How to set screen time limits on Android
The easiest way to limit your child's screen time is Kite: time is not handed out as a fixed block, your child earns it by finishing chores you approve, and it only counts while they use the apps you chose. Here are the steps and what fits each age.
The easiest way: Kite
In Kite your child earns points when you approve their chores and spends them on minutes in the apps you chose; time only counts while they use them. On the Family plan you can add scheduled hours for bedtime and school.
How much is right?
The World Health Organization recommends no more than one hour of sedentary screen time a day for children aged two to four, and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests a family media plan with consistent limits for older children. A clear, agreed number matters more than the exact figure.
A limit your child earns, not a fixed one
Some families start the day with a little time and let the child earn extra minutes by completing chores. The conversation moves from "give me five more minutes" to "what can I do to earn them".
Other ways, and their limits
Settings → Digital Wellbeing → app timers and bedtime mode. Easy, but your child can change them.
From your app you set a daily limit for each day of the week, downtime for sleep, and limits for specific apps. When time is up the phone locks except for calls and apps you allow.
Make and print a free chore chart for your child →
Quick answers
Can my child get around the limit?
If the limit is in their own phone's settings, easily. Tools managed from the parent's phone are harder to get around, and the best ones tell you when they try.
Should the limit be the same every day?
Not necessarily: many families allow a bit more on weekends. What matters is that the rule is known in advance.
Source: WHO — To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more (2019) · AAP — Family Media Plan (HealthyChildren.org) · Google — Digital Wellbeing on Android · Google — Family Link Help
Last updated: · The Kite team
