A new app called Screenable will help parents introduce their children to technology by turning an iPhone or iPad into a starter phone. The app is designed to grow over time with a child, as it offers different modes for kids of different ages.
For starters, the app's "Dumb Phone" mode essentially turns an iPhone into a classic flip phone, as it only lets kids access the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps. While Screenable doesn't let parents limit who their child talks to, they can use Apple's parental controls to restrict their interactions to only include specific numbers.
With the Dumb Phone setting, parents can also choose to allow their kids to access other apps if they wish, especially as they grow older.
Screenable's "Screen Trainer" mode is designed for kids who are starting to transition to independent use of an iPhone or iPad, as it uses a collaborative approach to parental controls. Kids can start using other apps, but parents will still be in the know about their child's activities via notifications on their own devices that will inform them about the apps their child is using. Parents can also turn on an "Overtime" feature to let their kids practice staying within a specific daily screen time limit.
Soon, the app will offer a "Social Trainer" mode that will allow parents to slowly introduce their kids to social media. The mode lets parents give their children to access social media apps one at a time. While kids will be able to download any social media app that their parents allow them to, Screenable provides a custom install flow for Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Facebook, BeReal, Tumblr, and Threads. The install flow lets parents set a time limit on the apps and also helps them set up the in-app parental controls for the different social networks.
If a parent wants to a ...