The best earn-screen-time apps (2026), including Windows

Last reviewed: September 2026. Features and device support change often; we check each app's own site or store listing before every update.

"You can play once your work is done" is one of the oldest rules in family life. An earn-screen-time app tries to make that rule run by itself: the child does something first, and the device opens up afterwards, without a nightly negotiation.

The apps in this category differ more than their names suggest. Some reward chores. Some make a child answer questions before a phone unlocks. Some just let a parent top up time on request. And most of them live on phones and tablets, which matters if the screen your family argues about is a Windows PC.

This is a fair roundup as of September 2026. We make one of the options (Dad's Academy), so it has its own clearly labelled section, and we've tried to say plainly where other apps are the better choice.

Two ways kids earn screen time: chores or learning

Before comparing apps, it helps to decide what you want the "work" to be.

Chore-and-task apps turn household jobs, homework check-offs, reading time or exercise into points, coins or tokens. The child spends those on screen time. They're flexible (you can reward almost anything) but the parent usually has to approve each task, and the app has no idea whether homework was actually understood.

Learn-to-unlock apps ask the child to answer questions, most often math, before apps or the device open. The work is built in and checked automatically, which removes the approval step. The trade-off is that the questions are only as good as the app's content, and a quick question gate is not the same as structured practice.

Built-in parental controls from Apple, Google and Microsoft don't have an earning system at all, but they do let a child ask for more time and a parent grant it. Many families combine one of these with a chart on the fridge, and that works.

The comparison at a glance (as of September 2026)

About Windows. Some current roundups say no earn-screen-time app works on Windows. That isn't quite right: ScreenCoach's own help centre lists Windows and macOS desktop apps alongside iOS and Android. What we couldn't find in September 2026 is a Windows option that pairs earned time with built-in curriculum. That's the gap Dad's Academy was built for, and it's narrower than "nothing else exists."

The apps, in more detail

ScreenCoach: the broadest device coverage for chore-based earning

ScreenCoach is the most complete "earn it with chores" system we looked at. Children earn screen-time tokens for tasks, plus separate "pocket money" gems, and parents can hand out bonus rewards for things like doing a chore without being asked. It covers phones, tablets and computers from one parent account, with unlimited devices on every plan, and in Australia and New Zealand an optional hardware box extends it to TVs and consoles. A "School time" mode blocks non-educational apps while work is happening.

It doesn't include learning content, so "earning" is whatever you define. Pricing is a subscription after a free trial. Stronger than us at: phones and tablets, Mac, chores, and years of maturity.

OurPact: solid mobile limits, with a daily allowance

OurPact is a well-established parental-control app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Its screen time allowance lets a child start and pause their own daily budget in a companion app, which teaches pacing. Strictly speaking this is a parent-set allowance, not earned time, and unused time doesn't roll over. Subscription after a free trial; the allowance needs a Premium plan.

Joon: motivation through a pet game (Apple only)

Joon wraps chores and routines in a game: children complete parent-approved "quests," earn coins, and care for a virtual pet. Parents can offer screen time as something coins buy, with a manual timer for devices the app can't lock, such as consoles. It's free to download with subscription options. It runs on Apple devices only.

Timily: focus sessions and habits (iPhone and iPad)

Timily rewards focus sessions, daily habits and chores with coins that unlock screen time or real-world rewards, and leans toward positive reinforcement over monitoring. It is an iOS app with a subscription.

Tallyo: a reward chart, not a lock

Tallyo is a free iPhone and iPad chore app. Kids earn coins and redeem them for rewards you define, and "iPad time" can be one of them. It doesn't enforce anything on a device, which suits families who want the structure without the policing.

Math Lock: math first, then the device

Math Lock does exactly what the name says: when a limit is reached, the child solves age-appropriate math problems to unlock. Questions adapt to the child's level, and there's a parent dashboard and an emergency PIN. It is on iPhone and iPad, free to download with a subscription.

