If only your kid gives up the phone, they miss out. The way out is several families deciding together.
Jonathan HaidtSocial psychologist (NYU), author of The Anxious Generation
A real lock on your kids' phones
Less phone,
more family.
The app for managing screen time as a family. You set the rules together and AONA locks the apps right on time. No yelling.
- Built on UK law and official advice
- No ads, no tracking your kids
- Free during the beta
What the experts say
The experts agree: it's tough alone. As a family, you can.
Hold off on smartphones and social media. No screens in the bedroom or at the table.
Jean M. TwengePsychologist (San Diego State University), author of iGen
Fast, constant rewards throw the brain off balance. A break resets it.
Anna LembkePsychiatrist (Stanford University), author of Dopamine Nation
Platforms are competing to grab and hold our attention.
Tristan HarrisFormer Google design ethicist, Center for Humane Technology
Real fun is playing and being together. Scrolling is fake fun.
Catherine PriceScience journalist, author of The Power of Fun
The family media plan has to include you too: you're their role model.
American Academy of PediatricsFamily Media Plan
Summarised from their books and websites. None is affiliated with AONA.
Sound familiar?
“Put that phone down.” Every. Single. Night.
It's 1 am and the screen's still glowing. At dinner, four people and four phones.
Apps are built so we can't put them down. You can't win that one on your own.
237notifications a day for half of all teens
×2the odds of not getting enough sleep when using a phone in bed
46%of teens say their parents sometimes get distracted by their phone while they're talking to them
Sources: Common Sense Media (2023), JAMA Pediatrics (2016) and Pew Research Center (2024).
Your home doesn't need another rule. It needs a referee.
Why AONA
Six reasons to ditch the phones at dinner tonight
Managing screen time at home, finally without the fights: a pact that keeps itself.
Less phone, more family time
Every bit of screen-free time comes with something to do together.
Less screen time, for real
At the agreed time, your kids' apps pause. No arguments.
A pact with solid foundations
Built on the law, the experts and what you decide together.
Rewards that bring you together
Everyone gives a little and everyone gets something they care about.
AI-powered activities that make memories
Tiki picks and tailors every activity to your family.
Points for the whole tribe
Shared wins add up towards a family goal.
The difference
Not just another parental control app. A whole different approach.
| Old-school parental controls | AONA | |
|---|---|---|
| Who makes the rules | Parents, on their own | The whole family, face to face |
| What they're based on | Gut feel | The law, the experts and what you decide together |
| When the phone locks | A "no" and another argument | Something fun to do together |
| Parents | Keep watch | Commit too, and the whole family sees it |
| What drives you | Punishment | Rewards and shared goals |
The answer
A referee that never gets tired or cranky
It helps you agree, then makes the pact stick. You don't have to say a word.
- You're not the bad guy. It locks because everyone signed.
- Your kids feel heard. What they negotiate, they stick to.
- No more fights. Nothing left to argue about each night.
- You lead by example. Parents set limits too.
Phone lock
Time's up and the phone stops. On its own.
A real lock on your kids' phones, using Apple's official system.
Right on time
The apps you choose pause when the mode starts and come back when it ends.
Even offline
Works in flight mode and with the app closed.
If it's switched off, you'll know
A parent approves it through Apple's Family Sharing. If anyone switches it off, parents find out.
“15 more minutes”, if you say yes
Your kids ask, you say yes from your phone.
Emergencies, always
Calls, messages to Mum and Dad, and maps: never locked.
- SchoolMon–Fri · school hours
- Lunch12:30–1:30 pm
- Homework4:30–6:00 pm
- Dinner6:00–7:00 pm
- CouchSocial media paused
- BedtimeFrom 9:30 pm · alarm only
On Android? The parent app for Android is coming later. Sign up and we'll let you know.
The pact, step by step
UK law and expert advice, built in
AONA drafts the pact to suit everyone's age. You make it your own.
- 01
Add everyone's age
Just a nickname and an age. No real names.
- 02
AONA adds what the law says
What UK law says. For example: since July 2025, apps must check age and keep harmful content away from children. Under-16s are set to be kept off social media from spring 2027.
