Screen time they earn
Define activities like reading, chores, homework, or outside time. Kids request credit, you approve extra minutes into the group you choose — turning the daily fight into something they work toward.
$5 once No subscription Private by design
Flexible screen-time limits kids can earn.
Minute Matron helps parents manage kids' iPhone and iPad time without turning every exception into a settings chore. Run it right on the child device with a parent PIN, or sync through iCloud to control limits from the parent app. Kids earn extra time from activities you define, and limits keep enforcing locally — even offline.
Coming soon to the App Store
Private by design
App choices never leave the device, usage stays coarse, and there's no message, social, or web monitoring. Nothing about your kid ships to a server — we couldn't see it if we wanted to.
$5 once, works offline
One purchase, no subscription, no account required to start. Limits are enforced on the device by iOS, so they keep working even when the iPad is offline.
See it in action
A quick look at the parts you'll use most. (Screenshots coming with the release.)
Why not just Apple Screen Time?
Apple's built-in controls are useful for basic restrictions. Minute Matron is for families who want the same local enforcement, but with a clearer day-to-day workflow around named limits, parent-device control, and earned screen time.
Fewer settings trips
Instead of digging through system settings for each adjustment, manage family rules in one parent-focused flow.
Private named groups
Build groups like “Games” or “Social” that make sense to your family while app identities stay on the child device.
Built around earning
Screen time can become a reward for completed activities, not only a daily timer that runs down.
What you can do
Set up on the child device
Create private groups, daily limits, time windows, and app selections right on the child device behind a parent PIN.
Manage from the parent app
Use iCloud sync to review children, adjust limits, and handle requests from your own device.
Award-based screen time
Create activities with minute values, then approve completed work into the screen-time group that earned the bonus.
Approve in person or remotely
Grant earned time with the PIN on the child device, or approve from the parent app when you are not holding the iPad.
Per-day limits & windows
Set different allowances for school days and weekends, plus allowed time windows for each named group.
Local enforcement
Rules are applied on the child device through Apple's Screen Time APIs, so existing limits keep working offline.
Multiple kids & devices
Each child gets their own groups, limits, and devices, cleanly scoped and separated.
Honest usage reporting
See cumulative time per group in coarse buckets — enough to parent well, not enough to surveil.
How Minute Matron compares
Minute Matron isn't a monitoring suite — it's a flexible, private layer on top of Apple's local enforcement. Here's an honest look at how it compares, including what it deliberately leaves to Apple and others.
| Feature focus | Minute Matron | Apple Screen Time | OurPact | Qustodio | Bark | Net Nanny | ScreenCoach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $5 onceOne-time purchase | FreeBuilt into iOS | $70–100/yrSubscription; limited free tier | $60–110/yrSubscription; free tier (1 device) | $49–99/yrSubscription; no free tier | $40–90/yrSubscription; priced by device count | ~$50/yrSubscription; 30-day trial |
| Earn screen time by doing activities | YesActivities earn bonus minutes you approve | NoOnly “ask for more time” | NoSpendable daily budget; manual grants | NoManual extra-time grants only | NoSchedules only | NoManual time adjustments only | YesTokens + pocket-money rewards |
| Works offline (local enforcement) | YesEnforced on-device by iOS | YesOS-level, on the device | LimitedMDM profile; changes need connectivity | LimitedMonitoring & changes need the cloud | NoBlocks by cutting internet | LimitedVPN agent; offline undocumented | YesOn-device, fails closed |
| Named app-group limits & windows | YesCustom groups, per-day limits + windows | YesSystem app/category limits + Downtime | LimitedDevice-wide budget; no per-app limits | YesPer-app & per-category limits + schedules | LimitedSchedules only; per-app needs Bark Phone | LimitedTotal internet time; no per-app limits | YesApp-group modes + token pool |