The built-in options: Apple, Google, Microsoft

These don't have an earning system, but they're free, already on your devices, and often enough when paired with a simple house rule.

• Apple Screen Time lets a child ask for more time when they hit a limit; you approve or decline from your own device.
• Google Family Link lets you add bonus time for the day on Android phones and Chromebooks, without changing the daily limit.
• Microsoft Family Safety sets limits across Windows, Xbox and Android. When time runs out, a child can ask for more and you approve it. Parents in Microsoft's forums note there's no way to add extra time in advance for just today.

Can kids earn screen time by doing math?

Yes. Learn-to-unlock apps such as Math Lock make a child solve math problems before chosen apps or the device open, and several chore apps let you set "math practice" as a task worth points. The difference is who checks the work: a learn-to-unlock app checks answers automatically, while a chore app relies on you to approve it.

A few minutes of math before a game is a reasonable habit. It isn't the same as a full curriculum, so if the goal is real progress rather than a speed bump, look for an app that adapts difficulty and shows you what your child is getting wrong.

How to choose an earn-screen-time app

1. Start with the screen you actually fight about. If it's a phone or iPad, most apps here will work. If it's a Windows PC, your list is short: ScreenCoach, Microsoft Family Safety or Dad's Academy.
2. Decide what "earning" means in your house. Chores and routines point to ScreenCoach, Joon, Timily or Tallyo. School-style practice points to Math Lock or Dad's Academy.
3. Check whether it enforces or just tracks. A reward chart relies on you to hand over the device. An enforcement app locks it until time is earned. Both are valid; they suit different children.
4. Look at the learning, not only the lock. If questions are built in, check which subjects and grades are covered, whether difficulty adapts, and whether you can see results.
5. Count the approvals. Apps that ask you to confirm every task are more flexible and more work. Automatic checking is quieter.
6. Read the privacy terms. Look for no ads to children and clear parent control over data and settings.
7. Match the age. For guidance on how much time suits each age, see our screen time by age guide.

Where Dad's Academy fits: the Windows + curriculum option

Dad's Academy is an adaptive learning app for kids from kindergarten to grade 9 (Year 1 to Year 10), with a calm parent "Command Center." Children (we call them cadets) do a short daily review in Math, English/Reading, Science and Life Skills, one question at a time, and the difficulty adapts to each subject separately.

The part that belongs in this roundup is the optional Windows companion app. On the paid plan, it locks a child's Windows PC to learning until screen time is earned through those reviews, or granted by you. The work that earns the time is real practice, and you can see it: per-subject accuracy, trends, weak spots and time on task, and you can assign practice in a tap. "This Week at School" lets you or your child submit what was covered in class, by photo or text, so the next week's Math, English and Science reviews match it.

What it doesn't do, so you can decide quickly:

• Windows only for enforcement. No Mac, Chromebook, iPad or phone locking. The daily practice itself is a web app that works on any device; only the earned-screen-time lock is Windows-only. If the fight is about a phone, a mobile app above will serve you better.
• No chore tracking. Time is earned by learning, not by tidying a room. ScreenCoach, Joon or Tallyo are better for chores.
• Earned screen time is on the paid plan only. The free plan gives 5 questions a day in one rotating subject, without adaptive level-up or earned screen time. It's free to start, no card required, and you can cancel anytime. Paid plans are priced per child, with additional children 25% off, shown in your local currency on the pricing page.
• Newer than most apps here. Others have years of refinement on mobile.

What we'd point to: there are no ads or upsells shown to children, and the parent owns the account and every setting. For the setup itself, see how to lock a PC until homework is done and our screen time overview.

What's the best learning app that limits screen time?

It depends on the device. On iPhone and iPad, Math Lock builds learning into the unlock itself. On a Windows PC, Dad's Academy's companion app (paid plan) locks the computer to adaptive practice in four subjects until time is earned. If you mostly want chores with light learning, ScreenCoach covers the most devices, including Windows and Mac.