installed anyway that is not...
- Is there a phone for kids with no internet?You can allow only offline-friendly apps such as a camera, music or a calculator, and keep the browser off for a group. Hiding the Play Store stops new installs. Skie does not sell a...
- Can my child call and text anyone on a Skie-managed phone?Skie has optional switches to disable SMS and outgoing calls, so you can choose per child. Limiting calling to a contacts-only list is not available yet, and the team is working on it....
- Can the phone take calls while locked, and what if the battery dies?Remote lock and bedtime windows limit apps, and you choose what stays allowed, such as calls. The SOS button is designed for emergencies. A phone with a dead battery cannot sync or be...
- Can I turn off the internet on my child's phone?Skie has no single internet switch. You can allow only offline apps in a schedule window, lock the device remotely, and block adult sites with a filter that follows the phone on any...
- Can my child spend money in apps or use Google Pay?Skie has no payments feature. You control spending indirectly by hiding the Play Store, not allowing Google Pay or shopping apps, and blocking unknown sources. In-app purchases within an...
- Can I set a daily screen time limit or a limit for one app?Not yet. Daily screen time limits and per-app time limits are something the team is working on. Today, schedules do much of the same job: set study and bedtime windows, choose allowed apps...
- Can I limit my child's phone to calls from approved contacts only?Not yet. Contacts-only calling is not available, and the team is working on it. Today you can switch outgoing calls and SMS off, choose which apps are usable, and use the SOS button. Those...
- Can I set a time limit for one app, like one hour of games a day?Not yet. Per-app time limits and daily screen time limits are not available, and the team is working on them. Today you can set schedule windows that allow certain apps at certain times, so...
- Can I see a screen time report for my child's phone?Not yet. Screen time and app-usage reports are not available, and the team is working on them. Today the dashboard shows last seen, live location and the device's compliance score, and...
Blocking adult content and unsafe websites · Finding your child and the SOS button · A lost, stolen or broken phone or tablet · Setting up a child's phone or tablet · Parental controls for a child's tablet · Choosing a first phone and what suits each age