App rules

“Home” → “Apps”. Tap an app and choose:

• As usual — follows the general rules.
• Always allowed — not counted in the limit and always opens: when the day's time is up, during a break and on a schedule.
• Daily limit — no more than the set time.
• Blocked — won't open until you unblock it.

A rule applies to all the child's devices at once, and the time is counted together. Before an app limit runs out the child sees “5 minutes left” and “1 minute left”, and when it has run out they can ask for more: you add +15 or +30 minutes in that app only.

“New apps — only with permission”: a new app installs but won't open until you allow it. You get a notification. The child sees a blocked app as “App closed” — with no ask button, but with “Call”, “Messages” and “Uninstall the app”.

“Deleting apps — only with permission” (the child's page → “Apps”; off by default). When it is on, Android's “Uninstall?” window on the child's phone is closed and the child asks in KidPair → “My rules” → “Delete an app”. You get “Sasha wants to delete “…”” with “Allow deleting” and “No”. Allow it and KidPair itself opens “Uninstall?” for exactly that app (even during a break), which the child confirms; no other app can be deleted that way. On some phones the launcher or Google Play delete apps without the “Uninstall?” window — there deletion cannot be stopped. You are told about any deleted app: “Sasha deleted “…””. Both apps need their new version.

“Website filter” (the child's page → “Apps”; off by default). When it is on, adult sites, casinos and betting, scam sites and drug sites don't open on the child's phone, and Google search and YouTube run in safe mode. It works through Android's “Private DNS”: after turning it on, open KidPair on the child's phone → “Still to set up” → “Website filter”, copy the address dns.kidpair.net and paste it into “Private DNS” — KidPair shows where that is on your phone. KidPair installs no VPN, and it neither sees nor stores which sites the child opens. Limits: the filter doesn't work while another VPN is on (you get a notification); browsers with their own DNS (Firefox, for example) can get around it — you can block them in “Apps”; brand-new sites may open until they get onto the lists. Both apps need their new version.

If our filter server is ever unavailable, Android stops opening sites on a phone with the filter — that's how “Private DNS” works. After a couple of minutes KidPair on the child's phone shows how to switch to “Automatic” for now, and we get an alert at once and fix it. When the filter works again, KidPair reminds you to turn it back on.