Install & Connect

Before you start Have these ready and the whole setup takes about ten minutes.

The two phones talk to each other through our encrypted backend, so they do not need to be on the same Wi-Fi or even in the same city. Once paired, the child's phone reports activity and the parent app shows it live.

Step-by-step setup Install on both phones, then link them.

1 Install on the parent's phone

Install ChildCare on the parent's phone first. Tap the button below, or open the Google Play testing link we sent you and tap Become a tester, then install the app from the Play Store.

1. Open the Play link on the parent's phone.
2. Tap Become a tester, then Download it on Google Play.
3. Install and open ChildCare.

If Play shows "App not available" or "not found", give it a few minutes — new testers can take up to an hour to be recognised — then reopen the link. You can also install the direct APK (see Install methods).

2 Create the parent account

On the parent's phone, choose Login As Parent (Father or Mother), then Create Account. You can sign up with an email address or a phone number, or use Google Sign-In.

1. Tap Login As Parent.
2. Tap Create Account and fill in your name, email/phone and a password.
3. Verify the email or phone number if prompted, then sign in.

The child's phone will use a different path: it picks Connect to Parent and scans your QR — the child does not need an email address.

3 Add your child (get a pairing code)

On the parent's home screen (Your Kids), tap Add Kid. ChildCare shows a QR code and a short pairing code. This is the invite you'll use on the child's phone.

1. Tap Add Kid (or the QR icon on the dashboard).
2. Leave this screen open — you'll scan the QR from the child's phone, or type the code.
3. You can tap Generate New Code if it expires.

Keep this screen visible. The next step happens on the child's phone.

5 Verify, then set your rules

Back on the parent's phone, open Your Kids. Your child's card should show a recent status, battery level and a location. Tap the card to open the full control panel.

1. Confirm the child shows as online with a recent battery and location.
2. Open the child's card and set screen time, rules, blocked apps and safe zones.
3. Send a test: tap Ring — the child's phone should ring within a few seconds.

If the child shows as offline, jump to Troubleshooting — it is almost always a battery or autostart setting on the child's phone.

Permissions explained What each one is for, and why ChildCare needs it.

Android asks for sensitive permissions explicitly. Every permission below is granted on the child's phone, is used only to provide the feature named, and never leaves the app's private data. You can review everything under the child phone's Settings → Apps → ChildCare → Permissions.

Set it up on your phone brand Most "the app stopped working" problems are one of these three settings: autostart, battery, and locking the app in recents. Find your brand below.

These steps are done on the child's phone (and, if you like, on the parent's phone too). Menu names vary slightly by model and software version — if you don't see the exact wording, search your phone's settings for the bolded term.

Install methods Two ways to get ChildCare onto a phone.

Troubleshooting The most common setup problems and how to fix them.