How taskr works

taskr is a free iOS app that links chores to Apple Screen Time. Here's exactly how to set it up and how the day-to-day flow works for parents and kids.

The setup

Setup, step by step

  1. Download taskr and create your family

    Grab the free app on your iPhone, sign up as the parent, and create your family. You'll get a family code — your kids use it to join from their own devices.

    Free on the App Store

    No ads, no subscription required for the core features. iOS 16+ on iPhone and iPad.

  2. Add your child to Family Sharing

    taskr runs on Apple Family Controls, which needs your child in your Apple Family. If you haven't set it up yet:

    1. On your device, go to Settings → Your Name → Family
    2. Tap Add Member and invite your child's Apple ID
    3. Once they accept, Family Sharing is active

    On your iPhone

    Settings → Your Name → Family

  3. Set a Screen Time passcode

    On your child's device, open Settings → Screen Time and set a parent-only passcode so the rules stick:

    1. Tap Use Screen Time Passcode
    2. Create a parent-only passcode
    3. Enter your Apple ID when asked (this lets you recover it)

    On your child's iPhone

    Settings → Screen Time → Use Screen Time Passcode

  4. Authorize Screen Time in taskr

    In taskr on your child's device, tap Ask for Screen Time access, then approve the iOS popup with your parent Apple ID. This is the one tap that lets taskr lock and unlock apps.

    taskr Screen Time controls on the child's iPhone after authorizing Family Controls access

  5. Set their device as primary

    Still on your child's device: open taskr → Settings → Screen Time Settings, then under Primary Device tap Set This Device as Primary.

    What “Primary Device” means: it tells Apple which device Screen Time rules should enforce. Without it, limits may not apply correctly.

    On your child's iPhone

    taskr → Settings → Screen Time Settings → Set This Device as Primary

  6. Create your first task and manage from your phone

    Back on your iPhone, add a chore with a due time, pick the apps that lock if it runs late, and watch the dashboard do the rest — photo proof, approvals, and live status included.

    taskr new task form on iPhone with task name, child selector, due time, and repeat options

Optional security

Recommended

These settings stop your child from bypassing taskr. They live in the iOS Settings app on your child's device — taskr can't change them for you.

Disable Background App Refresh

Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Background App Refresh

Set to “Don't Allow”

Disable App Deletion

Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → iTunes & App Store Purchases → Deleting Apps

Set to “Don't Allow”

Keep Share Across Devices on

Settings → Screen Time → Share Across Devices

Leave switched on

The daily flow

A day with taskr

  • 4:00 PM

    Homework is due at 5:30. Apps stay open. taskr does nothing.

  • 5:30 PM

    Homework is overdue. taskr triggers Screen Time. The games and social apps you picked are locked.

  • 5:55 PM

    Your kid finishes, opens taskr, snaps a photo of their worksheet, submits.

  • 5:56 PM

    You get a notification, tap Approve. Apps unlock. Done.

FAQ

Setup FAQ

How long does it take to set up taskr?

About 5 minutes for the first kid, less for each additional one. The setup is: install taskr on the parent's iPhone, install it on each child's iPhone or iPad, accept the Family Controls permission once on the child's device, then add chores with deadlines and pick which apps each chore blocks. No accounts to create — taskr uses your existing Apple ID through Family Sharing.

Do I have to set up Apple Family Sharing first?

Yes — taskr's Screen Time enforcement runs through Apple Family Controls, which sits on top of Apple Family Sharing. Set up your Family in Settings → Family on iPhone first, then add taskr.

Can I set up taskr from my child's phone?

The parent account must be created from the parent's device. Then on the child's iPhone or iPad, open taskr and accept the Family Controls permission to link it.

What permissions does taskr need?

Family Controls (so Screen Time blocks can be applied), notifications (so you know when a chore is submitted or overdue), and camera (so kids can submit photo proof).

Can I undo a Screen Time block?

Yes — approve the task to lift the block instantly, or open the task and tap 'extend' to push the deadline. You're never locked out of your own family's Screen Time.

Try it tonight

Most families ship their first task within 10 minutes of installing.