- 03
Then what the experts recommend
UK doctors (Chief Medical Officers and the RCPCH): screens off an hour before bed, no phones at mealtimes or in bedrooms at night, and limits agreed as a family.
- 04
Make it work for your family
Take out, add and negotiate. Parents have the final say.
- 05
Pick your rewards
Sticking to it earns sparks for rewards: the Saturday outing, a movie, a day trip.
- 06
Sign it and you're off
Everyone signs with a finger. From then on, the lock is on.
Rewards and the tribe
Nobody wins on their own. The tribe wins together.
Your kids give up some screen time and choose the Saturday outing. You put your phone away at dinner and earn a sleep-in.
Sparks for keeping the pact
Every mode kept and every activity done adds up.
A shared goal
Everyone's sparks light the campfire: a day trip, a movie or a special day.
Rewards that ease off over time
They ease off over time. In the end, being together is the hook.
AI-powered activities
Activities that turn into memories
Tiki, the AI assistant, suggests one activity at a time, based on ages, the weather and what you've got at home.
Picnic in the parkIt's autumn and sunny
Blanket fort in the living roomIt's raining and you've got blankets
Card tournamentIt's Friday and there's UNO
Bike ride to the beachNo school tomorrow
Pact kept + time off screens + family activity = the tribe's campfire, lit.
More chatting
Dinner's back to catching up on everyone's day.
Better sleep
No screens before bed.
Fewer fights
The rules are already signed.
More independent kids
They learn to manage their own time.
Testers wanted
We're after families for the beta
Try it free before anyone else and help us make it better.
What you get
- Free early access for the whole beta
- 1 month free when the app launches
- Founding-family price for your first year
- A direct line to us: your feedback shapes the app
What we ask
- Set up the pact and use it for a fortnight
- Tell us how it went in a quick survey
- Make sure your kids' phones are iPhones (iOS 16 or later)
Save your spot in the beta
Made with care
Real control, without losing their trust
As little as possible about your kids
Just a nickname and an age. No real name, no location.
No ads
No ads, no selling data. Ever.
Leave any time
Cancel and every phone unlocks straight away.
Questions
What parents ask us
Does the phone actually lock?
Yes. It uses Apple's Screen Time: at the agreed time, the apps pause, even offline. For that, your kids' phones need to be iPhones (iOS 16 or later).
Can my kids get around it?
You agree on it together, and if anyone switches it off, parents find out. For the version kids can't remove, use Apple's Family Sharing: a parent needs an Apple ID (it's free).
Where do the rules come from?
From UK law (like the Online Safety Act) and advice from the UK Chief Medical Officers and the RCPCH, matched to each age. Every rule says if it's law or advice. Then your family tweaks it.
What about emergencies?
Calls, messages to Mum and Dad, and maps are never locked. That rule's fixed.
My son's 15. Won't he hate it?
That's why AONA starts with a pact, not a ban. They suggest, negotiate, sign and earn rewards. So it sticks.
What do you keep about my kids?
A nickname and an age. That's it. No real name, no location, no ads.
How many phones does it cover?
The whole family, on one subscription.
When can I start?
Now: join the beta and we'll send you an invite. Your free month and founding price are saved.
Does it work on Android?
Not yet. With what Google allows today, we can't guarantee locking works on Android. And we won't promise what we can't deliver. So for now, AONA is iPhone only: your kids' phones need to be iPhones (iOS 16 or later). The parent app for Android is coming later. Sign up and we'll let you know.
Launch pricing
Try it for a month. On us.
First month free and the founding price for your first year. For the whole family.
Founding families
Yearly
£16.99 for your first year
Usually £39.99/year · Save 57%
Under £1.50 a month for the whole family
- 1 month free before you pay a penny
- Phone lock in every mode
- A pact built on UK law and expert advice
- Unlimited family activities
- Sparks, rewards and a family goal
Monthly
£4.99 a month
No lock-in contract
The whole family covered
- 1 month free before you pay a penny
- Everything in the yearly plan
- Cancel any time
Prices include VAT. Pay and cancel through the App Store or Google Play. Cancel in your free month and you pay nothing.
Tonight could be a phone-free dinner.
Join the beta for free. It takes ten seconds.