FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Short answers, grouped by topic. Step-by-step setup guides are in the help center.
The basics
Will my child know Koby is on their phone?
Yes. Koby has no hidden mode. The Koby app on your child's device shows their rules, the time left and which grown-ups can see what.
Can Koby read my child's messages?
No. Koby does not read messages, chats, emails or what your child types. It never switches on the camera or microphone and never records the screen. Koby is built without these abilities, so no setting can turn them on.
Which devices does Koby work on?
Your child uses the Koby app on an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Windows PC. Parents manage everything from the Koby app on iPhone or iPad, or from the web panel at app.withkoby.com in any browser. An Android app is planned for later.
What does the web filter cover?
On your child's iPhone or iPad, it blocks adult websites using Apple's filter, at a Standard or Strict level, and applies the allow and block lists you set. It does not filter content inside apps such as games or social media. Mac and Windows have no web filter. Web filtering is included in every plan, including Free.
How does the free trial work?
Family comes with a 7-day free trial, an App Store introductory offer for new subscribers. It starts when you subscribe in the Koby app. If you cancel in your Apple Account settings before it ends, you won't be charged.
Setup and devices
How do I connect my child's device?
Add your child in the app or web panel, then install Koby on their device and enter the 8-character pairing code or scan the QR code. The code works once and expires after 3 minutes. Koby then runs a test restriction to confirm protection works.
Does my child need an email address or password?
No. You create your child's profile with a first name and age. Their device is linked to your family with the pairing code.
Can two parents manage the same child?
Yes, on both plans. Create a one-time code for your child and give it to the other parent, who enters it in their own Koby account. No passwords are shared, and you can remove their access at any time.
What if my child's phone is offline?
Rules already saved on the device keep working offline as far as the system allows. New changes show as “pending” until the device is back online, and Koby marks them “applied” only after the device confirms.
Can Koby stop my child from removing it or resetting the phone?
No app can promise that. Koby uses the protections the operating system offers and tells you when it notices a permission was turned off or a device stopped reporting, so you can talk about it.
Rules and requests
What's the difference between a limit and a schedule?
A limit is a daily time budget, for example one hour of games. A schedule pauses chosen apps at set times, such as school hours or bedtime, however much time is left.
Which rule wins when they overlap?
Always-allowed apps come first, then a pause, then an active schedule, then blocked apps, then app limits, then the overall daily limit. Extra time adds to limits but never overrides school, bedtime, a pause or a blocked app.
How do extra-time requests work?
Your child picks how many minutes they want and can add a short reason. You get a notification and can approve, change the minutes or decline. Requests expire after 30 minutes, and approved extra time ends at midnight. This works on the Free plan too.
Will calls and messages still work during a schedule?
Yes. Phone, messages and any apps you mark as always allowed stay available during limits, schedules and pauses.
Privacy and location
How does location work?
Koby shows the last location your child's iPhone reported, with when it was measured and how accurate it was. Koby does not track live and keeps no location history. The last location is deleted after 7 days. Location is part of the Family plan.
Does Koby show ads or sell data?
No. There are no advertising SDKs or ad identifiers in Koby's apps, and we never sell or rent data.
Is Koby compliant with COPPA and GDPR?
We designed Koby with both in mind. Parents set up children's profiles, we ask for parental consent before a child's device is connected, we collect as little as possible, and you can export or delete your data. We do not claim certifications we don't hold.
How do I delete our data?
Remove a device or a child profile at any time, or delete your whole account from Settings. Deletion removes your family's data from our systems; backups are cleared on a fixed cycle described in the privacy policy.
Plans and billing
What's included in the Free plan?
One child with every rule: daily and per-app limits, blocked apps, school, sleep and custom schedules, instant pause and always-allowed apps. It also includes web filtering on iPhone and iPad, extra-time requests, tasks and rewards, protection status, a second parent and your child's own screen. Free does not expire and needs no payment details.
What does Family add?
Up to five children and your child's last known location.
How do I cancel?
On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings → your name → Subscriptions. Cancel at least 24 hours before renewal to avoid the next charge. Family stays active until the end of the paid period, then your family moves to Free.