| Privacy — what leaves the device | Stays on deviceApp identities never leave; coarse usage | Stays on deviceEnd-to-end encrypted | CloudScreenshots + app inventory uploaded | CloudUsage, browsing, messages to vendor | CloudMessages, photos, browsing scanned in cloud | CloudBrowsing, searches, location to vendor | CloudUsage time + location to vendor |
| Platforms | iPhone & iPadApple devices only | Apple onlyiPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch | iOS & AndroidDesktop limited | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, FireBroadest coverage | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, ChromebookBroad; best on Android | Windows, Mac, iOSNo Android or Chromebook | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows+ TV/console box (AU/NZ) |
| Web / content filtering | NoUse Apple’s built-in filter (free) | YesAdult-site filter + allowlist | LimitedAdult content only | YesCategory filtering + SafeSearch | YesSite/category blocking + SafeSearch | Yes — flagship14 categories, real-time AI | NoManual URL list only |
| Content, message & social monitoring | No — by designNever sees apps, messages, or content | NoUsage report only | LimitedPeriodic screenshots (Premium+) | YesReads messages in some apps; AI alerts | Yes — flagshipScans texts, email, 30+ apps for risks | LimitedWeb/search history; no texts | NoTime & tasks only |
| Location tracking | NoNot a location tracker | NoHandled by Find My | YesLive + history + geofencing | YesLive + geofencing + panic button | YesLive + geofencing + check-ins | YesGPS tracking | LimitedCurrent location only |
Prices are in USD from public pricing checked in June 2026 and can change; several competitors also offer limited free tiers or trials. Feature availability varies by platform, subscription plan, child device settings, and Apple's parental-control APIs. Comparison reflects each product's standard app, not add-on hardware.
How it works
The fastest way to start needs nothing but the child's iPad.
- 1 Install the app on the child's iPad (signed into a child Apple ID in your Family Sharing group) and grant Screen Time access.
- 2 Set a parent PIN, then create app groups and daily limits — right on the device.
- 3 Pick which apps belong to each group, behind the PIN. (Apple requires this to happen on the device.)
- 4 Your child earns and requests time; approve in person by tapping the activity and entering your PIN.
- 5 Optional: invite the parent app through iCloud to sync settings, requests, and approvals across your family devices.
Questions parents ask
Which devices does it work on?
iPhone and iPad (iOS/iPadOS 17.4 or later). Minute Matron is built on Apple's Screen Time technology, so it's Apple-only — there's no Android version.
Do I need a parent account or a server?
No. Set everything up right on your child's device behind a parent PIN — no account, no subscription, no server. Add the optional iCloud parent app later if you want to manage and approve from your own phone.
What happens when the iPad is offline?
Limits keep enforcing. The rules live on the device and are applied by iOS itself, so screen-time limits work with no internet — syncing just catches up later.
Can you see my child's apps, messages, or browsing?
No — by design. App selections never leave the device (they're opaque even to us), usage is recorded only in coarse ~5-minute buckets, and there's no message, social, or web monitoring. Minute Matron is not a surveillance app.
Does it filter websites or track location?
No — those aren't what Minute Matron does. For web filtering and location, Apple's built-in Screen Time and Find My are free and built for it. Minute Matron focuses on flexible, earned time limits.
How is it $5 with no subscription?
There's no cloud service to pay for — everything runs on your device (optionally syncing through your own iCloud). One purchase, no recurring fee.
Will my child be able to bypass it?
Limits are enforced through Apple's Screen Time APIs and gated by your parent PIN. No on-device parental control is tamper-proof, but Minute Matron uses the same OS-level enforcement Apple does, and the PIN protects app selection and approvals.
When can I get it?
Coming soon to the App Store.
Private where it matters most.
Run Minute Matron entirely on the device, or use iCloud sync with the parent app. Either way, app identities never leave the child device, usage is coarse-grained, and there is no advertising or third-party tracking. Read the privacy details.
See how it worksComing soon to the App Store