EarnPlay Support

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

Parents community: patakolabs.com/projects/earnplay/community — Discord, how-we-use guides, and propose a learning game. Tracked Discord invite: patakolabs.com/go/earnplay/discord.

App Store: EarnPlay Control (tracked via patakolabs.com/go/earnplay/app-store).

Status: Available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad (iOS 17+) with Apple Family Controls. Questions? Email support@patakolabs.com.

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 learning games inside EarnPlay — letter names, beginning sounds, Make 10, age-banded maths, and geography (parents pick which games are on).
• Passing grants a pool of play minutes. Gated apps unlock for that duration.
• When time runs out, Screen Time shields return automatically — 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, which games are enabled, how many rounds per reward, allowed misses, and how many minutes to grant.

Children (ages 4–10)

• Motivated by games and video apps.
• Need big visuals, optional voice input (letters), and immediate feedback with gentle retries.
• Parents can enable harder maths (through age 10) and geography for older kids in that range.

Core loop

LOCKED → Challenge → PASS → Grant minutes → PLAY → Timer ends → LOCKED

1. Gated apps show Apple's shield until earned time is available.
2. The child opens EarnPlay and completes the parent-enabled learning games (mixed rounds or a focus game / kid choice, depending on settings).
3. After the configured number of successful rounds (within the allowed-miss budget), EarnPlay grants shared play minutes.
4. Selected apps unlock for the configured duration.
5. A Device Activity monitor re-applies shields when time expires.

Learning games (shipped)

Parents enable any mix of:

Sessions draw from the enabled set. Soft retries use encouraging copy — no shame framing.

Parent setup

Requirements

• iOS 17+ on iPhone or iPad (physical device required for Screen Time testing).
• Family Controls authorization on the child device (Family mode).
• Child device signed into a child or teen Apple ID in Family Sharing for Family mode (production earn-to-play).
• Optional Standalone mode on a parent phone to try the loop — not child-proof (the user can delete the app).
• Microphone permission for voice answers on letter rounds (optional tap fallback).

First-time setup

1. Set up Family Sharing (parent + child Apple IDs) if you have not already.
2. Install EarnPlay on the child's device from the App Store. That device must be signed into the child Apple ID, not the parent's.
3. In the setup wizard, choose Child's device (Family) (default). Approve Family Controls when Apple prompts (a parent authenticates once).

4. Pick gated apps with Apple's Family Activity picker, then in Parent settings (behind device authentication):

   • Enable the learning games you want (letters, sounds, Make 10, maths bands, geography).
   • Set rounds required per reward (default: 3) and allowed misses.
   • Set minutes granted per reward (default: 15).

5. Show the child the kid home screen — balance, progress, and how to start.

Parent settings access

Parent mode is protected by LocalAuthentication (Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode) so kids cannot change rules casually.

Optional parent companion

If you share a child profile over iCloud, you can manage rules from another device with the parent companion (This is the parent's phone in setup). The companion does not need Family Controls on the parent phone. Core quiz → unlock → re-lock still works fully on-device without a companion.

Optional Standalone (try on this phone)

Choose Try on this phone (Standalone) in the wizard to authorize with Face ID on an adult Apple ID. Useful for trying EarnPlay yourself. Apple removes anti-bypass protections in this mode — do not use Standalone as a substitute for Family mode on a child's device.

Kid experience

Challenges

• Big prompts and three-choice tap games for most kinds.
• Letter names support on-device speech recognition, with tap fallback.
• Wrong answers use a gentle retry — no punitive shaming copy.
• When kid choice is enabled and multiple games are on, the child can pick a game from large icon cards (titles can be spoken aloud).

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

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 (not the parent's Apple ID).
• If you see "Family Controls is only available for child and teen iCloud accounts," you are on the wrong Apple ID: install EarnPlay on the child's device, or choose Standalone only to try the loop on your own phone.
• Check Settings → Screen Time and ensure management is enabled for the child.
• See Apple's guides for Family Sharing and setting up Family Sharing.

EarnPlay itself is blocked (Downtime / App Limits)

• Add EarnPlay to Settings → Screen Time → Always Allowed.
• Native Screen Time and EarnPlay are separate authorities; EarnPlay cannot override Downtime or App Limits.

Microphone / voice answers not working

• Open Settings → Privacy & Security → 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 support@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

Roadmap

• Per-app minute wallets (for example 10 min YouTube, 20 min Minecraft).
• Daily earning caps.
• Broader age packs and challenge kinds beyond the current 4–10 set.
• Deeper parent companion workflows and CloudKit sync polish.

Contact

• Product questions: support@patakolabs.com
• Parents community: patakolabs.com/projects/earnplay/community
• Technical specs (developers): see the EarnPlay repository docs/specs/ folder.