EarnPlay Support
Need help understanding EarnPlay? This guide explains how the app works, what parents need to set up, and how the learn-to-play loop behaves on a child's iPhone or iPad.
Product page: patakolabs.com/projects/earnplay
Status: EarnPlay is in active development. App Store and TestFlight links are not public yet. Email contact@patakolabs.com if you want early-access updates.
What EarnPlay does
EarnPlay turns parent-selected screen time into a reward kids can earn.
- Parents choose which apps stay locked by default (for example YouTube, Minecraft, or other games).
- Kids complete short alphabet quizzes inside EarnPlay β say the letter aloud or tap the correct answer.
- Passing grants a pool of play minutes. Gated apps unlock for that duration.
- When time runs out, Screen Time shields return automatically β no manual policing.
Tagline: Learn a little. Play a little.
Who it is for
Parents (setup and rules)
- Want positive incentives, not only hard limits.
- Comfortable with Apple Family Sharing and Screen Time / Family Controls.
- Need simple controls: which apps to gate, how many letters per reward, and how many minutes to grant.
Children (ages 4β8 in the MVP)
- Motivated by games and video apps.
- Need big visuals, voice input, and immediate feedback with gentle retries.
Core loop
text
LOCKED β Challenge β PASS β Grant minutes β PLAY β Timer ends β LOCKED
- Gated apps show Apple's shield until earned time is available.
- The child opens EarnPlay and completes letter identification challenges.
- After the configured number of correct answers, EarnPlay grants shared play minutes.
- Selected apps unlock for the configured duration.
- A Device Activity monitor re-applies shields when time expires.
Parent setup (planned MVP)
These steps reflect the intended shipping flow. Exact UI labels may change during development.
Requirements
- iOS 17+ on iPhone or iPad (physical device required for Screen Time testing).
- Apple Developer Program membership and Family Controls entitlement on the app.
- Child Apple ID in Family Sharing when running in child-device mode.
- Microphone permission for voice answers (optional tap fallback).
First-time setup
- Install EarnPlay on the child's device (TestFlight or App Store when available).
- Approve Family Controls authorization when iOS prompts.
- Open Parent settings (behind device authentication) and:
- Pick gated apps with Apple's Family Activity picker.
- Set letters required per reward (default: 3).
- Set minutes granted per reward (default: 15).
- Show the child the kid home screen β balance, progress, and how to start a quiz.
Parent settings access
Parent mode is protected by LocalAuthentication (Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode) so kids cannot change rules casually.
Kid experience
Letter quiz
- One uppercase letter (AβZ) at a time.
- Speech recognition for letter names, with Apple's on-device voices for instructions.
- Tap fallback with a small set of choices if voice is unavailable.
- Wrong answers show a gentle retry β no punitive shaming copy.
After success
- Short celebration UI when the reward threshold is met.
- Gated apps unlock for the configured minutes.
- Kid dashboard shows credits balance and time remaining.
When time ends
- Shields return automatically via the Screen Time monitor extension.
- If the child is still in a gated app, EarnPlay can show a "Time's up!" message when opened.
Privacy and data
| Topic | MVP behavior | | --- | --- | | Network | Core loop works offline β quiz, reward, unlock, re-lock | | Child accounts | No account creation for children in MVP | | Cloud sync | Not in MVP β settings and progress stay on device / App Group | | Analytics | Follow PatakoLabs site policy; the app itself is designed without ad tracking |
Quiz progress and unlock timers are stored in the app's App Group container shared with
Screen Time extensions (group.com.patakolabs.earnplay).
Troubleshooting
Family Controls authorization failed
- Confirm the device is signed into the child Apple ID in Family Sharing.
- Check Settings β Screen Time and ensure management is enabled for the child.
- See Apple's Family Sharing documentation.
Microphone / voice answers not working
- Open Settings β Privacy & Security β Microphone and allow EarnPlay.
- Try the tap fallback if speech recognition is denied or unavailable.
- Speak clearly with the letter name (for example "ay" for A).
Apps did not re-lock when time ended
- Keep EarnPlay and its Screen Time extensions installed and enabled.
- Do not force-quit the monitor extension during testing.
- Report reproducible cases to contact@patakolabs.com with iOS version and device model.
Shield shows but EarnPlay does not open from the CTA
- Re-run parent setup and confirm the gated app is still in the saved Family Activity selection.
- Reboot the device after first installing Family Controls apps.
Differentiation
| Alternative | What EarnPlay adds | | --- | --- | | Apple Screen Time limits | Rewards learning; auto re-lock after earned minutes | | Generic parental-control apps | Embedded quiz-to-unlock loop tuned for young kids | | Paper reward charts | Technical enforcement on the device |
Roadmap (not in MVP)
- Per-app minute wallets (for example 10 min YouTube, 20 min Minecraft).
- Daily earning caps and additional challenge types (numbers, colors, sight words).
- Parent companion app on iPhone and iCloud sync across devices.
Contact
- Product questions and TestFlight interest: contact@patakolabs.com
- Technical specs (developers): see the EarnPlay repository
docs/specs/folder.