Screen Time Management

Overview

Screen time management is at the core of KidMoat. You can set daily limits for total device usage, restrict individual apps, and enforce bedtime schedules — all from the parent dashboard.

Daily Limits

Set a maximum number of hours and minutes your child can use their device each day.

• How it works: KidMoat tracks total foreground app usage via the Accessibility Service and Usage Stats permission
• When the limit is reached: The device displays a lock screen. Only phone calls and emergency apps remain accessible
• Per-day customization: Set different limits for weekdays vs. weekends (e.g., 2 hours on school days, 3 hours on weekends)

Per-App Limits

Restrict individual apps independently from the overall daily limit.

• Set a daily time limit for specific apps (e.g., 30 minutes for YouTube, 1 hour for games)
• When the app limit is reached, that specific app is locked while other apps remain available
• Useful for apps that tend to consume disproportionate screen time

Bedtime Schedule

Define a time window when the device should be locked.

• Start time: When the device locks (e.g., 9:00 PM)
• End time: When the device unlocks (e.g., 7:00 AM)
• What happens: During bedtime, the device displays a sleep screen. No apps are accessible except the alarm clock and emergency calls

Screen Time Modes

Modes create temporary focused sessions with restricted app access. See the Modes documentation for details.

Gamification Integration

The daily limit is what decides coins: a day within it earns a flat 5 coins, a day over it earns none. Using the entire allowance still counts as within it. Bedtime and per-app limits don't change this — only the daily limit does.

Viewing Reports

The parent dashboard shows:

• Today's usage: Real-time minutes used vs. daily limit
• Weekly trends: Bar chart of daily usage over the past 7 days
• Top apps: Ranked list of most-used apps with time breakdown
• Category breakdown: Usage split by app category (games, social, education, etc.)