How can we help?

This almost always means the child's device isn't signed in to a child Apple ID that belongs to your Family Sharing group. Playful Pause uses Apple's child-account system so your limits can't be switched off by the child, and Apple only allows screen-time control on a managed child account.

To fix it:

1. On your iPhone, open Settings → [your name] → Family Sharing and add your child as a member. If they don't have an Apple ID yet, choose Create Child Account.
2. On the child's device, sign in with that child Apple ID.
3. Reopen Playful Pause on the child's device and tap Try Again. A screen-time approval prompt appears on the child's device. Approve it with your parent Apple ID or Screen Time passcode.

This is an Apple requirement for child screen-time controls, not a Playful Pause limitation. The app walks you through these same steps automatically when it detects the device isn't a managed child account.

First, confirm the device is paired and shows up under your child's profile. Then open Playful Pause once on that device. On iPad and iPhone, the first launch is what registers enforcement with iOS.

If it's a brand-new install or the device was just restored, open the app once more to re-register. Still stuck? Send us the device from the form below.

Open your child's profile and tap Add Device. Each device you add shares the same daily budget, so a child can't switch screens to keep playing.

For iPad and iPhone, use Connect an iPad or iPhone and sign in with Apple. For a PC or console, follow the on-screen pairing steps for that platform.

Pull to refresh on the parent dashboard, and make sure each device has a network connection, since usage syncs when devices are online. Times follow your family's time zone, not the device's, so a traveling device will still use your home schedule.

Open your child's profile and edit the Schedule. You can set the same hours every day, split school days from weekends, or customize each day. Changes apply across all of that child's devices.

When a child taps Ask for More Time, you get a notification on your phone. Approve it and minutes are added instantly; hold it and nothing changes. You're always the one with the final say.

From the parent dashboard, use Unlock All, or open the child's profile to unlock just their devices. If a device doesn't respond right away, make sure it's online so it can receive the change.

iPhone and iPad are fully supported, with limits enforced at the system level through Apple's Family Controls. Playful Pause also brings PCs and consoles into the same shared budget so you can see and manage them in one place.

No. We never receive messages, location, or browsing history. The detailed per-app usage stays on your child's device, handled by Apple's Screen Time framework. See our Privacy Policy for the full picture.

Email playfulpause-support@agentmail.to from the account address and we'll remove your account and family data. You can also disconnect a device or remove a child from within the app at any time.