How does ChoreUnlock actually lock the apps?
It uses Apple's built-in Family Control system. You pick exactly which apps to gate (games, video, browser, social), and they stay locked until the day's chores are approved — then they unlock automatically or work on a metered XP system. Your choice. It works everywhere: home Wi-Fi, cellular, anywhere.
What stops them from just lying and saying they did it?
You do. Nothing unlocks until a parent approves it — marking a chore done just sends you the request. The premium version can auto-unlock if you elect to let AI analyze the scenario and clear it; if the trash is still sitting there, it'll decline. It sounds like it puts the work back on you, but it's a different kind of work: you're not initiating, reminding or negotiating — you're glancing at a notification and tapping yes or no. Now the kid is the one chasing you, which is the whole reversal. They stop trying it fast, because a declined chore is one they still have to do. (Photo-worthy chores require a proof photo, and AI can even pre-check it or auto-unlock it.)
How do kids prove a chore is done?
Whatever fits the task: a photo (make the bed, tidy up), a quick tap on the honor system (drink water, brush teeth), a voice recording (like reciting a prayer), or a timer that counts down and then asks them to jot what they did (great for reading). AI can even check the photo so you approve less.
Isn't this just bribery? Won't it kill their motivation?
It's a fair concern, and there's real evidence that paying people for things they already love can make them love it a little less. But I've never met a kid with intrinsic motivation to clean a bathroom — there's nothing there to crowd out. Chores are already motivated from the outside; right now that outside thing is you, asking a fourth time. ChoreUnlock just turns it into a system the kid can see instead of a parent's mood. You're still the parent — just not the enforcement mechanism.
Why not just take the phone away?
Sometimes that's the right answer, and I'd never tell you it isn't. For us it stopped working because confiscation is a punishment — it happens after, it's emotional, and it lands as something I did because I was annoyed (usually accurately). It also made the phone the thing we fought about. It's roughly the same screen time either way — but now he earns it instead of me removing it, and I stopped being the person who takes things. That was the part I actually wanted to change.
Can I block an app permanently — like Messages?
Yes. Alongside the "earn to unlock" apps, there's an always-blocked list: any app you put there stays off at all times — even after chores are done or screen time is bought.
Is it automatic, or do I have to unlock manually?
On Premium it's fully automatic — apps lock when chores aren't done and unlock the moment they're approved. On the free plan you can still lock and unlock with a tap.
Do I need a separate device or account for my child?
No. You set it up right on your child's iPhone or iPad, and each child gets their own profile, emoji and a 4-digit PIN. Parents manage everything from the Parent Dashboard behind a parent PIN.
What if my child forgets their PIN?
Open the Parent Dashboard, tap that child, and set a new 4-digit PIN. You always control every child's PIN.
Why is this a subscription instead of a one-time purchase?
Because it isn't a finished thing I hand you once. It's a lock that has to survive every iOS update Apple ships — and Apple changes this framework more than you'd think. When something breaks in September, it has to be fixed in September. It also keeps your rules in sync across both parents' phones and your kids' devices, which is a service that runs continuously rather than software that sits on a disk. It's $8.99, and you can cancel from the App Store in about ten seconds — no email, no retention maze.
Is there a free version?
Yes — one child gets the full daily experience free (missions, XP, levels, streaks, manual lock & unlock). Premium unlocks your whole family and every feature for $8.99/month or $89.99/year (two months free), after a 7-day free trial.
Do you support Android?
Not yet — and I won't pretend I have a date. On iPhone and iPad this runs on Apple's Family Controls, which locks apps at the OS level. Android's equivalent isn't as tight — most versions of an app like this can be uninstalled or worked around by a determined kid, and I'd rather ship nothing than give you a false sense of a lock. If that changes, I'll build it.
Are my kids' proof photos private?
Yes. Proof photos are private to your family and are permanently deleted the moment you approve or reject a chore (and automatically after 7 days if not reviewed). See our
Privacy Policy.
