The Best Apps for Kids to Earn Screen Time (2026)

Every evening, in homes all over the world, the same peace talks happen. "Five more minutes." "Just let me finish this level." "But Emma's mum lets her." Nobody wins, and everyone goes to bed a little grumpy (usually the parent).

Earn-screen-time apps take you out of the negotiation. Instead of handing out screen time and then fighting to take it back, kids earn it: homework done, bed made, teeth brushed, and their games and videos unlock. The phone becomes the reward, not the enemy.

We make one of these apps (hi, we're ScreenTreat, and that fluffy red monster is Treatsy), so yes, we're biased. That's exactly why we've tried to be fair: below you'll find what each app actually does, who it suits, and where it falls short, including ours.

Quick picks:

• Best overall for ages 6–12: ScreenTreat. Must-do tasks unlock real screen time, bonus tasks earn extra.

• Best for chores with photo proof: taskr

• Best if you also want location tracking: OurPact

• Best cross-platform veteran: ScreenCoach

• Best for chores + allowance in one place: S'moresUp

• Best for focus and homework timers: Timily

• Best simple one-off purchase for little ones: Achieve!

What makes a good earn-screen-time app?

We judged every app on five things that matter in a real house at 7pm:

1. Does it actually lock apps? Some apps only track an honour system. Kids are smart. Honour systems last about a week.

2. Can kids earn more than the basics? Must-dos are good; bonus rewards are what get the dog walked twice.

3. How long is setup? If it takes an evening to configure, it won't survive the first school week.

4. Does it work on your family's phones? iPhone, Android, or a mix.

5. Privacy and price. No ads in a kids' app, no selling family data, and a price that makes sense.

The 7 apps compared

Prices change often; check each app's store page for your country.

1. ScreenTreat: best overall for ages 6–12

Yes, we put ourselves first. We'd also like to point out that we built a friendly monster to do your nagging for you, so we feel we've earned it.

How it works: you set a few must-do tasks (homework, make the bed, brush teeth). When they're done, your kid's normal daily screen time unlocks. Bonus tasks (read 20 minutes, walk the dog, help with dinner) earn extra minutes, or Stars that can be swapped for real-life treats like a park trip or pizza night. Daily limits, bedtime and off-screen schedules (school, dinner) run on autopilot, with a friendly prompt from Treatsy instead of a blocked screen.

• Best for: families with kids aged 6–12 who want fewer arguments and better habits, not surveillance

• We love: the lock is real (on iPhone it runs on Apple Screen Time), setup takes minutes with QR pairing, and you can manage everything from your own phone. No ads, no data selling.

• Watch out: it's built for motivation, not for reading your teen's messages. If that's what you need, look at monitoring apps like Bark instead.

2. taskr: best for chores with photo proof

taskr links chores to Apple Screen Time with deadlines. If a chore goes overdue, the apps you've picked lock until your kid sends a photo and you approve it.

• Best for: parents who want proof that the bedroom really was tidied

• We like: clear deadline model, built on Apple Family Controls, ad-free

• Watch out: iPhone and iPad only; it's more "lock when late" than "earn extra", and every photo needs your approval

3. OurPact: best if you also want location tracking

OurPact is a long-standing parental control app with app blocking, schedules, a daily screen time allowance and location sharing. You can grant extra time when it's earned.

• Best for: families who want one app for limits, blocking and location

• We like: mature feature set, iPhone and Android

• Watch out: earning is something you do manually, not a built-in task system; the full feature set takes time to learn

4. ScreenCoach: best cross-platform veteran

ScreenCoach was one of the first apps built around earning screen time. Kids collect tokens for chores, homework and activities and spend them on device time.

• Best for: mixed iPhone/Android households and families who like a token economy

• We like: the closest model to ScreenTreat, strong focus on positive parenting

• Watch out: the interface feels older and setup has more steps

5. S'moresUp: best for chores + allowance in one place

S'moresUp is a family chore app first: chores earn points that can go to allowance, rewards or screen time.

• Best for: families who mainly want a shared chore chart and pocket money tracking

• We like: chores, rewards and family bank together

• Watch out: screen time is a side feature, and there's a lot going on

6. Timily: best for focus and homework timers

Timily lets kids earn coins for tasks and focus sessions and spend them in a reward shop.

• Best for: older kids who need help focusing on homework

• We like: focus timer and helpful parenting guides

• Watch out: no real device locking, so it relies on kids playing along

7. Achieve!: best simple option for little ones

A visual jar fills up as young kids complete tasks, then screen time is "earned".

• Best for: ages 4–8 who love a visual reward

• We like: simple, one-off price

• Watch out: honour system only, nothing actually locks, and updates are rare

How to choose the right one for your family

Ask yourself four questions:

1. Do I need a real lock, or will a chart do? Under 6, a visual chart (or Achieve!) is often enough. From 6 up, kids find the loopholes, so pick an app that actually locks apps: ScreenTreat, taskr, OurPact or ScreenCoach.

2. Do I want to reward extra effort? If yes, look for bonus tasks or tokens (ScreenTreat, ScreenCoach). If you only want chores done on time, taskr's deadline model is simpler.

3. What phones are in the house? iPhone-only families can choose anything here. Mixed or Android families: ScreenTreat, OurPact, ScreenCoach or S'moresUp.

4. Who am I trying to protect them from: the internet, or the couch? If you're worried about predators, bullying or explicit content, you need a monitoring app (Bark, Qustodio, Aura). If your worry is "they'd play Roblox for nine hours straight", you need an earn app. Plenty of families use one of each.

Our honest tip: whichever app you pick, start small. Two or three must-dos, one bonus task, and a fixed bedtime. You can always add more once the first week goes well. (Treatsy recommends starting with "make your bed". Treatsy has never made a bed.)

FAQ

Does earning screen time actually work?

For most families, yes, because it replaces a daily argument with a clear rule kids can see. The key is consistency: the same must-dos every day, and the app (not you) saying "not yet".

What age should kids start earning screen time?

Around 5–6 for simple visual systems, and 6–12 is the sweet spot for app-based earning. Teens usually need more say in setting the rules.

Isn't paying kids in screen time a bribe?

A bribe is offered in the middle of a meltdown. An earn system is agreed in advance, like a job with clear pay. Kids learn that effort comes first and fun comes after.

Can kids get around these apps?

Honour-system apps, easily. Apps built on Apple Screen Time or Android device controls are much harder to get around, though no app is 100% bypass-proof. Keep your parent passcode to yourself.

Do I still need Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link?

Screen Time and Family Link set limits; an earn app adds the motivation on top. On iPhone, ScreenTreat uses Apple's Screen Time technology, so they work together rather than against each other.

Is there a free earn-screen-time app?

Several have free versions (OurPact, S'moresUp, taskr). Most of the useful features sit in paid plans. ScreenTreat has a free trial so you can test it for a week before paying anything.